Imagine strangers staying in your home, using your furniture, sleeping in your bed, eating your food, perhaps driving your car. It isn’t some TV reality show, but it is one of the most popular trends in travel, called a home swap or home exchange. The idea is simple; you swap homes for a week - somebody lives in your home and you live in theirs.
The first thing to understand is that a home swap is not a timeshare – you are not paying to stay in a condo or resort, nor do you have to take the same week every year. The concept of exchanging homes isn’t particularly new or innovative. Generations of students and those low on funds have taken advantage of the hospitality of friends - or friends of friends. Travel clubs often have a network of people prepared to offer food and lodging to complete strangers, usually in return for the same hospitality extended to them.
But in recent years, the idea has become more accepted and now appeals to a wider group and age range of people - singles, professional couples and families. The concept of home exchange vacations as we know them today was pioneered in Sweden in 1950, by a non-profit organization called Intervac. Today, Intervac still coordinates some 11,000 home swaps every year between 50 countries around the world. A recent search on several home swap websites indicated homes available in such exotic locations as Croatia, Syria and Zambia.
Home swapping appeals to a wide rage of people - most home swappers are still fairly affluent retirees or families trying to save on expensive lodging costs, but there is a growing increase in single swappers. Some people would not vacation any other way after experiencing the home swap and many people participate year after year – the record apparently is over 80 home swaps by a retired American couple well into their 70s!
A Home Away from Home?
The economic advantages of this type of vacation are obvious. The money saved by not having to pay for accommodation can be substantial - especially for a family; and especially in cities or countries that are known to be expensive. Apart from the cost element, many people enjoy this type of vacation because they get to live as the locals do, while in their home. For a week or two, you get to experience what it is like to really live in another country - rather than simply visit as a tourist. Make sure you know your own limitations as far as living in a stranger’s home – many apartments in large European cities can be tiny with no elevator. Dishwashers and cable TV are unheard of in some countries.
A home exchange allows you the comforts of home or a hotel, but with that intriguing element of adventure, or at least “culture shock.” Most exchanges include the use of your host’s car, thus saving on transport costs as well. For the adventurous traveler, home exchange vacations offer you a degree of flexibility and spontaneity that other more “conventional” vacations don’t offer. You don’t usually get to meet the person whose home you are exchanging, although some swappers make a point of getting to know their opposite number.
Planning a Home Swap Vacation
If you are interested in home swapping, the first step is to register with a home swap service, for which there is generally an annual fee, usually between $100 and $300. The internet has definitely made this easier – a search for “home swap” or “home exchange” will bring up dozens of results. When searching for a suitable agency, keep in mind some of the following: How many home listings does the agency have, and how up to date are they. Check the listings carefully to make sure they are clear and comprehensive. Can the company be easily reached by telephone if you have questions or concerns? Read through the companies’ small print and their particular policies.
Do some research as to not only which country you might want to stay in, but what kind of neighborhood and home. One of the appeals of this type of vacation is that you can live in a completely different environment for a short while – if you live in the suburbs, swap homes with an apartment dweller for a week. Many people post detailed descriptions of their home as well as photographs and testimonials from previous happy swappers. Try to plan ahead – if you want your swap to take place in the summer, you should be doing the research in the fall.
Marketing Your Own Home
You may not think you live in an exciting town or part of the country – most of us take the place we live for granted, only appreciating it when we have guests to show around. If you list your home with an agency, approach it in much the same way as you would if you were actually selling their house. Think about what you might want to know and what might be important to you if you were about to spend a week in a stranger’s house on the other side of the world. A potential swapper might like to know the square footage of your home, number of bedrooms and bathrooms, size of yard or garden and facilities such as dishwasher, shower, etc.
Apart from your home, your neighborhood and surrounding area will be of interest as well. Whether you live in a large city or in the heart of the countryside, you have something to offer a visitor. Some people include a list of nearby attractions, or places easily reachable in a day. Proximity to shops, restaurants, medical facilities and a major airport is something you may want to indicate.
Keep in mind the importance of day to day living. If someone is living in your home, you may want to leave instructions for how the TV, washing machine, shower, etc works. These things may be unfamiliar to someone who is used to the anonymity of chain hotels. Some people go as far as to list TV channels and instructions on how to use the VCR! Some swappers even make sure a relative or neighbor is on hand during the period of the swap in case of any problems or questions. The more information and detail you include, the easier it will be to find someone to swap with and make it a success.
Clean Up After Yourself!
An understandable concern of first time swappers is whether their house will be looked after and left clean and tidy. Most experienced swappers understand the importance of this – after all, you are in their home at the same time they are in yours. Having said that, it is a good idea to move certain breakables or valuable items, as well as put important papers away. Agree with your opposite number on such things as the use of the phone, etc. If you have pets, you may want to board them rather than have your guests look after them.
It is a policy of most home swap organizations that you leave your hosts home just as you found it and as you would want yours to be left. Most companies have clear rules on this and swappers who violate this most basic of rules are strictly forbidden from swapping again. In the rare case of accidental damage while someone else is staying in your home, most homeowner’s policies will cover this. If you are the sort of person who worries about this sort of thing, home swapping may not be for you – but for millions of people it is the only way to vacation.