Start planning your home exchange holidays for 2021

Plan ahead: there's been a big increase in members discussing swaps for next year

It always pays to start looking for a home swap holiday well in advance of dates you want to travel. Many experienced home exchangers start their search six months or even further ahead, especially if looking for specific locations, holiday dates are fixed, or you're looking for a longer swap.

When first making contact with a Home Base Holidays member to suggest a swap, or if you're responding positively to an exchange request you've received, it doesn’t put you under any obligation to pursue the exchange. At this initial stage of discussing a potential swap, both you and the other member will have questions and so you will likely have a detailed correspondence back and forth before you're both happy to commit to and finalise your holiday home swap agreement.

Once you find members interested in your home swap offer, you will be able to spend time really getting to know each other so that by the time you are both in a position to agree firm dates for your exchange, you are likely to feel that your future guests have become real friends. If you have children around the same age as your exchange partners, encourage them to get involved in the plans, sharing their hobbies, things they like to do locally and introducing each other to their friends. Parents who have been home schooling for weeks could see this as a learning opportunity (writing, geography to start) too!

During the current uncertainty over worldwide travel due to Covid-19, with guidelines and restrictions likely to continue to fluctuate, some members understandably will not yet want to make firm travel commitments. However, it is a really good time to start contacting members to discuss possible home swaps, even if some members will not yet want to finalise dates.

Over the last couple of months, we've been delighted to see many new members joining and existing members renewing their Home Base Holidays memberships. The biggest trend we're seeing is members planning staycation exchanges (i.e. not travelling too far from home) for this Autumn and Winter. However, there are also lots of members that are planning ahead and discussing home exchanges both at home and abroad for later in the year and for 2021. Do check out the latest home exchanges offers.

Some of the home swap offers just in...

Planning a home swap holiday:

Join Home Base Holidays: start home swapping

Looking for a much needed break? Arrange a home swap and enjoy free holiday accommodation. View the latest home swap offers then sign up to Home Base Holidays.