Travel the Home Exchange Way

Visit Friends Overseas Without Lounge to Lounge Hopping - Exchange Homes

2009-07-13T10:32:16+01:00

If you live in another country but like to go 'home' to visit friends and family, you know the problem of what to do about accommodation. Even with your closest friends, you (and they!) may feel you can never totally relax, i.e. you have to be on best guest behaviour, not slobbing out in front of the TV after a busy day out. But, if you book a hotel, will your friends be offended? The answer is 'probably not' as hosts have the added pressure of entertaining guests which can be tiring if the stay is for more than a few days, especially if they aren't on holiday themselves. Couch surfing is fun for the young singles but not for families with children or couples who are getting on a bit and used to comfortable beds. The perfect alternative is to arrange a home exchange close to the friends and family you want to spend time with. You still get free accommodation but with the added benefit of having your own 'home' to return to, to make some of your own meals and generally relax however you wish.

As Home Base Holidays is based in London, there is a very large choice of home exchange offers throughout the UK so most British ex-pats visiting home should have no problem finding homes within a short distance of the villages, towns or cities where they want to be based. As over the years many Brits have emigrated to Australia, it's not surprising that many such ex-pats use the service to arrange swaps when travelling back home. Here is a recent example:

'By the time of the swap (probably from May 2010 onwards) Judith and I will both be retired (currently 61 and 56) and we wish to spend between 2 and 12 months (flexible dependent upon swap) in the UK (where I was born) and be able to spend time in visiting family and friends without the usual 4 week lounge room to lounge room frenetic tour. Judith in particular would like to try and spend 4 seasons in the UK (I might skip out on winter!!)'.

Their home near Fremantle in Western Australia:

'Welcome to friendly, sunny and warm (hot in summer) Western Australia. We have a detached single story 4 bedroom 2 bathroom home with a secure car-port located in Rockingham, a major suburban area 28Km south of Fremantle, 40 Km south of the Perth CBD. Train and bus tranport close by; train to Perth is a 34 minute trip and the bus to Fremantle (if you don't want to drive) takes 40 minutes. We are 10 minutes by car from both ocean beach and the calm water beaches of Cockburn Sound; 25 minutes drive north of the holiday town of Mandurah, 3 hours from the Southwest Winery area and 1 hour from the Swan Valley wineries. Rockingham itself is a tourist and holiday destination for many West Australians, interstate and overseas visitors.' Read the full home exchange offer and see more photos, HE19952

The photo at the top is from Big Dog Beds.

Swap homes for a strong sense of being 'at home'

2009-07-09T15:02:03+01:00

Many people don't quite 'get' the idea of home exchange or can't get beyond the fear of having 'strangers' in their homes. Even some new Home Base Holidays members express a little concern (it's reassuring for cautious newbies to communicate, and often exchange with, experienced home exchangers who can guide them through the process of planning and preparing for the swap). But many new members understand the concept very well from the off, such as recent members from Brisbane, Australia:

'We are Philippa and Wayne and we describe ourselves as "young" 60+ seniors who are retired from work and family responsibilities. We have been married for 40 years and are looking now to enjoy the history and culture that has made Britain great. We are hoping to meet up with local folk, make new friends, see the sights and do lots of day tripping, including hiking across the countryside.

We have not previously had any house swaps but we are responsible and will be taking care of your property as we expect you will of ours with both of us having the strong sense of enjoying life and being "at home". We are able to provide a "pay as you go" mobile phone during the swap as well as a GPS which would make for more enjoyable, worry-free motoring. Our vehicle is a 3 door, manual Hyuandi Getz.

Our planned time frame is May to August 2010 or time in between these dates as suits us all.'

Phillipa gives an inviting description of their home and local area attractions. A taster:

'We live in a "green" suburb with views that can be enjoyed from our verandah and we have a leafy garden with pleasant mood lighting by evening.

Our home is located 10Km from Brisbane's CBD and there are lots of options for public transport.' See the full home exchange offer and more photos, HE22923.

