For those who want to travel, yet perhaps also want something new and different – then it’s worth it to try house swapping, or the home exchange arrangement. This is a very simple concept, where you simply exchange houses with people when you travel. Everything is simply so much better when you’re in a house rather than a hotel, or some other type of paid accomodation – and don’t forget about the savings! To make sure your home exchange experiences are well planned, stick to the following guidelines.
Most house swaps go very smoothly, but it’s important that everything is clear before you agree to the arrangement. Regardless of who is staying where, the smart thing to do is put everything in writing for the agreement. If you have to water some house plants, or something, then that should be in the agreement as well as what to do if any special instructions are required. Both sides need to think about what is ok for the other party to use such as phones, or the PC (or MAC), or the stereo, etc. Perhaps if you reimburse them for any phone calls it will be acceptable, but it’s best to have all of the conditions in writing ahead of time to avoid any misunderstandings.
It is clear that the home exchange process requires each party to hold some amount of trust in the other party.
It’s incumbent on you to have frequent communication exchanges with the other party, and you need to make sure you are dealing with a solid and proven agency. Of course do think about what you leave in the house when it all happens. Do secure anything that could be easily broken, or could otherwise be an accidental "accident trap" for your home exchange partners.
Still, just like all other things – some folks aren’t cut out for house swapping. The best thing is to honestly assess how you’ll feel about total strangers living in your house; and talk to your family about it, too. You really have to be 100% sure about what you’re getting into and feel good about it. If you want, you can give short term swaps a try just to see how you like it. So just give it a try for a couple of days, and then gauge how you feel about it and how you feel coming home. You’ll never know how you’ll really react to this until you do it – if you’re open to trying it in the first place. You never "have" to do this, so don’t forget you’re in control, and then there is always a great hotel, too!
So many people love belonging to a house exchange agency, and you should consider it because it’s a lot of fun. There is really no reason why everything shouldn’t proceed well, and remember clear communications is critical. These tips for successful house swapping can help put you on the road to new adventures.