THE NUTS AND BOLTS OF HOUSE EXCHANGING

 

 

My husband, our son, and I have been doing house exchanging for 10 years, beginning in July 2003.  In the past decade, we've done 23 exchanges in the United States, Europe, Canada and Central America.  We have swapped our modest Capitol Hill row house for houses, second homes and apartments in fascinating cities, beautiful beach locations, and gorgeous mountains.  House exchanging has allowed us to travel to popular European destinations like Rome, London, Amsterdam and Copenhagen, and hidden gems tucked away in lesser-known parts of Europe:  the Adriatic coast of Slovenia, the stunning walled city of Alghero, Sardinia, and gorgeous Rennes, France.  We've swapped our home to stay in cabins outside of Yellowstone National Park in Montana, and Yosemite National Park in California, and have enjoyed exchanges along the Oregon coast, the Florida Keys, and the "Space Coast" of Florida, Cocoa Beach.  We've also enjoyed exchanges in vibrant U.S. cities like San Diego, Boston, and Charleston, South Carolina.  House exchanging also took us to Canada, to a tiny town on the coast of British Columbia and the European-flavored metropolis of Montreal.  Exchanges in the Caribbean in the U.S. Virgin Islands and in an ocean-front home in Costa Rica were fabulous beach holidays.  House exchanging is now our preferred method of travel. 

In 2011, we experienced the ultimate in house exchanging when we took our son out of school, got leaves of absences from our jobs, and traveled around Europe for four months doing house exchanges along the way.  For a third of a year, we traveled all around England, western Europe, and parts of Scandinavia.  While we traveled abroad, our exchange partners came through our house.  I began this blog as we were traveling to record our adventures, observations and experiences in other people's homes in foreign lands.  You can read my chronicles of our experiences as a family traveling together through Europe, experiencing beautiful and not-so-beautiful house exchanges in neighborhoods and places off the beaten track.

 

In the past few years, we've continued to do house exchanges.  I'm working on a book about our 2011 trip, and have begun giving workshops on how to do house exchanging.  My first workshop was just a few days ago, on June 30, at the historic Hill Center in the heart of Capitol Hill in Washington, DC.  The workshop revealed the intense interest in house exchanging: nearly one hundred people packed the large meeting room, which was standing-room-only with a waiting list of people unable to get in.

 

I will be running a second workshop on house exchanging at the Hill Center on Sunday, September 22, from 3:00-5:00.  This workshop will review some of the basic house exchange information that I provided on June 30, but will also contain a new component focused on  house exchange websites and how to navigate all of the tools that they offer.

My June 30 workshop covered the nuts-and-bolts of house exchanging, and some of the information I presented at the workshop is included below.  I love house exchanging for four simple reasons:

 

1.      You save money!  By exchanging homes, you avoid hotel costs or the costs of renting apartments.  You also have access to a fully equipped kitchen, which allows you to cook at home, thereby avoiding endless restaurant meals.  Preparing your own meals also requires you to get out and shop at local food markets, which exposes you to locally sourced food and regional delicacies.  Shopping and cooking locally is fun and healthier - and a lot cheaper! 

 

2.      You get a fully furnished home decorated with personal touches.  No cookie-cutter hotel rooms or chains -- house exchanging allows you to stay in someone's comfortable home where you can stretch out and enjoy a living room, dining room, kitchen, bedrooms and bathrooms -- and maybe a yard and deck as well.

 

3.      You get off the beaten track and beyond the typical downtowns or "must see" tourist sites.  We've exchanged our home for cabins in the mountains, beachfront properties, quirky neighborhood apartments, and little-known destinations.  House exchanging allows you to get out of hotel zones and into real neighborhoods.

 

4.      You exchange locations more than homes.  The best part of house exchanging is not usually the home:  it's the location you can get to because of the home.  You can afford a week in London because you're not paying hotels and restaurants, and it's London you're there to see, not someone's apartment.  House exchanging is as much "location exchanging" as it is swapping homes.  It allows you to travel to places you might not otherwise be able to afford, and see places you wouldn't be able to see.

 

Here are the top ten questions of house exchanging, and their answers!

 

1.  How is house exchanging done?  House exchanging is a web-based activity.  There are several house exchange websites.  Some are free; most charge an annual fee.  Once you pay the fee, you can post photos and descriptions of your home and neighborhood.  You then have access to all other listings on the website and you can contact anyone you like.  Here's a sample of some, but not all, of the house exchange sites you can find on the web:

 

· HomeForExchange.com   www.homeforexchange.com

· HomeLink                         www.homelink.org

· Global Home Exchange    www.4homex.com

· HomeExchange50Plus      www.homeexchange50plus.com

 

2.  Do you need a mansion to do an exchange?  All kinds of homes get exchanged:  primary residences, second homes, houses, apartments, and condos.