August Home Exchange Offer - Beautiful Rural England for Los Angeles

2009-07-04T04:00:00+01:00

Suitable home swaps are generally more difficult to arrange when the location and dates are inflexible - but not impossible if you start to search well in advance. However, time is short for the following recent Home Base Holidays members but, as the family have a very attractive home and location to offer (their separate cottage is available either during August or later on if a non-simultaneous exchange works best), hopefully they will still be able to arrange an exchange in LA:

'We are visiting LA to follow our 22yr daughter Alice who is singing with the National Youth Choir of Great Britain around California culminating in a concert at the Walt Disney Concert Hall. Our prefered dates are Monday 3rd August til Thursday 13th August. Happy to do hand over in situ on w/e of 1st/2nd Aug and could even arrange airport pickup. Could even do longer period with us around the beginning or end in main house. 2 Landrovers Discovery (Seats 7) and Defender (seats 9) and available for use - choose one.'

And their home in Cadnam, Hampshire:

'Rural setting in New Forest. Set in 15 acres of gardens and fields. 4 friendly horses in fields which will look after themselves. 2 dogs, 3 cats and 7 chickens! All just need letting out and feeding. Plenty of free eggs!

The property consists of two homes, both of 4 bedrooms. Although we would suggest our guests stayed in the cottage (totally separate from main house), they would also have access to the main house where animals will stay. Gas BBQ and outside terrace. Weekly attendance by cleaner and gardener and pool maintenance.

Beautiful walks and direct access to the whole of the New Forest National Park. About 30 mins to beach. 2 local golf courses (5mins).'

Read the exchange offer in full and see more photos. If you are a Home Base Holidays member,log on and access the listing, HE22916, to contact Nick and Amanda. Not yet a member? Join now!

Sunday Times: 'Home exchange is more than just free holiday accomodation'

2009-07-01T04:00:00+01:00

'House-swapping was once considered something of an oddity, along with cycling to work and composting vegetable waste. Suddenly, it is fashionable.'

'Home exchange is more than just free holiday accomodation' is an excellent article by a 'serial home swapper', published in the Sunday Times last Sunday, and covers many questions asked about home exchange.

This is a good article for even very experienced home exchangers to read, and pass on to friends who may be interested in the home swapping concept. The author deals with what can be seen as a downside, i.e. having to tidy and clean your home thoroughly before an exchange (some Home Base Holidays members report starting to tackle the housework too late and then spending a frantic few days just before the exchange dates, leaving them exhausted - and in need of a holiday!).

The author confesses to having an 'easy-going approach to home maintenance. Call me a DDIYer — as in "don’t".' However, the family's home swapping experiences have not only given them great holidays but also improved their own lifestyle, even to tackling major home improvements:

'A desire to maximise our home’s exchange potential even influenced our decision to convert the loft this summer: extra bed space means a wider range of families with whom to swap.'

If you are an experienced exchanger, have you also changed your attitude to housework and DIY? Are you now more organised and tidy? Or do you still have a mad housework 'bee' just before an exchange? Do leave your comments below.

Listen to Jo Discuss Home Exchange on BBC Radio iPlayer

2009-06-25T17:19:00+01:00

Missed Jo discussing home exchange (and kids and music festivals) on BBC Radio Berkshire this afternoon? Listen on iPlayer for the next week. Jo's bit starts about a third of the way into the programme (01.12.24) and carries on throughout the next half hour. Thanks, Jo - and well done for plugging Home Base Holidays so well on the BBC!

BBC Radio Berkshire: Home Exchange Featured Today

2009-06-25T10:46:50+01:00

Listen to Home Base Holidays' seasoned radio star, Jo Piercey, talk about her family's home exchange experiences on the Sarah Walker Show, BBC Radio Berkshire, this afternoon at around 2 pm GMT. Jo has become Radio Berkshire's home exchange expert and has been invited to take part in live studio discussions at least twice before. I think Jo should be paid a retainer! It's not surprising that she has been invited back again as Jo has a natural, relaxed style, perfect for radio. Her enthusiasm for the benefits of home exchange holidays is obvious, and she fields those awkward questions radio presenters sometimes ask in live interviews (like 'but what about these strangers riffling through my knicker drawer?') with great finesse!

