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Exchanging Homes for Vacation
by Martha Matthews
Are you looking for ways to stretch your vacation dollars? How about
finding a "kid friendly" place to stay? One way to satisfy both needs is
to look into home exchange programs, otherwise known as "home swapping."
Home swapping is just what it implies: you exchange your home with that
of another family for vacation. They stay at your home and you stay at
theirs.
Home exchange services have been around for a long time. Typically home
exchanges were accomplished through listings offered in catalogs. Now,
with the increase of consumers using the Internet, numerous services
have moved their operations online. Today there are over 20 online home
exchange companies. Most companies charge a membership fee ranging from
$50 to $115 US per year.
Here is how it works: you register with a service and list a description
of your home and the dates you are looking to do an exchange. You then
have access to the listings of the other members who you can contact for
a swap. Most services leave the negotiation of the trade up to the
members.
People from all over the world are looking to trade homes for vacation:
people from France, England, Italy, South Africa, Greece, and the
Caribbean. Many who are looking to do a trade have children and they
want to stay in a "kid friendly" home. The best part is that you can
take the vacation of your dreams for a fraction of what it would
normally cost due to the absence of high hotel prices.
If this looks like a cost-effective way to spend your next vacation,
here are a few guidelines to make your experience a positive one.
1. Take it Slow
Get your feet wet with a more local destination before you plunge into a
transatlantic trade. For instance, if you live in San Diego, California,
try exchanging homes with someone from Aspen, Colorado.
2. Be in the Know
Take the initiative to communicate with the family whose home you are
considering for an exchange. The more you know about them and their home
the better your vacation experience will be. Discuss the conditions of
your trade in advance to make sure that everyone is in agreement. Don't
leave things to chance. They can also make recommendations about the
local area that can be invaluable to the quality of your vacation.
3. Get it in Writing
Several of the online services provide a downloadable agreement. While
this may not hold up in international trades, it can provide some peace
of mind because each party knows what is expected of them.
4. Be Insured
Make sure that your home owners insurance will cover any accidents that
may occur in your home.
5. Provide Instructions
Write out specific instructions for your guests: how to use major
appliances, when the gardener comes, etc. Provide as much information as
possible so that there are no surprises. Consider including names and
numbers to local attractions, restaurants, theaters and gymnasiums. You
may also want to provide the phone number of a local contact person,
preferably a relative or friend, who can assist them in case of an
emergency.
6. Tell Your Neighbors
Let your neighbors know what you are doing so they don't call the police
because they think someone has broken into your home. Don't laugh. It
has happened before.
7. Be Realistic
If you live in small town don't expect to get a lot of people clamoring
to exchange homes with you. Your town may be a great place to live and
raise a family but you'll have a better chance of swapping with someone
from Paris if you live near San Francisco or New York.
8. Stash Your Stuff
Be safe. Put your jewelry, coin collection and other small valuables in
a safe deposit box. Send heirloom items such as china and glassware to a
nearby family member or a friend.
9. Offering Seconds
If you have a second home, consider offering that home for a swap.
Depending on its location, it may be a better bargaining tool than your
home.
10. Variety is the Spice of Life
Be open to a variety of destinations and exchange dates. Doing this will
insure you more options and make achieving a swap more probable.
So, if you like to save money, and who doesn't, and if you want to visit
somewhere you've never been, then home swapping might just be the answer
you've been looking for.
About the author
Martha Matthews is a wife, mother, home manager and the Executive
Director of Christian-Homemaking.com,
a web site with resources devoted to helping Christian Homemakers Manage
their home. She also has a popular free monthly newsletter for Christian
Homemakers called The Christian Homemaking Newsletter. To subscribe visit
www.christian-homemaking.com/newsletter.html
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