Intro to the Home Exchange Vacation

 Posted in Traveling Tuesdays

This was the greeting we received from the 10-year old daughter of our hosts on our most recent home-exchange vacation to Montreal.  Doug and I have exchanged our house for an apartment in San Francisco with a view of the Golden Gate Bridge, for a custom-built two-bedroom home in Monterey only minutes from the Monterey Jazz Festival, and for several wonderful apartments in New York City, just to name just a few.  In all, we’ve enjoyed swapping with over a dozen people, some more than once.

I understand people’s fears about swapping homes, I was a little nervous before our first swap too.  I’m not going to try and sell home-swapping to the ­­­­skeptical, but I would like to share how I got over those fears, saved thousands and thousands of dollars on lodging over the years, and made a few nice acquaintances along the way. 

There was recently a high-profile story about a woman in San Francisco whose apartment was ransacked when she rented it out through Airbnb while she was on vacation.  Fortunately, this experience resulted in Airbnb’s new $50,000 guarantee against such a circumstance, but it was still the kind of story that feeds into many people’s fears.

The reality is that most folks are not going to fly clear across the country to vandalize your home or steal your big screen TV.  Sure, I suppose it is a possibility, but so is the possibility that someone will break into your home while it sits empty as you are vacationing at a resort in Hawaii.  But that possibility doesn’t prevent millions of folks from taking off on vacation every day. 

Unlike a vacation rental, on a home-exchange, you are actually in your guests' home while they are in yours.  That fact is very powerful for both parties in involved.  I am much more careful in my swap partner’s home than I am in a hotel or in a rental because I actually have a relationship with this person now.  And in my dozens of trades so far, I can see that my exchangers are behaving exactly the same way.

The more realistic possibility is that everything in your home is not left exactly as you had hoped, maybe a wine glass was broken, or ring is left on your coffee table, or more likely, you and your swapper's standards of cleanliness are different.  So far, I’ve found people to be extremely gracious with things like that, but even if they weren’t, the cost of replacing that wine glass is far less than the six nights' hotel stay in Manhattan that you would have had to absorb if you didn’t swap. 

Just a little perspective.

Related Home-Exchange Posts:

    On-Line Dating in Retirement    

    Luxury Vacation Envy

    Everything Old is New Again

 

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Comments

[Bob Lowry]

My biggest fear is not theft or damage, but disappointment...on the part of the person swapping for our home. I am assuming that folks who do this have a nicer-than-average home and expect an upscale place in a swap. In my case they see "Scottsdale" and expect a large home with a pool on a golf course. That's not us.

What is your experience or advice in this regard?

[Retired Syd]

Bob: Most home-exchange websites allow you to post unlimited pictures with your listing. I keep in mind what a friend once told me: if you don't like the pictures, don't do the trade because that's the best it's ever going to look! I've never been disappointed as every place has looked exactly like the photos. When you browse listings on various home-exchange websites--you'll see a huge variety in the decor/upscale-ness/neatness.

Everyone's tastes are different. I've turned down offers that didn't entice me (or offers with no photos), just like when I'm booking an actual hotel--I have to like what I see. Just as in love, there's someone out there for everyone, though, you'd be surprised.

[Bob Lowry]

OK, good to know! We'll explore the possibilities. We'd be more comfortable in a house like ours, too.

[LifePartII]

I have always wanted to try a home exchange. We are retired and renting a year at a time, country to country but I suppose there would be nothing preventing us from tying this! Thanks for the article.

[Retired Syd]

LifePartII: You are doing exactly what I would like to do, renting a year at a time in new places. Alas, I'm married to someone who doesn't share my enthusiasm for that idea. Home exchanging turns out to be a good compromise for us.

[Barb]

Like bob, I'd be a bit concerned my suburban house might not measure up..but my primary concern are the four legged family friends. Did you do this when you had your pet, and do you visit houses where they obviously have pets?

[Retired Syd]

Barb: We didn't start house trading until long after we lost our pet. Some people do trades involving pet-sitting, but I NEVER would have left my doggy with strangers. I couldn't have felt comfortable. However, I am an animal lover, so would welcome the chance to pet sit if my hosts were comfortable with that. We did take care of a wonderful kitty on one of our trades, so nice to have the feline company. But usually folks send their pets on vacation too, probably because they are as uncomfortable as we would be.

Knowing how hard it is to leave your pets, though, I let folks bring them to our house if that is feasible for them (a few local folks have taken me up on that.)

[Brian Luckhurst]

Home Exchange is a great way to holiday and more and more of us are doing it, from all different walks of life and age groups. It may not suit
everyone but it is said if you try it once you will do it again and I agree with that.

We offer three types, the normal swap at the same time, a Non-simultaneous Exchange when you swap at different dates and Hospitality Exchange which is when you stay with your swap partner and then they reciprocate later.

Have a look at some Home Exchange websites and see what is on offer. Some sites are good, some not so, some are free and some charge, although I think too much at times. Some exchangers also sign up with more than one website, which I also recommend.

Re security of your home and valuables. Don't forget you are staying in their home and I always say to our members, lock away your valubles if you are worried about theft or breakages. I know the other party would also be
happier not to have to worry about breaking a valuable item and they will often put things away when they first arrive at the exchange home.

We also advise our members that they must communicate with the other party and get to know each other and if there are any doubts, either about the property/location or the exchangers themselves do not exchange, move on and arrange nother swap.

If you have any questions please have a look at our Q&A page which may help you with some of them.

However you vacation, enjoy your travels.

Brian Luckhurst from Home Exchange 50plus

[Motel Management]

I'll be glad if you show more pictures of that room. That'll be great for me.

[Chuck Wiggins]

I see this thread is a bit old, but perhaps comments will still be seen. I'm getting ready to retire at the end of this year, and love the idea of home exchange. But I'm wondering if it is rarely available for folks not in "hot" travel destinations, such as the California coast, New York, etc. We live in Cincinnati, a very livable city with lots going on, but not the draw of an NYC. Anyone with experiences or situations like mine that's had any luck with home exchange?

[Retired Syd]

Chuck: You'd be surprised. Go browse homeexchange.com and see all the places available. Cities you'd never think of and they definitely get traded. Think about all the people that are from Cincinnati that may have family they want to visit. Or a wedding of an old friend they want to attend. Or a high school reunion. A million different possibilities.

You often have to kiss a lot of frogs. But just keep at it and I'll bet you'll find something. It's a great thing for retirement, because it often takes more time to find a trade than finding a rental or hotel room. But you'll have the time when you're retired!

[Nita]

Do you recommend a particular program? I don't even know where to start!

[Retired Syd]

Nita: I recommend starting at homeexchange.com. They have the largest number of listings and a good Q&A page about home exchange. It costs a little to join, but you can browse for free until you're ready to exchange yourself.

[henry barker]

my wife and I are retired and are looking to swap all round aussie good clean honest non smoker
we want to go to a wedding next year November 2016 in perth w.a.