Travel the Home Exchange Way

Expat life? Swap homes for visits ‘back home’

Expat life? Home exchanging can be an excellent option when visiting 'home'

Living overseas? If so, home swapping can be an excellent way to arrange comfortable free accommodation when returning ‘home’ to visit friends and family. Having a home 'base' can be especially welcome if you are staying for several weeks and would perhaps feel uncomfortable about imposing on friends or family for a lengthy period.  

Having your own place gives you the space and freedom to relax and get back into being a local again. Often it's the simple things we miss about our home country – just the simple day-to-day way of life. As an expat, some of the small things you miss can’t easily be lived while staying in a hotel or even with family if you feel anxious about disrupting their routines. You are there on holiday, but you are not a tourist. You want to be able to cook a meal at home, have your friends over for coffee or dinner, do the shopping and spend quality time with your family in the same way you would if living there.

As well as the huge savings on accommodation, by swapping homes, you can shop for food in your favourite shops and markets, cook at home with familiar ingredients, and pack lunches for day trips. The savings on eating out all the time will add up too. You might be able to enjoy longer visits or even plan trips back home more frequently.

Living as an expat, as time goes by you may be more and more settled in your new country. If you have young children, they will be growing up, making friends and possibly becoming fluent in a new language, but it’s always nice to keep them in touch with your culture too. Taking your kids back to visit relatives in your native country can feel very important and home swapping makes doing so more pleasant and affordable. Staying in a real home in a real neighbourhood will give children growing up in another country a better feel for the culture you grew up in.

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How home swapping works: First you'll need to sign up to a home swap website such as Home Base Holidays. You'll add your own home to the site, search home swap offers throughout the world and start contacting other members to arrange your home swap accommodation. By swapping homes there are no hotel or rental fees and so you'll enjoy free accommodation!

 

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Interested in home swapping? Sign up to Home Base Holidays

Handling the change-over in back-to-back home swaps

Most simultaneous home exchanges are one-off, one-to-one swaps between members; however, some members arrange two or even a series of swaps, one after the other. Such arrangements take very careful planning as, if one member is unable to take part in an agreed exchange for any reason, this would affect others in the chain of swaps. Although it is very rare that there will be a problem, as with any home swap, it’s sensible to have a fall-back plan, perhaps agreeing to pay for alternative accommodation for your exchange guests should you have to cancel at short notice.

With detailed agreements in place so that all those taking part in back-to-back swaps are clear about their commitments, it is also important to consider arrangements for ensuring your home is ready for your second exchange guests to move into after the first exchangers have moved on. The vast majority of home swappers will leave your home clean and tidy, exactly as they found it. However, as you won’t be there to check this as when preparing before a first swap, it will give you peace of mind to have arranged for a trusted cleaner to come in between home exchange guests to clean, change bed linen, wash towels, etc. Then, you can relax as you start your second exchange, knowing that your home will be just as you left it and ready for your guests' arrival.

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Interested in home swapping? Sign up for free!

Rather than booking a hotel or holiday rental, arrange free accommodation by arranging a holiday home exchange. Sign up to the Home Base Holidays two-week free trial.

Tips to declutter your home before a home swap

Getting ready for your summer home swap vacation? Your guests will be very much looking forward to staying in your home, a real home, and so won't be expecting to stay in a showroom. However, it is important that your home is clean and welcoming for your home swap guests. Here are a few tips that will help you declutter your home ready for your guests arrival:

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One room at a time

It can feel a bit overwhelming to plan to declutter your entire home. Instead it’s often better to take a step-by-step approach and take each room at a time… or better yet, split the tasks with other family members (you’re not the only one going away on holiday!). By tidying up one room at a time you will be able to focus on what needs to be done and so start seeing results of your effort.

Declutter one room at a time

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Before and after photos

One good way to evaluate your decluttering mission is to take before and after photos. It’s a quick way to see the progress you’ve made and give yourself a pat on the back. However if you are not satisfied with the “after” picture then it is also a good way to highlight what still needs to be done before your guests arrive.

Take a before and after photo

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Don’t forget the bathroom

Your guests will likely rather not see your old tube of toothpaste and dirty cotton buds. Consider packing up your beauty products and personal items in order to make room for theirs. Also make sure there is enough toilet paper and plenty of clean towels for your guests. You want them to feel at home while staying in your home, just as you want to feel at home while staying in their home.

Clear your bathroom of personal items

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Consider storage

Do you have a lockable room you could use for storage? If so this is an ideal way to store away some of your clutter as well as valuables while your home swap guests are staying in your home. Alternatively there are many companies that will offer short term storage solutions at a reasonable rate.

Lock away some belongings and personal items

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Leave a few toys out

If you are arranging a home exchange with another family with children you might want to consider leaving a few toys out. Your home swap guests (especially the children!) will appreciate this friendly gesture. Perhaps put the toys neatly in a box but within easy sight and reach.

Leave some toys out for your guest's kids

People say that decluttering is an art but just pace yourself, take it step-by-step and you’ll be surprised at the results… and your home swap guest will appreciate the effort.

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Home Base Holidays: travel the home exchange way

Home Base Holidays has thousands of home swap travel offers worldwide. Find your next exchange through Home Base Holidays so that you can enjoy free accommodation.

Five steps: prepare your home for a home swap vacation

Arranging a home swap is an excellent budget-friendly way to travel and explore new places. Here are five tips to help you prepare your space for a home swap.

