Bob

I am curious if anyone has or thought about ever trading their family residents or vacation home with another family for a vacation destination for a week or two? I ask because I live in Orange County Southern California near Disneyland, California Adventure, Knott's Berry Farm and beaches. I have heard of places that set these trades up, but a little scary to have strangers in my home. Is there anyone out there that has done this? If so, please share your experience.

seamus

Trading "family residents"? Yeah, I'll trade you my son for your daughters! Seriously, I think there are professional services that do this, but I would only trade a vacation home, not my principal residence. Our company tried to arrange such a program on an informal basis. Most of the time it worked, but when it didn't, it caused great personal splits between the parties. They were arranging for "house guest" type accomodations where the host would be at home but would welcome another family to stay as a "house guest." But as we know here, one person's house guest is another's dead fish.

ldsant

Actually, there are quite a few very reputable places that do this. Home Exchange has to be set up in advance though. Also, check servas.com I think they may have some links. Sorry, I don't have websites handy right now, but if you go to google.com and do a search on home exchange I think you'll come up with quite a few. You live in a great area and should be able to exchange quite easily. Warning: make sure that you spell out everything before you exchange.

John

The biggest home exchange service is HomeLink International, http://www.homelink.org/. You pay a fee and they publish details of your house and your travel desires (when, where, how long, etc.) into a book the size of a phone directory, sent all over the world. We're familiar with many folks who've done exchanges, with nary a complaint.

judy

Our family has done a home exchange (family home) once and have another lined up in the Fall. It worked out great! After spending a lot of time e-mailing back and forth and talking on the telephone, we really felt as though we covered all bases and got to know the family and trusted the situation.We had absolutely no problems. It is a fantastic way to both save money and have a "homey" stay with all the household conveniences. Both our family and the family we exchanged with left piles of useful information - brochures, tips on favorite local restaurants, sightseeing, activities,public transportation info, doctors names... I have been told some people pack away a few cartons of things of great value just to be on the safe side. We didn't do that. A fantastic site is www.digsville.com. They have a free trial month. You can go right on on look at all the listings and then decide if you want to post a listing of your home. We live in New England and traded with a family in Toronto. We wanted what their house had to offer and they were looking for a vacation in a location like ours. Our trade in the Fall is with a family in NYC for a long weekend. I would say to definitely check in to it. Good Luck if you decide to go ahead with an exchange.

ffff

A women I know traded a squat in alphabet city, NYC (not the best area but changing) with someone from an exclusive area in Cairo . The women came over and painted her apartment. I should say that this squater in NYC is also a home owner in another state and squating in NYC is not always by downtrodding drug addicted homeless people. Yah have to be so careful on a trade. I worried for that women coming from Cairo, painted walls were the least of her trouble in that neighborhood and out of sorts.

sunbum1944

I traded with friends over Christmas- they have an apt in Puerta Vallerta, I have a house in Oregon and we both loved the experience. I put some of the valuables away but otherwise left my house as is and so did they. Same couple are staying at my house they weekend.

janisj

sunbum1944: Just an FYI - the thread is thirteen years old - was topped by an advertiser.