canuck

Now that got your attention didn't it! I know there are home exchange agencies out there. But I was curious if any fodorites had done private home exchanges with each other??

Topper

Topping for Canuck ~ can anyone help him?

Jody

I've personally have never done it but my next door neighbor has done several with great results. we kind of watch each other's house when we travel, so she tells them to ask me if they have problems or questions. 3 of the families were so nice and their children so polite and well behaved that we let them use our pool and even have corresponded with them. her house has always been left in good order, ..she says better than she keeps it herself.<BR><BR>And she got great properties in england and Ireland ! it does take a lot of research though. And it helps to live ina place people want to exchange for. we are in Orlando Fl so no trouble finding people here!!

reader

Isn't the book Tara Road by Maeve Binchy about a house swapping? It was a great book. In any case, why wouldn't fodorites embrace this concept. It would seem that there are people all over the world that use this site. I wonder why people don't organize and use the site to exchange houses with each other. It seems like a perfect situation to save money and be able to travel more...thanks Canuck - I would also love to hear peoples thoughts on this.

Joanne

"reader", since there are already many well-established organizations that are doing a good job at facilitating home exchanges, why would it make sense for Fodor's to try to do it, too?! <BR><BR>The established sites have well-thought-out searching tools, and comprehensive codes for features of the homes and their localities. Why re-invent the wheel?

reader

I guess because<BR>1) you have to pay for those exchanges<BR>2) you get to "know" the people on this board-they don't seem like strangers so you wouldn't feel like getting a pig in a poke<BR>3) those home exchanges look like the places are all "mansions" - pools, 10 bedrooms, downtown Manhattan etc.<BR>Just seems like the regular folk who frequent this board might "unofficially" swap - nothing to do with Fodors themselves. Just curious why say "Rex" in the U.S. wouldn't want to exchange home for a week with say Pedro in Italy. They've both gotten to know each other on this site. Maybe a goofy idea but seems like there might be some merit.

ohoh

There are probably too many legal liabilities involved...it only takes one "mistake" to really destroy such a business

travellin

Isn't the jist of this that it would be informal - "hey, Bob the Navigator, do ya want to come and stay at my place in Chicago and I'll stay at your place in Memphis"..type of thing? Of course you would get references but aren't all fodorites honest, reliable, forthcoming, etc. etc. etc.

Joanne

"reader," I don't know whose site you've been looking at, but in my experience (mostly with HomeLink, which somehow is at www.swapnow.com) the houses come in all varieties, mostly fairly modest, though we did get a lovely 5-bedroom London townhouse last summer (no pool, though).<BR><BR>It's true that some organizations, including HomeLink, do charge a membership fee but as I recall it was $50 which is fine wtih me, considering that they have to maintain the web site etc. and I have no hotel bill to pay.<BR><BR>Most home-exchangers trade quite a few e-mails, online photos, and personal details before committing and finally exchanging. I fact, most actually get to meet -- one family will arrive before the other departs.<BR><BR>Ohoh, the exchange organization's liability is nil because their only role is to post the information, they don't actually make the matches nor do they guarantee the accuracy of the information. Yet somehow it all keeps chugging along, a testimony to human nature or karma or something. Some have been in business for decades, evolving onto the internet but originally putting out actual picture/profile books.<BR><BR>One of the main problems with informal arrangements among small groups is that you have to not only want to trade locations, but must also arrive at mutually OK dates, and have sufficient bedrooms etc. in each house. There are just so many variables, it works much better with a larger pool of participants. <BR><BR>But I wish the best of luck to those Fodorites who want to give it a try -- I think it's a great system!

Lauren

Now your are talking. I have used Intervac and HomeLink to arrange the approximately 23 home exchanges I have had over the past 11 years, about 9 of which were in Europe.<BR><BR>This summer, I have just agreed on a deal for two weeks in Sedona, Arizona.<BR><BR>I have gotten a couple of exchanges through an old AOL board, in Wimberly, Texas, and Las Vegas.<BR><BR>Home exchanges depend on mutual trust. You generally have a lot of correspondence back and forth before the exchange. I still get a Christmas card from the people I exchanged with the first time.<BR><BR>If you decide to list in either of the books, do not specify one place. If you are set on one place, I can almost guarantee you will not end up there. The year I tried to go to the Pacific Northwest, I ended up north of Paris, France. Such is home exchange.<BR><BR>For further information, please email me directly. I have a long piece on exchange that I can send you individually.

Pedro

We did two home exchanges with a family of Redondo Beach and another swapping our beach home in Spain with a nice couple of Sausalito and everything went really well. We were very satisfied with the experience as well as our home-exchanger partners. We will probably do it again. We contacted them through Homeexchange.com.

Jessyca

I have recently posted my home on homeexchange.com and have written lots of letters. I have already gotten several responses of interested parties.. such as Gold Coast, Australia, Italian Riveria, and London. I have to admit I am a bit nervous. I agree that fellow travelers have a kindred spirit and general need to travel... however brave that I am, people keep telling me of the negative things that could happen. Does anyone know how you protect yourself from that? By the way, : ) I live in the Pacific Northwest.

Joanne

Certainly, there are a million negative things that can happen. But they don't. Like Lauren, most home exchangers hae been at it for a long time -- they wouldn't do that if it didn't work!<BR><BR>One thing the naysayers forget is that while those strangers are in YOUR house, you are in theirs! If someone is inclined to rip people off, there are easier ways to do it than through home exchanges.<BR>

jcat

Thanks for the reply. I am still working on the Aussie deal. J