1. Clean and declutter: Prior to your exchange, make sure you give your home a good clean and declutter so that your home is ready and welcoming for your guests. Clear space in your fridge and also make room in your wardrobe so that there is space for your guests to hang their clothes. It's also very important to make the beds up and leave plenty of clean towels and extra bedding. 2. Leave basic provisions: You don't have to go grocery shopping for your guests, but it's nice to have staples like tea, coffee, sugar, milk, bread, butter, cereal, toilet rolls and washing up liquid on hand to help them get settled while they figure out the lay of the land. 3. Create a welcome pack: Put together a folder of useful information. This can include practical information such as how to operate the alarm, when the dustbins are emptied, etc. Leave useful telephone numbers including your mobile number, the number of a friend or neighbour, the local doctor, local taxi company, emergency plumber, etc. Leave up to date tourist leaflets, maps, guide books, take away menus and information about public transport. 4. Small repairs: Your guests will be expecting a clean, tidy, but lived-in home, not a five star hotel, so don't feel that you have to completely over-haul your home to make it acceptable; but, if there's a few nagging little jobs (that door that has to be jiggled a certain way to close it, the dripping tap - you know, the small niggles that most of us can live with), the run-up to an exchange might provide the perfect incentive to fix them. 5. Leave a gift for your guests: Start the swap on a great note by going that extra mile to welcome your guests with a kind, unexpected gesture. How about some fresh flowers with a welcome card, a nice bottle of wine or maybe a nice locally produced treat?

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Find your perfect home swap vacation: join Home Base Holidays

Top 10: things to do at the end of a home swap

For many first time home swappers it can be a little bit daunting knowing what is expected at the end of the home exchange. Here's a check list of 10 good things to do at the end of a home swap:

1. Tidy and clean: it's important when leaving a home swap to make sure the house is in as good (if not better!) condition than when you first arrived. Usually a clean and tidy will not take long but some members agree with their swap partners to arrange a cleaner to come in at the end of the stay.
2. Replace household supplies: most home swappers will be completely fine with you using some of their household items during the swap, things such as cleaning products, toilet paper, olive oil, etc. However, it's always good to replace items you've used; I mean ...there's nothing worse than coming back from a long-haul flight only to find you're out of toilet paper!
3. 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 big or expensive, maybe a bottle of wine, a bunch of flowers ...just something to show your appreciation for being allowed to stay for free in their home.
4. Change the bedding: unless agreed otherwise with your home swap hosts, it's always best 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. 
5. Turn off appliances: double check that you've not left anything such as the oven or electric heaters on before leaving the home.
6. Feed pets / water plants: if you've agreed to provide pet care during the swap, make sure that you've left plenty of fresh water and food so that the furry/feathered friends will be happy until their owners return. Also, if as part of your swap agreement you have agreed to water house or garden plants, make sure to give them one last sprinkle before you leave.
7. Check doors are locked / alarm set: it's very imported to double check that all doors and window are locked when you leave your home swap home. If the house has an alarm, make sure it is set before you leave.  
8. Be honest: accidents can happen to the best of us and so, if you accidentally broke something during your stay, let your hosts know, appologise and either replace the item or agree to compensate them for the cost of the item. Remember, you've already saved a huge amount of money by choosing to swap homes.
9. Send a thank you message: when you've returned home and have rested up, send your home swap hosts a thank you message for allowing you to stay in their home. Tell them what you loved about their home and location. However, if you had a bad experience (thankfully 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 could send a polite message so that they will know where they could improve before swapping again. 
10. Leave a review: trip report reviews left by members help build trust and so log in to Home Base Holidays and leave your home swap hosts a review of your home swap experience.  

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Swap homes: free vacation accommodation Interested in home swapping? Browse thousands of home exchange vacation offers Join for free! Start your free two-week home swap trial. Join Home Base Holidays

Home Base Holidays member on Masterchef!

Paul and Judith's home in Olonzac, France and Paul appearing on Masterchef

March was an exciting month watching Home Base Holidays member, Paul, appearing as a contestant on the very popular BBC series, Masterchef. We're all so proud of him and he did incredibly well, making it all the way to the final 12 (episode 15). His French inspired food looked amazing and received excellent feedback from the Masterchef judges, John and Greg. Some of the highlights included cooking a lunch service at The Frog restaurant in London's Covent Garden and cooking for the world-renowned two Michelin Star chef, Michel Roux Jr. Way to go Paul!

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Paul and Judith relaxing at their home in Olonzac

Paul and his wife Judith are early retiree art & design lecturers and very experienced home exchangers. The couple have a beautiful French home in Olonzac, right in the middle of the wine producing area of the Minervois in Languedoc Roussillon. Their home has a lovely courtyard planted with figs, grapes, lemons, olives, bougainvillea, oleander, hibiscus and lavender, as well as herbs and tomatoes, where you can dine al fresco. You can certainly see where Paul gets many of his culinary inspirations from!   

 

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On home exchanging and sampling local produce, Judith writes: "We're SO proud of Paul! A great benefit of home exchanging is being able shop and cook locally. We have great memories of the farmer’s market in San Francisco, Piggly Wiggly in Charleston South Carolina, VONS in LA, the roadside stalls in Acapulco, fishermen’s hauls in Spain. We bought the weird and wonderful in Australia - Morton Bay Bugs and kangaroo steaks, then cooked it on a beautiful flowery patio beside our very own pool. Cooking food on a variety of interesting quirky ovens and BBQs is one of the thrills of a home swap, something that would be impossible in a hotel room." - Judith

 

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Watch Paul's Masterchef journey via the BBC iPlayer: (only available in the UK)

You can catch up with Paul's Masterchef appearances via the BBC iPlayer: https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/b006t1k5/masterchef 

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Meet the members  Check out Paul and Judith's home, a lovely 120 year old town house in the friendly, bustling village of Olonzac. View Paul and Judith's home swap offer