Travel the Home Exchange Way blog

Home swap: perfect London gem with fantastic owners

Miriam and family enjoyed a wonderful swap in London's Battersea

Our London home swap: a perfect gem with fantastic owners "We travelled from the States swapping to Rosemary's lovely home in London. Rosemary and her family will come to our home in Massachusetts later this year; but I wanted to write a review of our home swap vacation while it was fresh in my mind. Rosemary was an absolute joy to communicate with as we worked out the details of our stay; she and her husband went above and beyond to help us as we planned our trip. We were able to Facetime with them ahead of the travel dates and we came away from that first "meeting" with a solid feeling of trust. When we arrived in London after a red-eye, with our children and all of our things, we were greeted at the airport by Rosemary's husband who helped us navigate back to their house in Battersea. This was certainly not within the requirements of hosting us and was so very, very appreciated! We had a chance to meet Rosemary and her children when we arrived at the house and then they left us on our own to explore, and explore we did! Prior to our arrival, I had been in contact with Rosemary and shared our itinerary and she was able to send us some guidance on navigating London's public transportation system. Their home is just a 3 minute walk to several bus stops that can start you on your trip to wherever in London you might want to visit. I can not express enough how wonderful it was to be able to spend our days in and about London and then only have to make our way back to Battersea to settle in for the night. Having access to a kitchen where we could prepare a quick breakfast and some coffee every morning was a game-changer for our travel experience and the home was the perfect amount of space for all of us to unwind after a full day of activities. Battersea is such a nice lively area of London and we loved visiting several excellent local pubs. Additionally, the Italian restaurant literally at the corner was a delight and we had no concerns at all about allowing our children (11 and 13) head back to the house on their own from the restaurant while my husband and I enjoyed another drink and a dessert. If you're thinking of visiting London I highly recommend a stay with Rosemary and her family. Their attention to detail in their home packet was extremely helpful and they even had a few pages of possible itineraries that we would have definitely used had we not already planned our entire stay! We are looking forward to hosting Rosemary and her family in a few months time." - Miriam (Massachusetts, USA)

Our home swap highlights: We were a 1/2 block away from several bus stops and Underground stations. Battersea is such a lovely location to explore (excellent pubs, restaurants and cafes). Rosemary and her family went so far above and beyond our expectations for hosting - helping us understand the area and the public transportation system; providing a clean, lovely home; being available before, during and after our stay for all of our questions and needs. Staying with such a nice family and getting to know them a bit has made our anticipation of their visit to us next year a delight.

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Photos from Miriam's London trip

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    Members' home swap holiday offers:

Massachusetts, USA (HE41094) Beautiful wooden home in Manchester by the Sea, MA, USA. Just 1.75 miles to the Singing Beach. View Home Base Holidays offer	Battersea, London, UK (HE40964) Stylish Victorian maisonette with private garden. An ideal location from which to explore London. View Home Base Holidays offer

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Home Base Holidays: join for free and start home swapping Sign up to Home Base Holidays two-week free trial or select a full membership. Search home exchange offers Home swap guarantee: second year free if you do not arrange a swap during your membership.

Why do a Home Swap? Here are 7 Good Reasons

More and more people are discovering the benefits of home swapping. The majority of home swaps are simply to arrange a holiday while enjoying free accommodation in your home from home. However, many Home Base Holidays members use home swapping for more than just holidays. Shown below are 7 good reasons to start home swaping. 

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1. Work from anywhere in the world

If you work independently, you don’t have to give up the travel you love. Digital nomads, freelance workers, and people running online businesses have the freedom to work almost anywhere they have an internet connection. Many such location-independent workers are using home swapping to arrange work/travel swaps worldwide, often arranging longer term (3+ month) exchanges.

 

Taking a sabbatical or work on overseas projects? If work commitments or research mean you need to stay in a destination for a period of time, from several weeks up to a year (or more), arranging a home swap not only gives you a home to stay in, it is a major money-saver. Search home exchange offers

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2. Swap city life for country living (or vice versa)

If you’re considering swapping the city for a life in the country or moving from the country to the city, but are not sure the move would be right for you – try first arranging a home swap! What better way to try out an area than by staying in a real home (you may want to arrange a swap during the worse time of year weather-wise to get a real taste of what a permanent move would be like).

 

Use the home swap search tools to find everything from country cottages, city apartments... even houseboats and yurts!

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3. Stay in a real home when travelling for a special occasion

People use home swapping to attend special occasions such as weddings, anniversaries or special birthday celebrations. Swapping homes is a great alternative to a hotel room or staying with relatives.

Check out the blog post Home swap holiday in Sri Lanka for daughter's wedding

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4. Have your own space when visiting friends and family

If you’re visiting friends or family, arranging a home exchange close to where they live can be an ideal option; you get the chance to spend time together but also have your own space.

Visiting your 'home' country? Many families are separated from loved ones by thousands of miles. As well as wanting children to know their relatives abroad, it’s natural to hope that they’ll feel a connection to your country of origin. Arranging home swaps “back home” can enable lengthy stays at very little cost.

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5. Comfortable (and free!) place to stay when attending sporting or cultural events

We’ve had members arranging home swaps to visit major sporting events such as the Wimbledon, Australian Open, Ryder Cup, The Ashes, the Super Bowl, and more. Home Base Holidays members also arrange exchanges to attend concerts, music and theatre festivals, and other cultural events. Just remember to arrange your home swap well ahead of time! Search home exchange offers

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6. Try out living abroad

If you’re thinking about moving to another country, why not arrange a home exchange before taking the plunge? By staying in a real home, you will get a much better feel for what life would be like if you did decide to move permanently. Without having to worry about hotel costs, you could swap for an extended period of time and explore property options if you do decide to immigrate.

