Q: I've just added my 3-bedroom flat in Bath to Home Base Holidays and am very excited to arrange my first home swap holiday! I've never arranged a swap before and so I'm a bit unsure what my guests will expect from my home. I'd of course make sure my home is nice and clean for their arrival and I'd provide essentials such as towels, bedding, loo roll, etc. My flat is not a holiday home though and so it's where we live and so has all our personal belongings (clothes, photos, etc). Is it okay to leave our personal items in the flat during the swap? Also, what assurance does one have that one's stuff will be safe if it remains?
- Gill
A: It's great to hear that you’ve added your flat in Bath to Home Base Holidays. Although some members do list their second / holiday home, the vast majority of members do not have a second property and so, like yourself, are swapping the home that they live in. Home swappers will expect to be staying in a real home rather than a generic rental or hotel room. Therefore, there is no need to clear out any of your belongings, just make sure that your home is clean and tidy, you have left some space in wardrobes and drawers for their belongings (they won't likely need a lot of space if swapping for a short period), extra clean bedding and towels are available, your fridge is cleaned (but leave basic foodstuffs like milk, butter, bread). Also put together a welcome pack for your guests to explain how things work, local attractions, recommended restaurants, transport information and emergency numbers.
It's extremely rare that we're notified of any problems during a home swap. However, it's still important to contact your home insurance provider prior to agreeing your exchange so as to make sure that your policy will cover the period that your guests are staying (just on the rare chance that something is damaged during their stay). For peace of mind, some members also choose to use a lockable room or take advantage of friends/family nearby to store certain personal items that they would not want available during an exchange (such as a work laptop or items of sentimental value).
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