Vacations Blog

From guest blogger, Lois Sealy, who runs a home exchange agency, Home Base Holidays.

Sometimes it’s a good idea to get back to basics. So, if you are new to the idea of swapping homes, here’s a brief list of reasons why you may like to consider trying a home exchange yourself. This list could be much longer but these are the most common reasons given by Home Base Holidays members for taking part in home exchanges:

1. Saves money

Arranging a home exchange cuts out hotel bills, usually the most expensive part of a trip. As well as having a rent-free home as a base, many home exchange offers include extras such as cars, club memberships and generally lots of local information to save you needing to buy many guide books and maps. Living in a real home means having a fully equipped kitchen too so that not all meals need be taken in expensive restaurants.

‘”As an Australian,” wrote a reader from Down Under, “my dollar goes even less far than yours. And so I used a home exchange for my lodgings, which I obtained by going to an agency based in London, www.homebase-hols.com. I had a wonderful time in London and also saved money by cooking in a well-equipped kitchen (I liked shopping in the local markets and little shops) and could afford to splurge once in a while on great meals out.”‘ (from ‘Six ways to offset the high cost of accommodations in Europe’ by Arthur Frommer).

2. Experience life as a local

‘Mixing and mingling with the locals will give you a real sense of what it is like to live there. You could never get that unique “local” feeling in a hotel.’ (from article, ‘Home Exchange Vacations Offer Unique & Free Lodging’ on Everyone Loves To Travel)

‘See Malaysia and experience the life of a society that is multi-racial, multi-religious and multi-cultural. Taste our delicious food and meet our warm respectful people. Learn batik painting and test your skills (DIY set provided). Crockery, groceries, linen, clothes to wear are provided. Use everything found in the house please.’ (Ramlah, Johor Bahru, Malaysia.)

3. For children – toys, books, local playmates, babysitters and more

‘As a family, we have stayed in many different types of homes and neighbourhoods and had experiences we would never have had if we not been on a home exchange. My children still talk about the open air cinema in Switzerland (the tickets were left as a gift), the ice cream they received from the kindly neighbour during the heatwave in France, the children who came to call when we stayed in Ireland, the invite we received from our exchange partners’ friends in Canada to use their pool, the neighbours who called with fish from their fishing trip, etc.’ (Joanne, Gwynedd, North Wales.)

4. Space and convenience of staying in a home

‘We arrived at the house in France late on a Saturday. The house was amazing. As we entered the kitchen, I exclaimed, “Goodness, their kitchen is nearly as big as our downstairs!” The house was lovely, in a beautifully quiet situation, no passing traffic, we hardly heard any cars, just the odd tractor now and again. We love peace and quiet and spent many days sitting reading under the trees or swimming in the small pool.’ (Kathy, formerly from Devon, England; moved to a new home in Poitou-Charentes, France after this home exchange.

5. Home exchangers are often happy to look after plants and pets

‘I love animals. I used to have horses and help on a farm and have a dog at home with my parents so I would be more than happy to look after any animals you might have.’ (Kirsty, Lanzarote, Canary Islands.)

‘We love our life out here in the peace and quiet and are trying “the good life!” We have 3 free range hens, 3 big dogs (that will love you to death!), 2 cats, a rabbit, a guniea pig and many fish!’ (Gill, Malaga, Spain.)

6. A greener way to travel

‘Actually, there are also deeper layers of thought to the home exchange idea. When you think about global waste and conservation, the idea of combining resources with other people on the globe has more merits than those you experience on a personal level. Think of all the hotel sheets and towels that are washed every day; of the low-paid hotel workers (often foreigners); of the huge and wasteful industry that has grown around the needs of people who want to experience a holiday in a different country.’ (from ‘Home Away From Home’, article by Ruti Singer).

First published on the blog, Travel the Home Exchange Way, and reproduced with permission of Lois Sealey, Home Base Holidays.