Home exchange ins and outs

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I considered this seriously at one point, since I live in a fairly desirable area (Florida). However, we have pets and now parents who live with us, making the logistics much more difficult.

I've heard good things about most of the programs. Good luck on it! I found a lot of information here:

http://www.homeexchange.com/

Our family exchanged homes and cars with a family in Lyon one summer. The wife was an English teacher taking a course in Toronto and she contacted us through our listing. Their home was a restored weaver's attelier in the silk area, very high ceilings to accomodate a jaquuard loom, no longer there of course. It was August, their holiday time, so not everything was open. But we still had a wondeful time, exploring Lyon and the beaujoulais wine area. DH and I even had a memorable meal one evening, sans children, at Paul Bocuse.

This wasn't our only exchange. We also exchanged homes and cars with a family in Shoreham-by-sea, near Brighton. Every day we'd drive a different distance and in a different location. And in the evening we would all spread out and do our own thing.

We also made several closer exchanges with people in New York and New England, just homes, not cars.

Then our children got older and wanted summer jobs so we didn't have an empty house to exchange. Besides, we'd made friends with several people we'd met exchanging and ended up visiting back and forth. Still do to this day.

I can't remember which agency we used but I think it was Intervac. Most are now online. The advantage in this day of email is that you save on postage and get answers much more quickly. Those were about the only disadvantages I remember.

http://intervac-online.com/index.php?intervac_session=9a97455afc269edf0533182ff8340e4e

http://www.env.canada.homelinkint.org/index.jsp

Check the online listings and see which one has more people interested in a California beach town and which has more listings in the country that interests you. One thing I do remember is that there didn't used to be a lot of listings for France because the French weren't as likely to want strangers in their homes. So I responded immediately when we were contacted. But this may well have changed.

Exchanging was great for us, especially with teenagers. And the fantasy value alone of reading the catalogue was worth the price of listing I always felt.

We did a home exchange with a family in Montrouge in August 2003 and it was delightful. We still stay in touch with this French family. We also did a home exchange in 2000 with a family in London. We use www.homelink.com and have not had any problems at all but like GreenDragon we have teenagers who are working and and need to stay home and we can't find any home exchange program that wants to exchange teenagers as well.

Sorry I meant like moolyn.

I keep thinking about this too. Our house needs a bit of work on decorating and some basic repairs first this year but then I'd like to try this. Sounds like a good value holiday and also it would be more interesting to be right in the normal community than stuck in a hotel. My other half is a bit dubious though.

We are near London so should be able to get some interest I hope.

We've exchanged with a family outside Stockholm last summer (our trip report http://fodors.com/forums/threadselect.jsp?fid=2 ) and are exchanging in Boston over Easter. We had no problems and use www.homeexchange.com

Exchanges seem to be arranged far in advance and at least on homeexchange it seems that while there are lots of non-US homes there are LOTS of US homes. Not a bad thing but to arrange a European exchange for someone in the States it doesn't seem to be as easy.

We turn down more exchanges than we can do logistically and financially with 2 kids. We live in a good location. I think you have to have a certain comfort level to let people in your home, for us it is not an issue.

It occured to me that there are people on this forum from all over the world and many are interested in exchanging homes. I wonder if Fodor's would set up a separate forum for house exchange listings? Or perhaps someone might take this on themselves.

This has come up several times over the last few years:

http://www.fodors.com/forums/pgMessages.jsp?fid=2&tid=34582894
http://www.fodors.com/forums/pgMessages.jsp?fid=2&tid=1328877
http://www.fodors.com/forums/pgMessages.jsp?fid=2&tid=1279769

The only thing I would add to what I've said on those earlier threads is to pick up kasialouise's mention of agencies. They are not really the point. You are making arrangements direct with the prospective exchange partner, in my experience, and the important thing is to invest some time and effort into building up that relationship. Don't forget that you are, as it were, selling as much as buying. That's what exchange is all about.

Host exchange is another good way to holiday. My last holiday was like this. You get to stay with someone else, they can help show you around, and you have your own space when you need it too. There are lots of good websites. This one is free and has many different types of exchange. www.holitrade.com . Lots of these free sites around. No reason you can't join a few sites if they are free.

There's a new european based one called http://www.Geenee.com that seems to be making it all a little easier. Similar to the others in that it's a network of international home swappers but focusing on some special cities and offering much more in the way of property page management. A few others I've seen tend not to have many images. Anyway, just a thought.

HI, I'd like to exchange my appartment in Paris (large and confortable) against one in NY for Christmas and new year's this year.
Who will be interested in ?

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I have often thought of doing a home exchange. I will have to check all of these websites that were recommended.

Here is a post from a Fodorite with extensive experience with home exchange. Her name is FauxSteMarie and if you search for her name, you will find lots of info on this.

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threadselect.jsp?fid=2

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We have tried Geene and several other home exchanges over the years. We found a new home exchange site about a month ago that we really like. It is Easy Home Exchange. http://www.easyhomeexchange.com It really makes finding other members and homes easy and the detailed information about the homes we think is the best.

A colleague of mine does it every summer. She lives here in L.A. and exchanges her home for homes in basically England and France although I think she's had homes in other European countries,too.
One home she got in England was a huge manor house, with staff. I saw the photos. She and her family were thrilled. Some of the families have also left their cars for her and her family to use. She and her family are away right now...on another European house exchange. Happy Travels!

http://edition.cnn.com/video/#/video/living/2008/07/25/verjee.house.swap.cnn?iref=videosearch

bookmarking.

