Travel the Home Exchange Way

Home Base Holidays member's new e-book: 'Chez Mwah: How to Languish in the Languedoc'

Years ago, Judith, a long-term Home Base Holidays member (and very experienced home swapper), won a book on travel writing in a competition we ran. Now Judith has put her writing talent to good use and published a very entertaining e-book, 'Chez Mwah: How to Languish in the Languedoc', on her family's experience of owning a holiday home in France. A description taster:

"Part diary, part travelogue, this is the reality of owning a holiday home on a budget in southern France. This is not the posh South of France - not your chic Nice, stylish Cannes or rolling fields of lavender littered with white linen suits and panama hats. This is what's known as the 'Other South of France' inhabited by gnarly vignerons and their tiny grape-laden tractors buzzing about, spilling purple juice on the dusty tracks. Neither is it that dream house of 'A Place in the Sun' with its gravel drive and stone walls swathed in wisteria, a beady eyed old madame tottering out to greet you with freshly baked madeleines. This is a scruffy townhouse with worrisome neighbours and inexplicable leaks."

Do check out Judith's book (Chez Mwah: How to Languish in the Languedoc) - this is a perfect holiday read with loads of ideas, especially if you are swapping to a home in the area.

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Judith and her family have made good use of their French holiday home for home swaps too; they'll soon have guests arriving from Bali with a view to swapping homes. A trip to Bali with no hotel bills is quite some perk of owning a holiday home!

The beautiful courtyard in Judith's home

'Ours is a 120 year old town house in the friendly, bustling village of Olonzac which is right in the middle of the wine producing area of the Minervois in Languedoc Roussillon.'

View full details of Judith's home exchange offer in France and view more lovely photos. If you are already a Home Base Holidays member, login to contact Judith directly.

Sharing Economy eBook: get your free copy

Are you one of our many long-time, experienced home swap members in Home Base Holidays? Or are you planning to arrange a home exchange for the first time this year? Well, you are at the forefront of the sharing economy revolution!

Rather than leave your home empty when away (and more vulnerable to burglaries) and also pay a lot to stay in a small hotel room or rental property, using a resource you already have (your home) makes perfect economic sense.  

Sharing Economy explorer Claire Marshall has just published a book, ‘How to Make Money (and a whole lot more) by Sharing’ about her favourite sharing economy platforms (over 250) and Home Base Holidays is featured! Even better, you can get Claire’s book for free (offer expires: 31.01.16).

 

- Download your copy http://bit.ly/1Tywtrw

 

If your New Year’s Resolutions include ‘save money’ the book should give you lots of good ideas. Although the idea of the sharing economy is not new (home swappers have been taking part for many years), you may be amazed by the range of (still growing) services that are tapping into needs that can be fulfilled by sharing – everything from car or lift sharing to sharing things, skills, surplus food, storage space, gardens.

Many sharing ideas have been around for years (my first business in the early 1980s was a small nearly new shop run with other young mums to enable local families to buy and sell children’s clothes, toys and baby equipment) and I was in a babysitting circle, food co-op and children’s book group – all great ways to save money when there was little to spare as well as develop lasting friendships; but the Internet now enables a much wider reach for the many different types of sharing services  - many are for free whilst some involve charges, e.g. renting little used equipment rather than buying it or letting a spare room to someone who needs storage space.

Claire would love to hear how you came across the sharing economy and any stories you have. Perhaps you could tell her of the ways you have benefited from swapping homes apart from having rent-free accommodation.  You never know - your story might even end up in her next book! We’d love to share your stories here too so please send yours to [email protected] and we’ll also pass them on to Claire. – Lois Sealey, Home Base Holidays

Home exchange books - a good way to record a lovely home swap holiday

Maureen  and Gerry Poulton, who have the good fortune to live on Queensland's Gold Coast, are very experienced home swappers. With an attractive home (in photo) and pool overlooking a lake, it's not surprising that their home exchange offer is so popular (click here to see their latest home swap requests on Home Base Holidays).

The couple arranged three swaps to the UK in 2013 (two in England, one in Scotland). We have noticed a trend of more and more Home Base Holidays members using the service as much to spend time with family and friends in an area as for arranging a holiday somewhere different, and Maureen and Gerry certainly did that last year.

It's always fun to look back at photos taken on trips we enjoyed, especially if they involve family get-togethers or special occasions. Maureen has taken this a step further, using the Blurb site to compile books to record each of their three exchanges, and has kindly sent us the links to view her books. Hopefully these will inspire others to do the same!

To browse through Maureen's books, click the link beside the name of the location below; then click Preview. Enlarge and turn the pages in  the Blurb site:

Long Ashton, Somerset - view book (and view full exchange offer)

Park Langley  and High Halstow, Kent - view book (and view full exchange offer)

Loch Lomond, Scotland - view book (and view full exchange offer)

If you have been inspired by Maureen's home exchange stories, or would like to share your own home swap experiences, we'd love to hear from you - contact Home Base Holidays.

 

Book review: ‘The Promise of Provence’, a story woven around a home exchange theme

Recently we sent out copies of the new novel by Patricia Sands, 'The Promise of Provence’, to the two lucky winners of a competition promoted in Home Swappers Newsletter. We've now received our first review by winner,  Eveline Winthrop from Auckland, New Zealand. As the novel has a home exchange theme (the author is an enthusiastic exchanger), it was ideal that both book winners are themselves experienced home swappers.

