Home Swapping, or home exchange can be an ambiguous term. For some, it may connote moving home permanently and exchanging properties of equal value without exchanging money. In terms of travel, the term home swapping refers to when 2 properties owners make an agreement to simultaneously stay at each other’s homes during their vacation time, with no money exchanging hands. So anyone who takes part in a holiday home exchange is in effect getting their vacation accommodation entirely free. So how does a property owner take part in a home exchange?
- Join a reputable home exchange community
If you are going to take part in a home swap, you must be able to trust the person that will be staying in your property whilst you are on vacation. If you don’t have friends and family that you can home swap with, there is the option of joining a home swap website to find trustworthy exchange partners.
- Fill out your profile
To build trust in a home swapping community it is important that you have a fully completed, interesting and welcoming profile about you and your property and what you have to offer others.
Decide on where your next vacation will be
Once you are part of a home exchange community, you will have access to holiday homes across the world. If you are in the US you can certainly organise a house swap Paris, London, or Australia side through the community. Find someone who owns a property in the city or country you want to visit, and make contact with them.
- Build a relationship with your exchange partner
Through a home swapping website you will be able to see pictures of your swap partner and their home, find out some great travel tips about the area they live in and also send and receive messages. Be sure to keep in regular contact with your swap partner to build trust and friendship before your vacation takes place.
- Make a formal agreement
If you have only met your swap partner online, it’s a very sensible idea to put in place a formal agreement between you both so that expectations are set around caring for the property and the terms of the exchange. Reputable home swapping sites have template agreements that members can use for this very purpose.
- Set a date
Find a date for your vacation that suits both you and your swap partner – you don’t necessarily need to let them stay at your house at the same time as you stay at theirs. If your property is empty other times of the year you can offer it to them at that time too.
- Book your flights
When your date is set, all you need to do is book your flights and transport to and from the airport. Some home swappers even let you use their cars too but you will need to get a separate agreement in place and necessary insurance in order to ensure that the car swapping is within the law.
- Enjoy your break
When you get to your home swap, all you need to do is settle in, relax and enjoy your vacation!
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