If you aren't able to listen live to the slot on home exchange live today, the Sarah Walker Show will be available on BBC iPlayer after the show finishes at 4 pm.

The photo below is of the Piercey family and was published in an excellent article on home exchange, How to get a gorgeous holiday home for free, in the Daily Mail.

The Piercey family's exchange offer in the pretty village of Cookham Dean, Berkshire:

Circa 1903 sympathetically restored & extended cottage with big mature garden (fruit trees, grapevine, willow etc). Several character pubs within walking distance. Local shops 1 mi away. Nearby Thames for boating, river trips, fishing etc.

Heathrow 15 mi (25 min by car), Gatwick 50 mi (1 hr), London 35 mins, Oxford 45 mins, Cambridge 1.5 hrs, Bath 1 hr, Stonehenge 1.5 hrs.

We are experienced exchangers having swapped around 13 times! All great experiences! It is the only sort of vacation the children know and they are used to respecting the homes of others. Our 18 year old may or may not be with us this year.

**Note: exchange includes use of 3 bd seaside cottage in the World Heritage Site, Dorset. See the full exchange offer and more photos, HE1704

Home Exchange - Children Welcome but ...

2009-06-22T15:59:42+01:00

'Yes, this really is London' is the caption under this photo of Ruislip Common on Hidden London, a source of information on the many London attractions not generally known to visitors.

The home in Ruslip described below would be an excellent home base for anyone wanting easy access to central London combined with the more relaxing atmosphere of an outer suburb and a particularly good location for families:

"Semi detached 1930s house in Eastcote, Ruislip, only a few minutes walk from the nearest tube, excellent links to central London, (30 mins to Baker Street) 6 stops to Wembley, yet also close to M40 and M25 for the Chilterns, Oxford, Cotswolds etc.

Situated in the heart of 'Metroland', local attractions include Ruislip Woods with its Lido, a man made lake complete with 'beach'! Popular with families, a minature railway operates in summer between the Lido and the Water's Edge pub.

Although we do not have children, well behaved children and teenagers would be welcome. (As we have a raised pond in the garden it may not be suitable for unsupervised use by younger children.)". Read the full home exchange offer and see more photos, HE19880

It's sometimes hard to remember just how carefully we child proofed our home when our children were babies and toddlers - the gates at the top and bottom of the stairs, the secured (ugly) guard around the open fire, cleaning materials and medicines in locked cupboards, everything that could topple onto an inquisitive child and anything sharp placed safely out of reach, etc. Unless you have frequent child visitors to your normally childless home, it's easy to forget just how many dangers may be lurking and hardly surprising that most accidents happen at home!

Many families with young children try to exchange homes with other families with similar aged children as this is a reassurance that the home is likely to be well equipped for the needs of children. But, if you don't have young children and agree to swap with a young family, do a thorough check through every room and garden for any potential hazards that you can rectify before the exchange. Definitely warn potential exchangers of anything you feel they should be aware of before agreeing to an exchange, like an unenclosed pool or garden pond (include this information in your listing to deter families who won't find your home suitable).

Ultimately, parents are responsible for their children's safety and will need to decide whether they will be able to ensure their children can be supervised at all times if a home exchange home is not as child proofed as their own.

To find Home Base Holidays homes most likely to be suitable for young children, tick the box beside 'Children Welcome' amongst the search options (you will see this small icon beside all listings for such homes).

Photo: Hidden London

Finding a Home Exchange in London ... within 10 Minutes

2009-06-16T16:21:33+01:00

I was delighted to read a review of Home Base Holidays in the article, 'Going On Holiday? Finding a Home Swap' on Apartment Therapy and to know that the author and her friend had been able to find an exchange to London within 10 minutes of joining and adding photos!

Now, to be honest, it usually does take much longer than 10 minutes to find a suitable home swap, and Grace's article touched on the importance of allowing plenty of time for arranging an exchange before the dates wanted. But I wasn't too surprised to read that she and Kelley (whose apartment is on offer and is pictured below) had found such interest in their home swap offer in San Francisco from Londoners as, being based in London, Home Base Holidays has lots of great offers in the city (and San Francisco is a popular destination with British members).

