Home swap Q&A: worried about sharing too much?

Q: I've just signed up to Home Base Holidays and am very excited to start home swapping. However, I am new to this and slightly apprehensive about sharing personal details with other members. I'm probably overthinking it but guess I just need a little reassurance! Potentially, I am also open to an exchange of cars and bikes during a home exchange but again just need a little advice. Thanks in advance for your time and consideration.

With best wishes, Jacky

A: It’s totally understandable to be apprehensive when planning your first home swap holiday. We’ve been running Home Base Holidays for over 30 years and over that time it’s extremely rare that we’ve been notified of any issues. Personal details such as your email address, phone number and post code are private and so only you can view this information in your listing. Also, details you add to your About Us page are only viewable to other current full members. Rest assured, we will never ever pass on any members’ details to a third party. However, it’s important to only add information to your listing / profile that you feel comfortable sharing. Obviously, listings with photos will attract the most interest but, if you’re not comfortable adding photos, you could always contact members you’re interested in swapping with and offer to send them photos of your home through the message area or via email.

It’s so nice to hear that you are potentially open to including your car and bikes as part of the swap – this can be an added bonus for many home swappers as well as another excellent holiday cost saving. If you do agree to swap cars, contact your motor insurance provider in good time to add your guest's name to the policy for the period of the exchange (if you'll be using their car, check that your guests add your name to their policy).

On the subject of insurance, it's important to contact your home insurance provider prior to agreeing a swap to confirm that 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

Blog posts to help you get started on your home swap adventures: