Travel the Home Exchange Way

Happy Earth Day 2021 💚🌏 Staycation home swaps

Tourism and the environment is always a difficult balance. Of course, if you were to fly half way around the world for a three day home exchange, it could never be classed as 'eco-friendly'. However, home exchanging is an excellent way to help cut waste and make full use of our resources. It's so sad to see so many places around the world damaged by over development; knocking down neighbourhoods to build new hotels or shopping malls aimed at the tourist market. By swapping homes, you're not increasing the demand for hotel rooms but you are staying in a real home in a real neighbourhood ...often exploring and supporting local shops and markets.

"Actually, there are also deeper layers of thought to the home exchange idea. When you think about global waste and conservation, the idea of combining resources with other people on the globe has more merits than those you experience on a personal level. Think of all the hotel sheets and towels that are washed every day; of the low-paid hotel workers (often foreigners); of the huge and wasteful industry that has grown around the needs of people who want to experience a holiday in a different country." - Ruti Singer (from 'Home Away From Home')

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Post-lockdown getaway? Staycations (holidays within your own country) will again be very popular this summer as people hold off on overseas travel. By arranging a staycation instead of a long haul holiday, you'll help reduce your carbon footprint by avoiding the need for planes or cruises. The good news is that there are lots of tempting home exchange staycation offers available for this summer through Home Base Holidays.

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Small selection of home swap staycation offers

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Links to the above home swap offers: Cotswolds, England: 180 year old stone cottage in idyllic village. View offer Cranbrook, England: period family home in the heart of the Kent countryside. View offer Devon, England: 300 year old cottage in pretty village near Dartmoor National Park. View offer Ghadira, Malta: bright fully refurbished sea view apartment in North Malta. View offer Shoreham-by-Sea, England: large open plan houseboat with use of kayaks and bicycles. View offer Waterbeach, England: family home on the edge of a lovely village close to Cambridge. View offer Canonbie, Scotland: 17th century cottage in an ideal location for exploring this quiet and wild corner of Dumfries and Galloway. View offer Saffron Walden, England: converted granary dating back to 1820 in the heart of a historic market town. View offer Hebden Bridge, England: newly-renovated wide beam houseboat moored on the Rochdale Canal. View offer Loch Long, Scotland: cozy house with stunning views on the shore of Loch Long. Kayaks available to guests. View offer Cornwall, England: restored Cornish farmhouse with a wildlife pond, pizza oven, summer house and a meadow. View offer Cumbria, England: 300 year old farmhouse situated at the centre of 130 acres of farmland in the Eden Valley. View offer Villeneuve, Switzerland: boutique apartment with fast Wifi and desk for remote working. View offer Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, France: fabulous home with roof top terrace with jacuzzi overlooking the sea. View offer Spanish Point, Ireland: cottage overlooking the Atlantic Ocean and the sandy beach of Spanish Point. View 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 (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.

Preparing for a summer home exchange holiday

With the UK starting to ease lockdown restrictions, many of us are now looking ahead to a (much needed!) summer holiday. Home swapping is a great way to enjoy a fabulous holiday this summer but at a fraction of the cost. Through Home Base Holidays you'll find many tempting home swap offers including country cottages, city apartments and homes by the coast. Shown below are a few tips to help you find and prepare for a summer swap.

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1. Add your home swap offer: sign up to Home Base Holidays

Sign up to Home Base Holidays so that you can add your home swap offer and then start contacting other members to discuss a swap. You'll include details about your home, location and when and where you are looking travel. 

Home Base Holidays has a two-week free trial to get you started. A full six month membership costs only £29 and there are no additional fees to pay. Sign up for free and start planning a summer swap!

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2. Be proactive: start contacting members to discuss a summer swap

The most successful home swappers are usually the most proactive. So, once you've added your home swap offer, don't just sit back and wait to be contacted; search home swap offers and spend some time sending out enquiry messages to members whose homes/locations look of interest.

Note: it's important to reply to all enquiry messages you receive even if just to say "Thank you, but the offer is not what I am looking for".

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3. Communications is key: discuss all details of the proposed swap

Communication really is key to successful home swapping and so be sure to discuss all details of the proposed home swap with the other member and don't be afraid to ask any questions that come to mind no matter how minor they seem. Thankfully, problems during a swap are extremely rare and the majority of issues reported tend to be things that could have been easily avoided with better communication (e.g. difference in house keeping styles, pet allergies, etc). Even once your swap has been agreed, stay in contact with your swap partner regularly in the lead up to your travel dates.

Schedule a phone / Skype call with the member you're planning a swap with - this can provide reassurance and give you a further chance to discuss details of the proposed swap.

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4. Insurance: contact your home insurance provider

Before agreeing a home swap, contact your home insurance company to confirm that your home is covered during the period of the home exchange. Most insurance companies will agree that your home is more secure occupied than if left empty as with most traditional holidays. However, do contact us if you have any difficulties agreeing cover for the period of your home swap.

Car swap? If you have also agreed to exchange cars it is essential to contact your car insurance company to ensure that your exchange guests will be covered on your insurance.

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5. Preparing your home: clean and declutter

Home Base Holidays members understand that they are staying in a real home and not a show house but do make time to thoroughly clean and declutter your home prior to your guests' arrival so that your home is nice and welcoming. Ensure that your guests have enough sets of clean towels and sheets for their stay (prior to the swap, discuss and agree what to do with dirty towels and bedding). Clear some space in the bedroom, bathroom and kitchen so that your guests can unpack their luggage and have space to put away food during their stay.

Think about safety: Do you have smoke and carbon monoxide detectors fitted? Also, read our Covid cleaning guidelines.

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6. Welcome pack: put together a folder of useful information

Most Home Base Holidays members create a welcome pack for their guests' arrival. Include in your welcome pack information about local attractions and recommended restaurants, nearby transport, useful information about your home (e.g. how to turn on/off the alarm, etc), useful phone numbers (e.g. taxi firms) and emergency contact details (e.g. a friend/neighbour's number, an emergency plumber, etc).

This photo shows the Welcome pack and tourist information available to guests staying in Mario and Lorraine's home in Malta (member HE33093).  View their 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 (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.

Summer break? Try a weekend home swap holiday

In need of a getaway? Arrange a weekend home swap holiday

If you're thinking ahead to a post lockdown holiday this summer, arranging a home exchange is an ideal way to enjoy a much needed getaway but at a fraction of the cost (Home Base Holidays members save up to 90% on the cost of their holidays). When planning your first home swap, initially it can feel a little bit daunting and so many first time swappers choose to arrange a weekend break closer to home.

For example (swap the city for the countryside): if you live in the city and have been cooped up for months, how about a relaxing weekend exchange by the coast or countryside? Shorter swaps can be the perfect introduction to home swapping and give you confidence to plan longer home exchange holidays either within your own country or overseas.

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Find a weekend home swap: You can use the the search filters on Home Base Holidays to narrow down your search to members looking to arrange a weekend swap. Go to the home exchange search Open the "Type of exchange" menu and then tick "Weekend exchange" option

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Small selection of weekend home swap offers

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Links to the above home swap offers: Cotswolds, England: 180 year old stone cottage in idyllic village. View offer Cranbrook, England: period family home in the heart of the Kent countryside. View offer Devon, England: 300 year old cottage in pretty village near Dartmoor National Park. View offer Ghadira, Malta: bright fully refurbished sea view apartment in North Malta. View offer Shoreham-by-Sea, England: large open plan houseboat with use of kayaks and bicycles. View offer Waterbeach, England: family home on the edge of a lovely village close to Cambridge. View offer Canonbie, Scotland: 17th century cottage in an ideal location for exploring this quiet and wild corner of Dumfries and Galloway. View offer Saffron Walden, England: converted granary dating back to 1820 in the heart of a historic market town. View offer Hebden Bridge, England: newly-renovated wide beam houseboat moored on the Rochdale Canal. View offer Loch Long, Scotland: cozy house with stunning views on the shore of Loch Long. Kayaks available to guests. View offer Cornwall, England: restored Cornish farmhouse with a wildlife pond, pizza oven, summer house and a meadow. View offer Cumbria, England: 300 year old farmhouse situated at the centre of 130 acres of farmland in the Eden Valley. View offer Villeneuve, Switzerland: boutique apartment with fast Wifi and desk for remote working. View offer Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, France: fabulous home with roof top terrace with jacuzzi overlooking the sea. View offer Spanish Point, Ireland: cottage overlooking the Atlantic Ocean and the sandy beach of Spanish Point. View 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 (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.

Q&A: should I leave a gift when home exchanging?

Q: We've recently signed up to Home Base Holidays and are now talking to a member in Cornwall about a home exchange hopefully for this summer. I wonder if it is standard practice to leave a gift for the people we'll be exchanging with? We've let our apartment out through AirBnB in the past but this will be our first time home exchanging (we're very excited!) and so want to make sure we leave a good impression. Do you have any recommendations or feedback on what other members do? 

- Susan (North London, England)

A: It's great to hear you're discussing a home exchange for this summer - I'm pretty sure we're all in need of a holiday! As home exchanges are private agreements between two sets of members, every home swap is little bit different. We've had feedback from members that have said that they do not expect a gift, all they want is that the member treats their home with care and that the free holiday accommodation is a gift in itself. However, I personally think it is a nice touch to leave a small gift and a thank you note to show your appreciation. If the member you are exchanging with have children, you might decide to leave them small gifts appropriate for their ages or bring the gifts with you to leave for the children when they return home.

Many members create a welcome pack for their guest's arrival in which they include information about their home and location (tourist leaflets, maps, emergency numbers, etc). Along with the welcome pack, you could include a few small treats/delicacies from your area - this would be a lovely way to start a swap! 

Note: when discussing your swap it's good to check any dietary/allergy requirements of your guests ...you wouldn't want to leave wine, salmon, and peanut brittle for a non-drinking vegetarian with a peanut allergy.

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Leave basic provisions: I'd also recommend leaving some basic supplies for your guest's arrival (toilet paper, tea, coffee, milk, bread, cheese, fruit, juice, possibly even a meal ready to re-heat). Discuss this with your exchange partners before heading off on your trip but, if you both agree to do this, it can be a nice relaxing way to start a swap.

Example of welcome pack / basic provisions

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The above photos are from a Home Base Holidays member in Malta's listing (HE33093) and shows the welcome information and basic provisions available for their home swap guests' arrival.

• Check out their sea view home swap offer in Ghadira, Malta

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Home Base Holidays: sign up for free and start 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). >> Search the latest home exchange holiday offers  Home swap guarantee: if you don't arrange a swap we will renew your membership free of charge.

Tips from an experienced home swapper (over 30 swaps!)

Guest blog post by Home Base Holidays member and experienced home swapper, Tim Robbins.

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We have enjoyed 30 plus home swaps.  Barbados was hot, Reykjavic was not! But all of them have been great in their own way and our kids have seen as many continents as UK counties – we have been really spoiled by the wonderful world of home swapping. We have enjoyed sailing under the Golden Gate Bridge in our host’s brother’s yacht; collecting warm eggs in Provence; the poshest spa you could ever hope to go to in Hong Kong; braais with neighbours in Cape Town and Spanish e pen friends to this day. I really could go on (Martinique was interesting ... ), but you get the idea. We love home swapping.

We first home swapped when the kids were quite little, but at their most expensive and did so – unashamedly – to save money. But we very quickly realised that we had actually chanced upon a concept that money can’t buy. We still – 12 years and five continents later – love saving the money (of course!) and we still love the what money can’t buy experiences.

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However, I think that we can share a few - oh so very few – things that we are less fond of (but that can be easily fixed to make this fabulous home sharing thing even better!).

Not enough wardrobe and drawer space

A home swap is all about a home from home experience  - I don’t keep my clothes in a suitcase on the floor of the bedroom at home, so wouldn’t expect to do so on holiday. We always clear a lot of wardrobe & drawer space and leave a lot of good quality hangers. Ask yourself how many clothes you are taking to their place and then you’ll have pretty good idea of how much space to leave for theirs. Of course chucking clothes on the floor really works for the kids – then they really are home from home.

Other people’s half empty stuff in bathrooms

You wouldn’t get that in a hotel, Airbnb or villa rental, so don’t want it in your home from home – too homely! We leave plenty of fresh towels, loo roll and an unopened hand soap in each bathroom, but that’s it. It doesn’t take a minute to sweep all your stuff into a box, leaving a clear counter or drawer for your guest’s stuff, to make them feel at home, but not like they are sharing it with you still there.

Arriving late – with kids – we’re starving!

More often than not we have arrived to a feast of food & drink, which is lovely. But sometimes we have arrived late – or even later as delayed – and the cupboard is bare. Consider who is coming, when they are arriving and what they might want to eat & drink.

Rubbish or non existent house and local area notes

You are getting a free holiday – and hopefully many more to come – so invest a bit of time & effort in some decent and detailed notes about how everything in your home works (where you can gently add any specific requests and house rules); how to get around by local public transport; where to shop and where to eat & drink. It might be that your swap partners have bought every single guide book, spent hours online and have worked it all out, complete with restaurant reservations. Or maybe they have no clue and would really appreciate a few pointers as to where to get some food late on a Sunday night. Either way, they will definitely appreciate some insider local knowledge – so share it. I reckon our home notes are pretty good – very happy to email them to you as an example. Also happy to hear any suggestions as to how to make them better and what more to include: This is a community – so let’s all work together as a community. We have really appreciated good notes and those insider, local tips. We always like to exchange these well in advance, to help with planning and booking up front.

Uninsured cars

Car swaps are great. We often leave our car at our departure airport and pick theirs up at our arrival airport, all for the cost of a few hours in the short stay car park – what’s not to like? Our insurance company is happy to cover most people but, understandably, want their names and a few details. We then get a temporary cover note, naming our swappers and specifying the cover dates. We email this to them well in advance and also leave a hard copy in the car. In the past we have been told that we are similarly covered by their insurance, when we were not. Just because you are driving their car with their permission certainly does not mean that you are definitely covered by their insurance and so driving legally. Don’t assume – check. If you crashed the car, there would there be an awkward conversation about cost. And there could also be an even more awkward conversation with local law enforcement officers, which would be slightly more immersed with the locals and their culture than you might have planned. Car swaps are great – but need to be properly organised and really clear both sides.

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Meet the member:   Experienced home exchangers, Tim and Sarah, both work in the media and have two children. They're a local family; Wimbledon born and bred and can tell you about all the best places to see, go, shop and eat in not only Wimbledon, but throughout London.  View their home swap offer in Wimbledon, London

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Photos of Tim and Sarah's home swap offer in Wimbledon

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Home Base Holidays: sign up 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). Search the latest home exchange holiday offers  Home swap guarantee: if you don't arrange a swap we will renew your membership free of charge.

Had the Covid-19 vaccination and now looking forward to a post lockdown home exchange holiday?

Looking forward to your next home exchange getaway?

The speedy roll-out of vaccinations for the groups most vulnerable to Covid-19 has given us all hope of a gradual return to normality in the coming months. 

Many Home Base Holidays members had to put 2020 home swap plans on hold. However, there has been a steady increase in new members joining and current members renewing in recent weeks. Since this week's very welcome briefing from the UK government outlining a roadmap for easing restrictions, we've seen a big spike in members discussing home exchange holidays for this summer.

As with last year, when summer home exchanges were primarily domestic, many new exchange requests are again for home swaps not too far from home. Members looking for international destinations are often planning further ahead to home exchanges in late summer and beyond.

Without analysing in depth, it does look like the largest proportion of very recent new and renewing members are older travellers (we don’t ask for ages but members can indicate if they are seniors – see the "S" symbol in search result listings). It would make sense that older members are feeling the most optimistic at this time when the lucky ones have already had at least their first vaccination jabs, and others will get theirs soon. The speed of the roll-out of vaccination programmes will vary from country to country, as will the drop in numbers of people testing positive for Covid-19 so, although we still have a long way to go until travelling the world will be safe again, when many of us have hardly travelled further than our local parks for months, it’s great to be able to look ahead to better times and a change of scenery.

As in 2020, for the next few weeks at least, it’s best to pencil in potential home swap dates rather than make a firm commitment to exchange. However, this is a great time to start contacting members to suggest and plan swaps for when both parties feel comfortable doing so.

Swapping homes is one of the safest ways to travel as you and your family will have got to know your hosts and will be living in a self-contained, well-equipped family home, rather than mingling with many other visitors and staff in a hotel, busy resort or on a cruise ship, or renting a property that may have had many previous occupants recently. Please also check out the Cleaning Guidance to ensuring your home is Covid-safe for your guests.

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Arranging your home exchange:

It always pays to start planning your home exchange holiday well in advance of dates you want to travel. The first step is to add your home swap offer (details about your home, location and where/when you want to travel). Once you've added your home swap offer, spend some time contacting other Home Base Holidays members to ask if they would be interested in a swap.

