Sally and John's beautiful home in the Tuscan village of Tempagnano
"We loved our ten day home exchange staying in Sally and John's home in Tempagnano, Tuscany. The house is beautiful both inside and out - comfortable, full of character and with glorious views from every room.
For four nights my brother and his family joined us and they loved it too - we had three nights dining together on the terrace and one in Lucca which was at its best in the late afternoon and evening as it's cooler.
As well as Lucca, we also went to Barga, further up the valley, which we'd recommend to any visitors. It's a beautiful hilltop town and the 360 degree views from the church are stunning.
We loved being able to swim in the river - there were several spots a mile or so beyond Bagna de Lucca that were perfect for this purpose. The local public pool is lovely too - to swim surrounded by mountains and trees is such a treat.
We also enjoyed a very atmospheric walk up through Fiume Candalla - which was a very attractive 50 minute drive from the house. It's quite a climb but the steps up to the house were good training and on a hot day it was perfect exploring the waterfalls and plunge pools and abandoned mills.
Any queries we had, Sally and John were quick to reply and it was great being able to swap advice and suggestions of places to go."
Sarah is an author and Tom is a chef. They have completed a number of successful home exchanges (mainly with the US but would like to explore other options too). They can supply home swap references.
Sally and John are a retired couple from England who for the majority of their time live in Northern Tuscany. They love to travel, enjoy the coast, countryside, visiting historical sites, visiting cities, museums and art galleries and walking.
Q: We've recently signed up to Home Base Holidays and are now talking to a member in Cornwall about a home exchange hopefully for this summer. I wonder if it is standard practice to leave a gift for the people we'll be exchanging with? We've let our apartment out through AirBnB in the past but this will be our first time home exchanging (we're very excited!) and so want to make sure we leave a good impression. Do you have any recommendations or feedback on what other members do?
- Susan(North London, England)
A: It's great to hear you're discussing a home exchange for this summer - I'm pretty sure we're all in need of a holiday! As home exchanges are private agreements between two sets of members, every home swap is little bit different. We've had feedback from members that have said that they do not expect a gift, all they want is that the member treats their home with care and that the free holiday accommodation is a gift in itself. However, I personally think it is a nice touch to leave a small gift and a thank you note to show your appreciation. If the member you are exchanging with have children, you might decide to leave them small gifts appropriate for their ages or bring the gifts with you to leave for the children when they return home.
Many members create a welcome pack for their guest's arrival in which they include information about their home and location (tourist leaflets, maps, emergency numbers, etc). Along with the welcome pack, you could include a few small treats/delicacies from your area - this would be a lovely way to start a swap!
Note: when discussing your swap it's good to check any dietary/allergy requirements of your guests ...you wouldn't want to leave wine, salmon, and peanut brittle for a non-drinking vegetarian with a peanut allergy.
Leave basic provisions: I'd also recommend leaving some basic supplies for your guest's arrival (toilet paper, tea, coffee, milk, bread, cheese, fruit, juice, possibly even a meal ready to re-heat). Discuss this with your exchange partners before heading off on your trip but, if you both agree to do this, it can be a nice relaxing way to start a swap.
The above photos are from a Home Base Holidays member in Malta's listing (HE33093) and shows the welcome information and basic provisions available for their home swap guests' arrival.
Guest blog post by Home Base Holidays member and experienced home swapper, Tim Robbins.
We have enjoyed 30 plus home swaps. Barbados was hot, Reykjavic was not! But all of them have been great in their own way and our kids have seen as many continents as UK counties – we have been really spoiled by the wonderful world of home swapping. We have enjoyed sailing under the Golden Gate Bridge in our host’s brother’s yacht; collecting warm eggs in Provence; the poshest spa you could ever hope to go to in Hong Kong; braais with neighbours in Cape Town and Spanish e pen friends to this day. I really could go on (Martinique was interesting ... ), but you get the idea. We love home swapping.
We first home swapped when the kids were quite little, but at their most expensive and did so – unashamedly – to save money. But we very quickly realised that we had actually chanced upon a concept that money can’t buy. We still – 12 years and five continents later – love saving the money (of course!) and we still love the what money can’t buy experiences.
However, I think that we can share a few - oh so very few – things that we are less fond of (but that can be easily fixed to make this fabulous home sharing thing even better!).
Not enough wardrobe and drawer space
A home swap is all about a home from home experience - I don’t keep my clothes in a suitcase on the floor of the bedroom at home, so wouldn’t expect to do so on holiday. We always clear a lot of wardrobe & drawer space and leave a lot of good quality hangers. Ask yourself how many clothes you are taking to their place and then you’ll have pretty good idea of how much space to leave for theirs. Of course chucking clothes on the floor really works for the kids – then they really are home from home.
