Exchanging homes is a fabulous, affordable option for vacationing in a private home. It does take a bit of work to find a home in an area you want to visit, contact the owners, and get your schedules matched up, but it is worth every second. Not only do you get to stay in someone’s nicely furnished every-day (or second) home and live just like the locals do, but you often end up with friends for life.
The first time you do a home exchange, it does feel a bit weird walking into somebody else’s home when they are not there (and they are people you most likely have never met), and you do have to be able to trust others since they will be living in your home, and maybe driving your car as well. But we have had nothing but positive experiences and still exchange Christmas cards and the occasional email with our “exchange families”. I have found that most people who do home exchanges are open, friendly and incredibly welcoming.
The best way to find homes to exchange is to join an online exchange community (we use HomeExchange.com) and post your own home on the site. People are more likely to exchange with you if your home is listed as well. Make sure to include photos and as much information as possible, both about your home and the neighborhood. Be honest about your home and car: it’s better to be up front about any quirks and shortcomings than to have disappointed house guests. When you contact people to inquire about an exchange, they can easily look at your place and decide if they are interested.
If you happen to be lucky enough to own a luxury home, yacht, island, estate, or vacation home, there are home exchange organizations especially for you. I can certainly understand that nobody wants to exchange their 10,000-sf fully staffed mansion for a 500-sf condo with drafty windows, and this way, you are sure to get an equal exchange. Most work a little bit differently from a traditional home exchange setup, using points and non-simultaneous, multi-property swaps. This is how it works: since you probably don’t spend all your time on your yacht or in your vacation home, you can allow other members to stay while you’re not there. Every time another member stays at one of your properties, you gain points that you can use towards a stay at one of the other properties listed with the agency. So you wouldn’t necessarily be swapping properties with the person who stays at your home. Instead you have your choice of luxury accommodations throughout the world whenever you want to travel.
Regardless of the level of luxury your home or other property offer, I encourage you to try a home exchange. It’s a unique, fun and very affordable way to vacation.
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[...] this summer - one to Europe and one in the US. (To make the trip even more affordable, try to do a home and car exchange with a family at your vacation [...]