 

Learning a new language? Many Home Base Holidays members like to immerse themselves in another countries culture so that they (and their kids) can learn or improve language skills. What better way to grasp a language than using it every day? Check out the blog post Expat life: try out a new life abroad by swapping homes

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7. Get free holiday accommodation!

No matter what your reason for travelling, the bottom line is that a home swap gives you a free place to stay. What could be better than that?

Home Base Holidays is a home swap club established in 1985. Add your home and then start contacting other members to start home swapping.

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Join Home Base Holidays: start home swapping Looking for a much needed break? Arrange free holiday accommodation by choosing to swap homes rather than book hotels or holiday rentals. View the latest home exchange vacation offers then sign up to Home Base Holidays.

Q&A: Is my house suitable for a home swap holiday?

Toys and children's books can be a bonus of swapping with another young family

Q: Hello Home Base Holidays team! I've been browsing offers on your website and am interested in arranging a home swap holiday. I have a 2-bedroom cottage in the Cotswolds and would initially be interested in arranging a shorter break within the UK. I just wasn't sure what people would expect of my home and how to prepare it for a swap. My home isn't luxurious by any means but I think it's very nice, cosy and comfortable. However it is also full of my family's stuff (we have a 3 year old girl with lots of books, toys, etc!). I'm guessing it's okay to leave our belongings in the cottage during the swap or would our guests expect us to clear much of it out? Also, are there any precautions we should take prior to a swap? - Katie

A: Thanks for getting in contact and lovely to hear you're interested in home swapping! Your Cotswolds cottage sounds lovely and I'm sure it would be a very appealing offer to many members. Planning your first swap can feel a bit daunting and so choosing a shorter swap closer to home is a great way to start. You do not need to clear out any of your items prior to a swap. Home swappers aren't expecting to stay in an empty show home but will be expecting a home just like yours, a nice real home contain furnishings and belongings. In fact, if you arrange to swap with a family that have a similar aged kid(s), having childrens books and toys can be a really big bonus!

Prior to the swap, make sure that you give your home a good clean and declutter so that it's nice and welcoming for your guests. Although you do not need to remove your belongings, it's nice to clear a little space in your wardrobe, kitchen cupboard and bathroom so your guests have room to unpack. 

• Five steps: prepare your home for a home swap holiday

Home swaps are mutual agreement between the two members and is based on trust that will develop over a lengthy correspondence in the run-up to exchange dates. However, it is always important to contact your home insurance company to make sure your policy will cover the period your guests will be staying. There are also several specialist insurance companies that provide very reasonably priced top up cover for home swappers, contact us for details

Tip: For peace of mind, some members also choose to use a lockable room or ask friends/family nearby to store certain personal items that they would not want available for use by exchange guests (e.g. a work laptop).

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Home Base Holidays: start home swapping Sign up to Home Base Holidays and arrange home swap swap holiday accommodation for the new year. Save over 90% on the cost of your next holiday!  Search the latest home exchange holiday offers

Top 5 home exchange holiday blog posts of last year

 

It's been great to see Home Base Holidays members enjoying home swap holidays in 2022. In addition to swaps closer to home (a trend we see continuing into 2023!), it was also so nice to see so many members again going on home swaps abroad.

 

During these times where we're all having to tighten our purse strings, it's also been comforting to get feedback from members and hear how home swapping has helped them save money.   

 

Shown below are the most read blog posts published on Travel the Home Exchange Way in 2022. 

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Top 5 Travel the Home Exchange Way blog posts of 2022:   1. Pet friendly breaks? Arrange a home exchange holiday (21st March 2022) To many pet owners the thought of leaving their dog or cat in a kennel or cattery while they go on holiday is enough to make them give up the idea of going away! So, rather than leaving your pet behind, why not arrange a home swap and take your pets on holiday with you? Home swapping can be an excellent option for pet owners, but make sure to plan well in advance before setting off with your beloved pet. View this blog post   2. 7 benefits of arranging a home swap holiday (25th May 2022) Guest blog post: Janis Fisher Chan is a writer, editor and passionate traveller who loves home exchanging. If you love travel and love getting a real feel for your destination, Janis encourages you to try home swapping! View this blog post   3. Home exchange holidays: tips for good communication (11th July 2022) The key to successful home swapping is to always have good communication. So, when planning an exchange, make sure to have ongoing communications with your exchange partner. View this blog post   4. Brush up on your home exchange etiquette (22nd October 2022) If you are planning to do a home exchange it’s important to think about how you will set up your house and what you will do at the home of your swap partner. From the responses you write to each inquiry, to leaving gifts for your swappers, to cleaning the sheets, there’s a lot for the conscientious swapper to consider. View this blog post   5. Tips from experienced exchangers (100+ home swap holidays!) (2nd Dec 2022) Home Base Holidays members, John and Marilyn, started home exchanging over 40 years ago and have now completed well over 100 h0me swap holidays (a record that must take some beating!). View this blog post

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Join Home Base Holidays: start home swapping Looking for a much needed getaway in 2023? Arrange free holiday accommodation by choosing to swap homes rather than book hotels or holiday rentals. View the latest home exchange vacation offers then sign up to Home Base Holidays.