Eveline's review:

I think the cover of the book is very special and depicts the French content.  Although the story line was a little on the slim side from my point of view, the author wove a lovely picture and story around the French element in that I was exclaiming many times how much I agreed with all her very good descriptions of scenery and market places, and the numerous sights in the French countryside which you can only really appreciate if you have been there.  To me, that was the highlight of  the book.  We spent five months in a campervan travelling around Provence in the main although other areas as well, and Patricia Sands certainly gave the home exchange idea a very good recommendation to her readers.

Read more about 'The Promise of Provence’ on the author's website.

See Eveline and husband, John's, exchange offer in Auckland. Their home (in photo) is on a very quiet, tree-lined street in the suburbs. The couple are can offer non-simultaneous exchange so that exchange partners in England can come during the New Zealand summer while they travel to England during the northern summer months. 

Happy 200th birthday, Charles Dickens!

Follow in his footsteps on a home exchange in England

Today marks an important international literary celebration: Charles' Dickens 200th birthday. As well as being a prolific author, Charles Dickens was a social commentator whose observations on the vast divide between the rich and the poor are unfortunately still relevant in the 21st century. A well known quote from David Copperfield is as apt today as it was in 1849:

'Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure nineteen six, result happiness. Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure twenty pound ought and six, result misery.'

I can't help but think that, had he been alive today, Charles Dickens would be campaigning to alleviate poverty and would support ideas for living within one's means - he might even be house swapping to save money (and approving the reasonable cost of joining Home Base Holidays!)

There may seem a rather tenuous connection between Dickens and home exchange but, as Home Base Holidays is based in London, we find many home exchange members from overseas in particular are keen to trace family roots and visit places of historical and literary interest while on home swaps in the UK.

Dickens was born in Portsmouth, Hampshire and spent much of his life in various homes in London and Kent until his death in 1870 at Gads Hill Place in Higham, Kent. To find homes for exchange in these areas, do searches choosing England and counties (one at a time) of Hampshire, London and Kent.

See Dickens 2012 for information on events around the world this year and, if you are in London, do visit The Charles Dickens Museum. Based in 48 Doughty Street, it is the author’s only surviving London house and gives a fascinating insight into his life and work.

Book Review: Frommer’s Britain for Free (Great Days Out that Won’t Break the Bank)

There could hardly be a better time for a book on things to do in Britain that cost nothing. With the downturn in economies worldwide, many families are forced to cut back drastically on vacations and outings. However, with the excitement of the Royal wedding attracting increased interest in travel to Britain, and the 2012 Olympics in London only a few months away, now is a great time to plan a trip to Britain.

Ben and Dinah Hatch have written a guide that includes some of the quirkier, little known and downright weird attractions in Britain that also happen to be free.  Frommer’s Britain for Free is equally useful to visitors and to residents of Britain. I have lived in London for over 40 years and was drawn into the book by the amazing depth and range of interesting facts uncovered by the authors. Although it’s a guide to source attractions by area, it’s easy to get side-tracked by some of the titles: ‘Watch the Silliest Sport in Britain at the Westelton Barrell Fair’,  ‘Shout: “Don’t Tell Him Your Name, Pike”, at the Dad’s Army Museum’, ‘Play Pooh-Sticks at Winnie the Pooh’s Favourite Spot’, ‘See the White Lady Ghost at Queen’s House’, ‘Hear about the Deranged Nun at the Bank of England Museum’.

Inevitably in a book of this type, covering not only London but all of England by area plus Wales and Scotland, there will be more attractions left out than can possibly be included. However, those selected all fit the main criteria (free or, in one or two cases, very cheap), are well researched and the descriptions are given a personal touch in an engaging, light hearted style that both entertains the reader and makes choosing which attractions to visit easy (well, easier – it’s often hard to choose!).

The authors’ tips, especially the starred entries (Special find – the places only insiders know about), make this a unique guide for inspiration and ideas for cheap days out. Ben and Dinah come across as ‘real’ people, honestly accessing the attractions visited with their own children. There can no stronger judge of the attractions that rate well than having an easily bored young child in tow!

Each entry includes the address of the attraction, phone number, opening times, website and (for London) the closest Tube station. Amenities available are indicated by a number of icons. Having recently become a grandmother, a reminder of the difficulty in accessing some places with buggies or finding good spots for feeding and changing babies, I was pleased to see that the icons included many indicating child (and parent) friendly amenities.

One of the many advantages of arranging a home exchange vacation (apart from no costs for accommodation, having all the facilities of a fully equipped home, etc) is that home swappers leave lots of insider information for their guests. Along with the practical (e.g. emergency contact details for doctor, local police and hospital), Home Base Holidays members leave large folders of useful information on favourite local attractions and activities, restaurants and shops. Frommer’s Britain for Free would make an ideal addition to the information provided by members in Britain and for members from abroad to buy before their trip to plan the attractions they want to see while on a home exchange in Britain.

Book review by Lois Sealey, Home Base Holidays

Frommer's Britain for Free (Great Days Out that Won’t Break the Bank)

Paperback: 262 pages

ISBN: 978-0-470-68841-0
$18.99 US

See detailed information, read excerpts and order a copy at  Frommer's store.