Other people’s half empty stuff in bathrooms
You wouldn’t get that in a hotel, Airbnb or villa rental, so don’t want it in your home from home – too homely! We leave plenty of fresh towels, loo roll and an unopened hand soap in each bathroom, but that’s it. It doesn’t take a minute to sweep all your stuff into a box, leaving a clear counter or drawer for your guest’s stuff, to make them feel at home, but not like they are sharing it with you still there.
Arriving late – with kids – we’re starving!
More often than not we have arrived to a feast of food & drink, which is lovely. But sometimes we have arrived late – or even later as delayed – and the cupboard is bare. Consider who is coming, when they are arriving and what they might want to eat & drink.
Rubbish or non existent house and local area notes
You are getting a free holiday – and hopefully many more to come – so invest a bit of time & effort in some decent and detailed notes about how everything in your home works (where you can gently add any specific requests and house rules); how to get around by local public transport; where to shop and where to eat & drink. It might be that your swap partners have bought every single guide book, spent hours online and have worked it all out, complete with restaurant reservations. Or maybe they have no clue and would really appreciate a few pointers as to where to get some food late on a Sunday night. Either way, they will definitely appreciate some insider local knowledge – so share it. I reckon our home notes are pretty good – very happy to email them to you as an example. Also happy to hear any suggestions as to how to make them better and what more to include: This is a community – so let’s all work together as a community. We have really appreciated good notes and those insider, local tips. We always like to exchange these well in advance, to help with planning and booking up front.
Uninsured cars
Car swaps are great. We often leave our car at our departure airport and pick theirs up at our arrival airport, all for the cost of a few hours in the short stay car park – what’s not to like? Our insurance company is happy to cover most people but, understandably, want their names and a few details. We then get a temporary cover note, naming our swappers and specifying the cover dates. We email this to them well in advance and also leave a hard copy in the car. In the past we have been told that we are similarly covered by their insurance, when we were not. Just because you are driving their car with their permission certainly does not mean that you are definitely covered by their insurance and so driving legally. Don’t assume – check. If you crashed the car, there would there be an awkward conversation about cost. And there could also be an even more awkward conversation with local law enforcement officers, which would be slightly more immersed with the locals and their culture than you might have planned. Car swaps are great – but need to be properly organised and really clear both sides.
Meet the member:
Experienced home exchangers, Tim and Sarah, both work in the media and have two children. They're a local family; Wimbledon born and bred and can tell you about all the best places to see, go, shop and eat in not only Wimbledon, but throughout London.
Looking ahead to a post-lockdown getaway? Staycations (holidays within your own country) will again be a very popular option this summer as people hold off on overseas travel. We've started to see many of the UK's hotels, campsites and rentals booking up for the summer months and often at far higher prices than in previous years (cost of staycation accommodation up by an average of 35% compared to last year). The good news is that there are lots of very tempting home exchange holiday offers available for this summer through Home Base Holidays.
Shown below are some of the benefits of arranging a summer home exchange staycation.
Cost savings: free holiday accommodation
By choosing to arrange a home swap rather than booking a hotel or rental, you are enjoying free accommodation and can cut the cost of your getaways by over 90%. At a time when many of us are worried about finances, it's great to still enjoy a wonderful holiday but at a fraction of the cost.
No deposits or booking fees: home swaps are private agreements between the two members. Therefore, there are no deposits or booking fees to pay (this can be very welcome at a time where travel restrictions continue to change).
Home from home: safety and convenience
By arranging a home swap holiday, you enjoy your own home from home 'bubble'. This can be so reassuring as it helps to avoid more crowded locations that you would typically find if staying in a hotel or rental with a big turnaround of guests.
When swapping homes, you are staying in a real home and so have full use of the facilities that a home offers (kitchen, laundry, garden, kids’ toys, etc). This gives you options that you would never have when staying in a hotel e.g. if a family are not yet comfortable eating out in cafes, restaurants or hotel breakfast bars, they can choose to make some or all of their meals in their home swap home (this is also an excellent additional cost saving).
Cleaning guidelines: we’ve published Covid-19 cleaning guidelines for members to follow before and at the end of a home swap.
Home insurance: confirm cover before swapping
Home swaps are private agreements between the members. Here at Home Base Holidays we've been running our home swap service for over 35 years and in that time it's extremely rare to hear of any problems during a swap. However, it's still important to contact your home insurance company prior to a swap to confirm cover for the period your guest will be staying in your home (we can direct members to well-priced top-up insurance cover for home swapping, contact us for details).
Home Base Holidays: sign up for free and start swapping
Sign up to Home Base Holidays two-week free trial or select a full membership (6-month membership is just £29 and 1-year at £49).
Home swap guarantee: if you don't arrange a swap we will renew your membership free of charge.
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Purpose
Home Base Holidays Helping provide travel tips and advice on arranging your home exchange holidays. Do get in touch if you have any questions about home swapping or if you are interested in contributing to the blog.
