Travel the Home Exchange Way blog

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:

• 5 Tips to make sure you have happy home swap guests
• Home exchange holidays: tips for good communication
• Declutter your home before an exchange
• Brush up on your home exchange etiquette
• 3 easy steps for creating a home exchange user guide
• Tips from an experienced home swapper (over 30 swaps!)
• Our first home swap... one of our best holidays ever!

---

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

Tips for sending your first home swap holiday messages

Make a good impression: contact members to suggest a home swap holiday

Successful home swapping is based on good communication and trust. Therefore, when initially contacting members to suggest a home swap holiday, make sure to be friendly and warm so that you make a good first impression. 

Your initial message does not need to be long or include lots of information, just a simple friendly first enquiry to gauge if the member would potentially be interested in a swap. It's good to draw attention to your location and suggest possible swap dates as, hopefully in doing so this will encourage the member to view your full home swap listing. Remember to personalise your message, mentioning what you like about their home and location (a little flattery never goes amiss!).

---

Example of a first home swap message: "Hi Steve, would you be interested in a swap to our cottage this summer? It's a really peaceful location within the Snowdonia National Park (lovely walking trails nearby!). We're hoping to visit London for a week this summer (July or August) and your apartment in Battersea looks so lovely. We are a retired couple and can be quite flexible with our travel dates. We'd be happy to answer any questions you have and look forward to hearing from you soon. Many thanks, Joyce and Mike"

 

We all have our own styles, and so write in a way that's comfortable for you. Once you've found someone who would like to exchange with you, you can then go into much more detail as you both discuss and agree all key aspects of the swap. You can then set up a swap agreement through the Home Base Holidays website where you and your swap partner can enter details of what you've discussed and agreed (i.e. swap dates, who is travelling, how to exchange keys, what to do at the end of the swap, any special requirements, etc).

Finally... you can both enjoy fabulous free holiday accommodation! 😃

---

Important reminders:

Pet care / allergies: If you'll require pet care during the swap or if you suffer from allergies such as to dog or cat fur, mention this early in communications so that you don't waste each other's time if the proposed swap is not going to be suitable.  Reply to all messages: It's important home swap etiquette to reply to all messages you receive, even if just to say "Thank you for the offer but I'm not interested in the swap". The other member can then move on rather than waiting on your reply.

---

Remember, the most successful home swappers are often the most proactive, so browse home swap offers and start sending out your initial messages to suggest an exchange!

---

Join Home Base Holidays: start home swapping Enjoy free holiday accommodation by arranging a home swap. Sign up to Home Base Holidays Start swapping: browse home swap holiday offers

Our fabulous home swap holiday in Northumberland

The Coach House: Susan and Jim's beautiful home in Northumberland

Home swap holiday to a lovely cottage surrounded by hillsides "We had a fabulous 9 day home swap holiday staying in The Coach House, Susan and Jim's beautiful cottage in Northumberland. Their lovely rural cottage is surrounded by hillsides (and sheep!). We saw pheasants and also a hare wander past the cottage windows. Several small streams run through the property grounds and one tumbled behind our cottage - with the bedroom window open we could fall sleep to the sounds of moving water. Delightful! The cottage was centrally located in Northumberland near Hadrian's Wall providing excellent walking, beauty, and history. We enjoyed visiting some of the local towns, and did a side trip to the NE coast of England, where we did a coastal walk to a castle. Just spectacular. We also went to the Lake District for an overnight stay. Just an incredibly gorgeous area. All of this could be done without a lot of driving. Getting to Susan and Jim's was quite easy for us. We first flew to Edinburgh and explored the city a bit, and then hopped on a train to Haltwhistle which was only a few miles from our destination. Susan and Jim were very easy to communicate with, extremely pleasant and easy going. We also swapped cars and all went really smoothly. Our home swap with Susan and Jum was a big success." - Carol (Vermont, USA)

Our home swap highlights: Beautiful countryside and walks in Northumberland Lovely daytrip to the Lake District Great communication with Susan and Jim

---

Photos from the swap in Northumberland

• 
• 
• 
• 

---

    View the home swap holiday offers:

Vermont, USA (HE38792) Beautiful 2-bedroom Vermont farmhouse dating back to the early 1800s. With extensive 5 acres gardens. View Home Base Holidays offer	Northumberland, UK (HE40388) The Coach House is a 2-bedroom cottage in a magical setting. Surrounded by beautiful countryside, steeped in history. View Home Base Holidays offer

---

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 (6-month membership is just £29 and 1-year at £49). Home swap guarantee: second year free if you do not arrange a swap during your membership.

Looking for a longer term home exchange getaway?

Long-term swaps are ideal for digital nomads, writers or any other location independent workers

Most home swaps are for holiday periods of one to three weeks or, closer to home, for long weekend breaks. However, many members also arrange long-term home exchanges that can be anything from one month to over a year. Arranging longer swaps can be a great way for retirees with no holiday time restraints to visit family or friends living overseas. If you are an expat, it’s an excellent way to visit your native country and have your own space rather than stay with family for long periods. Longer term swaps can also be an exciting and realistic option for digital nomads, writers or any other location independent workers who can work anywhere there’s a good internet connection. It is this latter category where Home Base Holidays has seen a particular growth since the quite dramatic shift away from office to home working during and after the pandemic. 

 

A sample of recent long-term home swap requests follows. As it can take several weeks to find a perfect match for a long-term exchange, especially if one or both exchangers need a swap for a set period, please do check out any offers that are of interest without delay.

---

North Shore, Auckland, New Zealand Seeking a 5 month swap in London   "We are on transfer to London for five months between 1 September 2023 and late January 2024 and are seeking a home swap for a property in London which sleeps up to 6 adults."   Lovely villa just a 500 metre walk from Devonport's main street, and a 15 minute walk (or five minute drive) from local beaches. The villa was recently named New Zealand Home of the Year in its renovation category.   View home swap holiday offer

---

Provvidenti, Molise, Italy Second home: open to any length swaps   Charming old village house in beautiful Molise, one of Italy’s last truly authentic regions. if you like the smell of hay, the taste of homemade salsa, hearing nightingales and owls, seeing sheep grazing around the village and don’t mind the occasional tractor passing or neighbours sitting outside in front of their houses chattering and playing cards, then Provvidenti is for you. International airports all connected by public transport.   View home swap holiday offer

---

Bedford, Bedfordshire, England Open to longer term home swaps   Beautiful Country House in a peaceful country area with easy access to Cambridge, Oxford and London. London is 50 minutes by train. Cambridge is 45 minutes by car. Oxford is 90 minutes. Stratford-upon-Avon is 90 mins by car. London Luton airport 50 minutes.   View home swap holiday offer

---

Melbourne, Victoria, Australia Seeking up to a 6 month swap in the UK   "I would appreciate an exchange anywhere in the UK for any time up to 6 months."   Brick veneer house with remote gated entry in a quiet area near to foot of the Dandenongs (hills). Boronia is 20 miles from Melbourne city with both bus and train stations nearby. While a car is not necessarily needed for most people, my car is included in an exchange.   View home swap holiday offer

---

Stroud, Gloucestershire, England Seeking a 1-2 month swap in London, Paris, New York, UK or Australia   A stylish, spacious, two bedroomed apartment on the second floor of a transformed historic mill situated in the Golden Valley, a beautiful rural, old industrial area with canals and walking towpaths along the River Frome, the Cotswolds in Gloucestershire.    View home swap holiday offer

---

Remember, the most successful home swappers are often the most proactive, so browse home swap offers and start sending out your initial messages to suggest an exchange!

---

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