Has anyone done a home exchange. Could you recommend companies that are good? Do you have any comments or suggestions concerning home exchanges?

Thanks,

Buy an issue of Yankee Magazine, or check out their website (I'm not sure what it is-sorry!). They have a "swap" column, and you sometimes see home exchanges......

Also try the foreign exchange companies that do them over-seas. Just look for areas that you are interested in. We have done several in Europe but know others that have done them in U.S. with good results also. Just ask a lot of question and get aquainted before you go, U.S. or anywhere. Some travel mags have listing in the back also I think. Myra

Frontporch:

This must be a record - topping a post that was over 10 years old!

It happens yk. Probably the search engine actually worked for Frontporch and it is easy to not notice the date of the orignal post.

But I know there have been lots of more recent posts on home exchanges, since I did mine in 2001. So this resurrection is a mystery, though I guess it does explain the references to hard-copy resources rather than online ones!

OK, so I did NOT notice the date. However you might like to know the nice French family with whom we exchanged so long ago contacted us this Christmas, again, and said they would like to repeat the exchange again only now with son-in-law & new grandbaby in tow. We might do it....

I am a member of both Homelink and Intervac. These two services have existed for many years. In fact, I have belonged to them since 1990 and have done 37 home exchanges. 35-37 were in Australia and NZ last summer. I have had exchanges in Scotland, England, France, Italy, Germany and Austria. I have one in Finland that should begin mid July and go for about 3 weeks next summer. I have also done exchanges within the US and in Canada. I live in the Washington, DC, suburbs and get lots of offers. You will have less options if you do not live where there are a lot of tourist attractions.

When I first got started exchanging, there was no internet and a large phone bill always ensued during the home exchange negotiations. We even used snail mail! Now everything is done online.

Most experienced home exchangers have an exchange deal by Christmas for the next summer (and sometimes much earlier). It is probably too late for you to get a deal for next summer in Europe, but you never know.

I just noticed that this thread is on the US board, not the Europe board. You might have slightly better luck lining up a US exchange for next summer as exchangers do not plan as far ahead for in country exchanges.

Good luck.