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Greetings,
Home Swappers Newsletter is published
bi-monthly to provide up-to-date information on
home exchange vacations for current and recent
members of Home Base Holidays, enquirers and
Newsletter subscribers.
Non-members: note the member's ID given at
the end of some articles (HE + number) and use
the link: Find Listing by Member ID. Members:
search by User IDs in your member area to view
listings in full. See Quick Links to Member
Login and Visitors Preview at the end of the
newsletter.
First Home Swap: a Fantastic Experience! 
This is a photo of Jan and Ben Stewart's home
in Southern California. Jan's account of their
home swap in August 2002 to England follows: 'We
just completed our first home exchange! What a
fantastic experience! Ben and I exchanged during
the entire month of August with the Peutrills -
Geoff, Louise, Tom, Katie and Sophie ... oh
yeah, and TC the cat ... in High Barnet, just
north of London, they to our home in So.
California.
This was a first time exchange for both. The
total experience was absolutely perfect from
beginning to end. We feel like we've made
lifelong friends. Our families really clicked,
they spent lots of time with our daughter and
her family, and we visited with their neighbors
in England. We wrote lots of "get
acquainted" emails beforehand, answered one
another's questions, made plans together and
sent information back and forth. We also made
several phone calls during our preparations. We
all shared the same goofy sense of humor, so
that really connected us!
I adored their house. It was built in the
1920s ... was so charming and cozy. They had a
family of foxes living in the bushes in the back
garden! Every day I put food out for the foxes
and watching them appear each evening to eat was
a real treat. The house was very close to the
"tube", so we were able to get into
London very easily and to connect with trains to
take trips all over England. We spent four days
in Dublin during our month which was great fun
and gave us a "taste" of Ireland with
an idea of perhaps exchanging there in the
future. We had lots of visitors during our
exchange month ... family and friends wanting to
be in on the fun. We loved going to the local
supermarket ... checking out all the different
foods and products, going to the pub, talking
with the locals, trying out the local
restaurants, going for long walks in
"our" neighborhood.
We appreciated coming home to our own home
after a tiring day of sightseeing. It was great
having laundry facilities available, a beautiful
back garden to sit in and relax, and a barbecue
ready for a cookout. Each and every little thing
was fun and exciting, from watching British
telly to figuring out the appliances. All the
stuff that makes travel to a foreign country
have meaning. The experience was so perfect on
so many levels ... it felt good to share what we
have here in California, to share our home and
family, to share the Puetrills' beautiful home
and family, to accept their generosity. It felt
politically correct and spiritually magnificent!
Now I've got to start searching for our next
"home away from home"...' - Jan
Stewart
View
the Stewarts' Current Offer by Member ID:
HE12279 & the Peutrills' Offer: HE12386
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Members
on GMTV Live Webcam Link: London -
Melbourne |
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This has been a bumper year for media
interest in home swapping, especially
here in the UK. Many thanks to all
members who talked to journalists about
your home exchange experiences, took
part in radio or TV discussions - and
even agreed to be filmed while on an
exchange! Media publicity makes more
people aware of the idea of home
exchange which leads to more first time
members and a greater choice for all
members.
Thanks to Sarah Connell who let a
GMTV crew into her London home very
early morning and took part in two live
interviews on home exchange as part of
the GMTV 'Wake up to the Web' week in
November. Thanks also to Gill Lomas for
joining in by webcam link from her home
in Melbourne, Australia. The two
families have arranged an exchange over
Christmas - the Connells swapping their
large Edwardian home in London (above)
for the Lomas's light-filled, open plan
house in Melbourne (below).
Both families are already making
plans for their next swaps in 2003. The
Connells (HE10221) are seeking an
exchange to the outskirts of SFO (e.g.
Marin County) for three weeks from mid
July, if possible with car swap and
kiddie stuff. After probably a chilly
holiday in London, the Lomas's (HE12817)
would be interested in an Easter swap to
an island in the sun or the East Coast
of Australia. Non-members: see link
below to view the full descriptive
listings (jot down the member IDs). 
Gill Lomas writes: 'Your organisation
deserves a plug - I have found it both
very easy to use and obviously very
productive!' We like to return the
favour by giving an extra plug in this
newsletter to members who have agreed to
be interviewed by journalists writing
articles on home exchange or who have
taken part in TV or radio programmes. As
journalists and TV researchers are
notorious for not passing on information
once they've got their story, we don't
always know when Home Base Holidays
members have participated. So please let
us know if you have recently (or are
soon to have) a media appearance so we
can mention your current exchange
request in the next issue of Home
Swappers.
View
the Connells' Current Offer by Member
ID: HE10221 & the Lomas's Offer:
HE12817 » |
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'Ask
the Expert': Home Exchange Feature in
'The Mature Traveler' |
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was delighted to be asked to answer
questions on home exchange for the
regular 'Ask the Expert' column in the
December 2002 edition of 'The Mature
Traveler' newsletter.