Hosted exchange?

Is it that you host a person in your home like an exchange student and they do the same when you want to go ?

Sounds interesting.

thanks for all the good site referrals Fodorites.

I was just looking at the SHEI home exchange site and they seem to have a lot of listings and good recommendtions.

The only thing I would worry about is that the French vacation in August, and I'd love to exchange my Florida house for Paris - but from July to November is hurricane season here, and I'd hate to leave some poor unsuspecting French people to deal with potential 138 mph winds and rain if one hits. Last year we were lucky - 0 hurricanes - and so far this year with fingers crossed - nothing - but 2006 was four big hurricanes - no electricity for three weeks, the shingles torn off the roof, trees downed...

I think the only time for a safe French exchange for Florida would be April and May - which happen to be the most beautiful weather here, and not too cold in France also. That might work.

No one can guarantee what the weather will be during anyone's vacation. In summer in Europe you might get a heat wave and, if you do, your home will not have air conditioning. I am currently on the Sunshine Coast of Australia. I was told that winters were mild here, the sun always shines (note the name Sunshine Coast), etc. When I got here, I had 3 days of atrocious weather. Two of those days it was just impossible to do anything. I watched Australian TV and waited for the storm system to pass. One advantage of taking longer holidays is that a few days lost to weather here and there is not a disaster.

My exchangers are in my house in Washington, DC. I doubt the weather there has been balmy in July and August.

And, I have had plenty of holidays in rented accomodations and/or hotels where the weather was not 100% cooperative. The trick is having a plan when that happens because it will.

Hi Lauren,

what you say is true - but a hurricane weather system is much different.

I have learned what to do - keep food stocks, fill up water bottles, lower hurricane shutters, and get the generator ready, run it for the refrigerator/freezer
and coffee in the morning and evening. Then sit in what has become a cave and listen to the roaring of wind and rain and crunching of trees and other things such as roofs being torn off houses.

Hurricanes that we get in Florida can be very frightening and I wouldnt think it fair to stick foreigners with such an event .

If I worried about bad weather in Washington, DC (heat in summer, cold in winter and occasional detritus from storms--including hurricaines, etc.), I guess I would never exchange. You need to be prepared to take the good with the bad.

If you are REALLY interested in exchanging, I recommend you sign up with intervac.com or homelink.org. I belong to both. You will not find exchanges on fodors. You could block out all the fall months as unavailable due to hurricaines when you post what you desire.

P.S. If you are not prepared to be flexible as to destination and time of exchange, don't bother to enroll in any of the home exchange services.

Hi, we have also done 4 exchanges in U.K, France & Belgium. Began in '90s and last was in 2000 in Belgium. Going were: we two, daughter and husband, son and gal-friend and 3 teenage girls. Worked out great. Real money saver plus you see life from inside their homes etc.  You get to know the town and area in more detail if fewer monuments & museums. May go again next fall to celebrate our 50th Anny. Don't hesitate, you will enjoy it! Just be openminded and realize we have more 'space' usually in our homes as well as yards etc.  Myra in TX

the OP was in 2006

Yup danon - frontporch even replied to a post over on the US forum that was from 1998!

Host exchanging sounds like fun. We do that with some European friends and their relatives.

Just to add that I will be exchanging in Lahti, Finland (an hour north of Helsinki) during the summer of 2009. Someone from Ypres, Belgium has written me about the summer of 2010. Who knows? Exchanging is such an adventure because you never know where you are going to end up.

I never had connections with home exchangers that were that close, although I did get invited to a couple of weddings in France. I sent a gift to the first couple but I let it die with the second invite. I did not know the kids as they were grown when we did the exchange. I did not go to the weddings.

I do get Xmas cards from a couple of exchangers every year and a couple have come to see me (one group twice) when they were in the area in connection with subsequent exchangers. Exchangers tend to be relaxed and open people because you have to be to exchange in the first place.

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Hi, I have been considering an exchange and find that there are many, many websites to choose from. Any recommendations?

I find that some sites look more like vacation rentals than home exchanges. Since I want to actually exchange my "real" home I would be more comfortable with sites that actually have a large majority of exchangers.

an old thread but Ill be glad to answer. We have done about 25 exchanges - from Stockholm to Sydney.
All have been very, very good.
take a look at :

http://www.homeexchange.com
http://www.intervac.com
http://www.homelink.org

We have used all three.

I will leave shortly on my 2009 exchange in Finland. It is the best way I know to go a long distance for less. Of course, for Americans, home exchange only works for developed world destinations. You must be assured that people on the other end (and vice versa) can travel to your country. You can't swap with people who could be denied entry and/or have the need for a visa because, with such people, the home exchange could break down.

would love to exchange a 2 bed 2 bath condo in Naples, Florida for a 2 bed 2 bath in Italy or France

A colleague at work has been using www.swapnow.com for years. She and her family, of 4, go to Europe every summer. They should be there now again. She lives here in L.A. in a nice neighborhood in a hillside home.

They've swapped numerous times in England and France. One family even left them their car to drive. And one place in England was a manor-style house with a staff included. I've seen the photos of the places they've stayed in. Happy Travels!

You probably will not get home exchanges through fodors (although I did get one through AOL once when AOL was worth it as an internet service). You would be much better off to join one of the exchange services, frenchwow.