Travel tips: when planning a home exchange holiday, it's a real plus if you can be flexible with travel dates and open to new destinations - one of the joys of home swapping is receiving a swap requests from interesting destinations you may not have previously considered. Being flexible with dates/destinations is especially useful while travel restrictions continue to fluctuate. If planning international travel, make sure to double check that tickets are refundable and, if possible, try to purchase flights using a credit card.

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Small selection of recent Home Base Holidays offers

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>> Browse home exchange holiday offers

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Useful links:

• Preparing for a home swap checklist 
• Top 10: things to do at the end of a home swap
• Cleaning tips for holiday home swaps during COVID-19
• BringBackTravel (interactive map of the latest travel restrictions)
• Search the latest home exchange offers

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Join Home Base Holidays: start planning your home swaps Looking for a much needed getaway? Arrange free holiday accommodation by choosing to swap homes rather than book hotels or holiday rentals. View the latest home swap offers then sign up to Home Base Holidays.

Tips to make your home swap holiday offer stand out

Looking ahead to a summer break? Rather than booking a hotel or holiday rental, arranging a home swap through Home Base Holidays will massively cut the cost of your post lockdown getaway and enable you to enjoy the space, comforts and safety of staying in a real home.

When adding your home exchange offer, it’s important to include sufficient details that will accurately show your home at its best. Included below are a few tips to help make your home exchange holiday offer stand out.

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1. Upload good quality photos

Home exchange offers with photos will always attract more interest than those without. Photos are the first thing people will see when they view your home exchange offer and so it’s important that you add photos that will accurately show your home at its best. Wider (landscape) photos usually look better than tall (portrait) images. Try to take photos at a time of day when your home gets the best light as dark, dingy photos can be a little off putting. Also make sure that before taking photos (and before going on an exchange!) you declutter your home - dirty clothes and towels scattered on an unmade bed is never the most welcoming first impression. Once you've uploaded your photos make sure to select a good default photo as this will be the image that displays on the home swap search page (you probably don’t want this to be the photo of your toilet no matter how nice it is!)

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2. Add a good description of your home

Seeing home swap offers with little or no description rarely inspires confidence and so it’s important to include a good description that accurately describes your home and facilities. You don't need to go over the top; a concise 300-500 word description is usually plenty to give a good feel for your home.

You might want to include: Does your home have a good view / close to beach/lake? Do you have pets? (important information for allergy sufferers) Does your home have disabled access? If so, include details Are you a young family? If so, do you have toys, a cot, high-chair, etc? Do you have internet access? Is a car exchange also an option?

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3. Add details about your local area

It is really useful for other members if you include details about your home’s location. This will give your potential exchange partner an idea of the activities and attractions your neighbourhood can offer. Again, try to keep this concise but include things such as transport links, shops and restaurants local to you, good nearby walks and any top tips and recommendations from a local (you!).

You might want to include: Is your home close to good public transport? Recommended nearby: parks, beaches, tourist attractions Activities nearby: golf, walks, sailing, etc Recommended restaurants, coffee shop, etc

Tip: also include more detailed information about your area in a welcome folder that you leave for your exchange guest(s) when they arrive in your home.

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4. Keep your listing up to date

Make sure that you regularly check your listing and update any details that may have changed. For example, if you’ve had any major renovations to your home, then update your home exchange offer's description and take some new photos to replace the old ones. Also, keep your destination wish list and your availability dates up-to-date so that other members can see where you want to swap to and when your home is available for swaps. 

Looking for a summer staycation? It's looking as if staycations will again be very popular option this year. If you are looking to arrange a staycation then make sure to include this information in your home exchange offer. Update your destination request to show that you are currently interested in swaps within your own country and update your availability calendar to show that you're looking for a home swap this summer.

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Useful links:

• Preparing for a home swap checklist 
• Top 10: things to do at the end of a home swap
• Cleaning tips for holiday home swaps during COVID-19

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Home Base Holidays: start planning a summer swap Through Home Base Holidays you'll find everything from country cottages, city apartments, family homes ...even houseboats, castles, converted churches and yurts! Join Home Base Holidays for free and start planning your next getaway. View the latest home exchange holiday offers