John Stickler, Publisher of 'The
Mature Traveler', has kindly given Home
Base Holidays permission to reproduce
the 'Ask the Expert' feature on home
exchange. See the link below for the
full article with responses to the
following questions:
(1) Why swap homes? (2) Isn't home
exchange more suitable for families? (3)
Is it safe to entrust my home to people
I don't know? (4) What if there's a
problem in my house while I'm away? (5)
I don't live in a tourist area. Will
anyone want to swap with me? (6) Can I
find an exchange home equal in value and
luxury to my $500,000 home? 
'The Mature Traveler' is a monthly
print newsletter, now in its 19th year,
aimed at the 49+ traveller. Each issue
includes useful destination information,
special deals and discounts for
subscribers. See links from the page
below to the website for further
information.
'Ask
the Expert' Column on Home Exchange
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First
Impressions Count: Making an Exchange
Offer |
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occasionally a member contacts us
concerned that someone who is not a
member of Home Base Holidays or one of
our partner agencies may have had access
to their contact information. To protect
members from contact other than from
other members genuinely interested in
arranging an exchange, only current
members have access to names and contact
information.
Members' concerns are invariably a
result of receiving an exchange offer
message with little information to
identify the sender. Often first time
members are very eager to get on and
make contact with other members as soon
as they join. This is a good thing (it
is always better to be proactive).
However, it is a good idea to take a
little time and give thought to this all
important first contact message to
optimise your chances of getting a
positive response. Brief information on
making a good first impression is
included in the welcome message sent to
members on joining with more detailed
information on arranging exchanges in
the Guidelines (link below).
Here are a few suggestions for that
all important first message: (1) Save
time by compiling general information on
your exchange offer to copy and paste in
all exchange offer messages but never
send or cc to more than one member at a
time. (2) Always include your User ID
(HE-----) in your messages (or the
subject line) so members can easily find
your listing. (3) Address members by
name and begin your message with a
sentence or two on what has attracted
you to their exchange offer. Making the
effort to personalise your message shows
that you are really interested in a swap
and gives a much better impression than
sending the same message to all. (4) In
the standard part of your message
reiterate the special points of your
exchange offer - your home, area
attractions and family - but don't over
sell. You don't want to come across as
arrogant as that would be a big turn-off
for many members. (5) Don't make demands
at this stage. You will be able to
exchange specific requests once the
member has expressed interest in your
offer. Do, however, include any special
needs (e.g. no pets if you have
allergies) so that the member can let
you know right away if their home
wouldn't be suitable. (6) Don't send
attachments with initial messages. Many
members will be wary of opening
attachments because of the virus risk.
Ask before sending additional photos of
your home by email and, if the member is
happy to receive them, save in the
common jpeg format and ensure that the
files are small. Or, see the next
article on other ways to share photos.
(7) Offer to answer any questions the
member may have, provide references if
requested and further local information.
And, of course, say how much you are
looking forward to their reply.
When members go to the trouble of
sending a thoughtful, personal exchange
offer, it is very disappointing not to
receive a reply. So please reply
promptly to all exchange request
messages even if you can't consider the
offer at this time.
Guidelines
for Arranging a Successful Exchange
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Sharing
Extra Photos with Members |
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The last issue of Home Swappers (Oct/Nov
2002) included an article on how a
number of members are now developing
their own websites in order to share
more information and photos with other
members. Sheila Hoffman's (HE4721)
personal website was featured (plus
suggestions from Sheila on protecting
your privacy by not including contact
details on a personal site).
In an earlier newsletter (May/June
2001) we included information and links
to a few free photo storage sites as
this is also a good way to store and
share photos .
There will be many similar sites
where you can store and share digital
images with friends, family and members
you contact. Although not primarily a
storage site, you might like to check
out PhotoBox (link below), an excellent,
easy to use site which was recently
highly recommeded in 'The Sunday Times'.
The object of the site is to sell prints
from your digital images (tested and the
service was very good) but 30 mb of free
album space is available to store and
share your digital photos (increased to
100 mb if you do order prints).
PhotoBox
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Newsletter
Contributions |
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are always pleased to receive
contributions for the newsletter - short
articles about your exchange
experiences, tips for those new to the
idea of swapping homes and questions
from subscribers considering a home
exchange holiday for the first time.
Feel free to forward Home Swappers to
friends and colleagues who may be
interested in home exchange as long as
the newsletter is sent in full. All Home
Swappers content is copyright and cannot
be used in any form without written
permission from Home Base Holidays.
Lois
Sealey, Editor, Home Swappers Newsletter
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Seasons
Greetings to Members and Subscribers |
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Very best wishes for a happy and safe
holiday season - and happy home swapping
in 2003.
There is a link below directly to the
membership form for those not yet
members of Home Base Holidays.
Note to Past Members: if your
membership expired within the last two
years you can easily reactivate your
original listing and renew at a reduced
rate (1 year - £19; 2 years - £29).
Use the login link in the Quick Links
below and enter your email address and
password as they appear in your listing.
Click the renewal link to update your
exchange offer. Contact us if you need a
reminder of your password or the email
address used in your listing.
Home Base Holidays, London, UK
1985-2002: 17th year providing a home
exchange service worldwide
Home
Base Holidays: Membership Form » |
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