3.  Who is the typical exchanger?  Everyone!  Retirees, young singles, families, couples, groups of friends and solo travelers -- everyone exchanges!

 

4.  How does Washington, DC rank as an exchange destination?  DC is very high on the house exchange pecking order.  It is popular among Americans, who like to travel to the nation's capitol or bring their children or grandchildren to it.  It's also popular among Europeans and others, who want to see the capitol of the United States. 

 

5.  Is house exchanging safe?  House exchanging is a trust-based exercise, so there's no way to make it totally foolproof.  But here are some steps you can take to make it as safe as possible:

· check the photos of any exchange you're interested in.  There should be photos of key areas of the home:  kitchen, dining/living rooms, bedrooms.  If there aren't photos, ask to see some.

· get the actual address of the home and google it or go on google earth to check out the location.

· use travel boards to verify the safety of the location.  Boards like TripAdvisor or Fodor's offer good local feedback on locations.

 

6.  What should you do with valuables to protect them?  If you have valuables in your home that you don't want to risk losing, or being damaged, take the following steps:

 

· remove artwork or paintings.  Leave them with friends or in a locked location in your home.

· remove jewelry, fine china and other expensive items.

· leave notes for your exchange partners reminding them to keep doors and windows locked when they are not at home.

· ask a neighbor to drop by and meet the exchange partners and take a quick look around.

 

7.  What to do about Fido or Frisky?  If you have pets, you can ask your exchange partners to take care of them.  Many people are willing to care for a cat, but dogs require more work and are more difficult. Some people have pet allergies and can't be around indoor animals, or they simply don't want to bother with pets while they are vacationing.  In that case, board your pet at a kennel or with friends. 

 

8.  Simultaneous vs non-simultaneous exchanges.  The two most popular kinds of exchanges are simultaneous, when both parties go to each other's homes at the same time, and non-simultaneous, when one party is in a home at one time and the other party waits to use the exchange home at a future date. 

 

9.  Do cars get exchanged?  There is no requirement that you exchange your car.  Some people offer their cars; others do not.  If you plan on using someone else's car or allowing your own car to be used, check with your car insurance company to see what your insurance policy covers. 

 

10.  What if you get dumped or the place is a dump?  There is no way to prevent an exchange being cancelled at the last minute, but it rarely happens.  Some exchange sites offer "contracts" that you and your exchange partner sign but they are not legally binding or enforceable.  However, the contracts are a clear statement of the details of the exchange and the intent to exchange, and so they have some psychological benefit.  And sometimes, "dumps happen."  Every once in a while you may get an exchange that doesn't meet your standards -- but that also happens with hotel rooms and rental apartments. 

 

The final step before an exchange is to make your own home ready for use by your exchange partners.  Here's a checklist I've developed of preparations to make your home ready for occupancy!

 

* make arrangements for your house key - either mail it in advance or leave it in a mutually-agreed upon location.

 

* clean!

 

* make storage space for your exchangers by cleaning out a few bureau drawers and closet space.

 

* leave clean bed linens on the beds and clean towels in the bathroom(s).

 

* leave clear instructions on how to use your home:

· how to use electronics, like the TV, Wii, Netflix, WiFi, Xbox, etc.

· air conditioning and heat information.

· where the fuse box is located.

· where to find extra clean linens and towels, toilet paper, paper towels, etc.

· when the garbage and recycling is picked-up, and what you can recycle.

· detailed pet instructions, including feeding and watering; location of the vet; pet carrier.

* leave information on your neighborhood and city:

· where the nearest corner food market is located, and larger grocery store, and liquor store.

· where the nearest restaurants are located that YOU recommend.

· how to get to the nearest metro or bus stop.

· flyers, brochures and maps.

· recommendations of things they might enjoy seeing or doing.

· a contact person in your neighborhood in case of emergency.

· our contact information while you're traveling (cell phone number, etc.)

 * if you have valuables you don't feel comfortable leaving in your home, remove or safely store them.

 

* consider leaving a welcome basket of goodies for their use.

 

* DEFINITELY leave a friendly welcome note!

 

I'll be posting more information on house exchanging, so stay tuned to this website!  And mark Sunday, September 22, from 3:00-5:00 on your calendar for my next house exchange workshop -- Part 2!