You’ve just finished the project of the year. It’s consumed months and months of your life. Late nights, stressful days, a seemingly endless barrage of challenges and problems. But now it is over and you desperately need a vacation. Being the adventurous-type, the thought of laying on a beach for a week is not the least bit appealing. Why not consider a home exchange?
Made famous by Cameron Diaz in The Holiday, the idea is relatively simple. You swap homes with someone anywhere in the world for any agreed length of time. But the best part is that in addition to your home, you’re trading a way of life. Experience what it’s like to live in a quaint villa in Switzerland or a 17th century castle in Versailles. Oh, I did I mention the thousands of dollars you’ll save in hotel feels. There’s a vast range of homes and locations available to you at the click of a mouse. Just google “home exchange” and you’ll get over 700,000 results.
To exchange your home, you’ll need to do a few things:
1. Investigate which home exchange company provides what it is you’re looking for. There are lots of options out there. Make sure the company you go with has a good representation of homes in the areas you’re interested in. Also make sure their terms are acceptable for you (this includes payments, privacy policies, and guarantees).
2. Get a membership with your preferred exchange company. Memberships range from free to about $150 and can most often be bought in 1 or 2 year increments. This allows you to list your property and communicate with and view other properties.
3. Prepare your listing. Before you take pictures…just like if you were selling your house…make sure it’s presentable. Clean, clean, clean! And remember to sell not only your house but the area that you’re in. Think about what’s included in the listing – will you be leaving your car, pets, movies, boats, bikes, etc?
4. Be a good host/hostess. Make sure you’ve left a detailed list about the house and the neighborhood before you go. Remember, your guests are likely coming to a foreign country with very little knowledge of the area and no knowledge of your home. Tell them where the towels are kept, leave emergency phone numbers with them, let them know where the closest amenities are (including hospitals). Tell your neighbors about the exchange – it would be very embarrasing to have the neighbors call the cops on your guests when they see a stranger helping themselves to your car one day.
5. Enjoy yourself. Responsibly. And, do unto them as you would have them do unto you.
Home Exchange Companies:
HomeExchange.com
HomeLink.ca
HomeForExchange.com
Story inspiration source: Canadian House & Home