It's easy to see the attraction from a short excerpt from the exchange offer:

Large, beautiful garden studio apartment in the hip Mission District of San Francisco. This apartment is located on the first floor of a 12 unit building and faces the back garden so there is little to no street noise. Located right on 18th Street between Guerrero and Dolores, this apartment is within feet of some of the finest things in San Francisco (Bi-Rite market and creamery, Delfina, Tartine). Read the full offer and see more photos, HE22816.

Following on from Grace's useful report of her experiences when looking for a home exchange in London, it's important to mention that optimising your chances of finding a suitable swap, especially if looking for a swap in a particular area or city, means either joining a number of home exchange agencies to increase your pool of potential matches or, less expensive than this scatter gun approach, taking the time to do some research first. Tips to keep in mind when researching possibilities:

Checklist to Optimise Your Chances of Finding a Suitable Home Swap

Is the agency a reputable, long established business where members are likely to be well motivated to arrange exchanges (i.e. all have paid a reasonable membership fee and the agency is operating as a serious business)?
Can you see how long listings are in circulation (check for join and expiry dates)? Without this vital information, you may find that many members you approach are no longer looking for exchanges or, worse, many fail to even respond to your offer messages.
Can you easily see the most recent offers (and are there various ways to narrow your search results)?
As well as being up-to-date, how many offers are there in the city or country you want to visit? Home exchange agencies generally have most listings in the country(ies) where they are based.
Browse listings in your own country or city to get an idea of how much competition there is likely to be for the same exchange offers you are interested in. If you are only or primarily interested in domestic exchanges, then choosing a local agency is very likely to be your best option. *Note: the last two tips taken together are much more useful than total numbers of listings claimed.
And, if you want an exchange in the UK, look no further than Home Base Holidays (est. 1985, London)!

Sainsbury's Magazine: 'Your Place for Mine'

2009-06-11T15:31:13+01:00

Our feature story in the current issue of Home Swappers Newsletter is an article written by, a now very experienced home exchanger, Angela Williams, Expat Living in Amsterdam: House-swap that Delivered the Goods.

Many Home Base Holidays members have gone out of their way to answer questions from journalists writing articles about home exchange over the years, and it was very pleasing to see Angela's comments and photo included in an article in the July issue of Sainsbury's Magazine (UK). A quote:

"Of course, home swapping only works if it's as popular overseas as it is in the UK and, luckily, its , as Angela and Frank de Smalen will attest. The couple own an apartment in Amstersdam and have attracted interest from as far afield as San Francisco and Vosta Rica - although so far, they've only made swaps in the UK and France. 'When you're in someone's home, you have total freedom,' says Angela. 'You can get to know their neighbours and you feel more like a resident than a tourist. During one swap we had ro look after a farm with geese, chickens and horses, which was great. You certainly don't get that at a hotel!'"

Although the article, Your Place for Mine, is not published on Sainsbury's website, do look out for the magazine which is on sale now in all Sainsbury's supermarkets in the UK.

The photo above is of Angela and Frank while on exchange in Brittany earlier this year. Check out their attractive canalside apartment in Amsterdam, HE19767.

BBC - 'The One Show': Request for Participants for Home Exchange Feature

2009-06-04T14:24:22+01:00

If you live, or have swapped homes in the UK, you are likely to have seen The One Show, a topical magazine programme broadcast weekdays at 7pm on BBC One. The One Show is planning a story on home exchange and Katie, a researcher on the programme, is looking for families, couples or individuals who are due to go on an exchange holiday in the next couple of months, with another family coming to their home at the same time, who would be interested in taking part in the programme. The details aren't finalised as yet but the feature would cover the family going on an exchange, with them possibly keeping a video diary when abroad, while the BBC would likely want to film the family who visit their home (and so would entail asking exchange partners if they would be willing to take part too).

Many Home Base Holidays members have participated in similar programmes in the past have and most report being involved in filming is an interesting experience. Taking part in The One Show shouldn't be intrusive or take up too much of your valuable holiday time. If you may be interested, please as soon as possible, giving your name, User ID and when/where you will be exchanging. Your message will be forwarded to Katie who will contact you directly with more details and answer any questions you have.