Travel the Home Exchange Way blog

Discovering Dorset: home swap overlooking Swanage Bay

Brilliant home swap overlooking Swanage Bay "We had such a brilliant holiday swapping to Sebastian's lovely flat on the seafront overlooking Swanage Bay. Prior to the home swap, we had a Zoom meeting with Sebastian and Karen - this was really good and gave us a good idea about what we both liked. We loved the aesthetic of the flat and the stunning sea views from the bay window. Even though the weather was not consistently good, we managed lots of amazing walks on lovely quiet beaches - we even had several beaches totally to ourselves. We got in some great outdoor swimming - on one swim we were joined by seals! It's not an area we knew but we are completely hooked and there's so much to do there we will have to plan a return visit. We enjoyed fish from the local fish shop, steak from the local deli and managed to get in a couple of performances at the Mowlem, about 2 mins' walk from the flat. Also loved Durlston Country Park which was ideal for a lunchtime dog walk. The scenery is stunning, and after spending the days exploring and with the sounds of the sea - we slept so well. We couldn't have had a better home swap. Thank you so much Sebastian & Karen!" - Sian & Mark

Highlights of the home swap: Sebastian and Karen's flat overlooking Swanage Bay Durdle Door, Lulworth Cove and Old Harrys Rocks Quiet beaches and swimming with seals!

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Photos from the home exchange in Dorset

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View the home swappers' holiday offers:

Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, UK (HE40858) Sian & Mark's colourful and cosy Victorian terrace house located just a short walk into Leamington Spa. View Home Base Holidays offer	Swanage, Dorset, UK (HE18816) Sebastian & Karen's holiday flat just meters from the beach with stunning views over Swanage Bay and the Isle of Wight. 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. Home swap guarantee: second year free if you do not arrange a swap during your membership.

What to do at the end of a home exchange holiday?

Thinking about home swapping? When planning your first home exchange holiday, it can feel a little daunting knowing what your guests will expect. Check out our preparing for a home exchange holiday blog post for travel tips on how to prepare your home for your guests. In addition to getting your home ready for your guests, it's also knowing what is expected at the end of the swap. We've put together a short checklist with our top 10 tips on what to do at the end of your swap. 

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Top 10: things to do at the end of a home swap holiday Tidy and clean: before leaving your host's home, make sure to give it a clean and tidy so that you leave it in as good (if not better!) condition than when you arrived. It shouldn't take long to clean and tidy, however, some members agree with their home swap hosts to have a cleaner to come in at the end of the swap. Change the bedding and towels: unless agreed otherwise with your hosts, it's always best practice to change the bed sheets and duvet covers before leaving the home - your home swap hosts will likely be tired after their travels and will appreciate the effort.  Feed pets / water plants: if you've agreed to provide pet care during your stay, make sure that you follow the care instructions left by your hosts so that their furry/feathered friends have plenty of fresh water and food when you leave at the end of the swap. Also, if you've agreed to water house / garden plants, give them one last sprinkle of water before you leave. Replace household essentials: most home swappers will be completely fine with you using household items such as cleaning products, toilet paper, olive oil, etc. However, it's always good to replace essential items you've used; I mean ...there's nothing worse than coming back from your holiday to find you're out of loo roll! Turn off appliances: double check that you've not left appliances such as ovens, hobs or electric heaters on before leaving the home. Check doors are locked / alarm set: make sure to double check that all doors and windows are locked. If the house has an alarm, make sure to set it before you leave.   Be honest: accidents can happen to the best of us and so, if you accidentally broke something during your stay, let your hosts know, and either agree to replace the item or compensate for the cost. Remember, you've already saved a huge amount of money by choosing to swap homes. Leave a gift: if you've had a good home exchange, it's a really nice touch to leave a thank you note and small gift for your home swap hosts. It doesn't need to be anything fancy, maybe some flowers or a bottle of wine ...just something to show your appreciation. Send a thank you message: when you returned from your holiday, send your home swap hosts a thank you message. Tell them what you loved about their home and location. If you had a less positive experience (thankfully these are very rare!), give it a few days so that you don't say anything you'll regret and then, once you've had time to rest and reflect, you can then decide whether to discuss the issue(s) with the member.  Leave a review: trip report reviews left by members help build trust. Therefore, when you return from your holiday, login to your Home Base Holidays account and leave your home swap hosts a review of your stay.

 

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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 swap holiday offers