Topics Covered: Home Exchanges - 'Who Dares Wins': New Zealand to Florida & Vancouver Island 'The Home Exchange Guide': Book Reviewers Wanted Home Swaps in the Media: BBC Online, USA Today, Channel 4 Special Request: Gold Coast, Australia to Swap for SW Ireland Off on a Home Exchange? Who's Looking After the Cat? Airport Car Parks: Handing Over Keys 'Enhance France': Make the Most of Your Trip to France Newsletter Contributions

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Home Exchanges - 'Who Dares Wins': New Zealand to Florida & Vancouver Island

Carole Grant writes: 'As my husband and I are now semi-retired, travel is high on our agenda. I pondered on ways to travel that wouldn't cost the earth and the idea of home swapping appealed. I joined Home Base Holidays and soon started to get requests coming in from around the world. It was an offer from Victoria on Vancouver Island that excited my senses and we began a series of e-mails planning for the big event, a three month exchange. We made plans to attend our son's wedding in Brazil before travelling on up to Victoria. Coincidentally we received a further request from a couple who owned a house in Orlando, a good half way point between Brazil and Victoria. I live by the SAS adage "Who Dares Wins" and I cannot help but believe that we are all winners in this adventure.

Our very first swap was in Orlando. Peter and Liz live in the UK and have swapped this home (HE4764) many times before. As we were both swapping holiday homes we were able to choose dates suitable to our plans. The Rollins will use our house at Taupo, New Zealand in July 2004. We hired a car at the airport and, remembering to drive on the right hand side of the road, found our way to their home (we much appreciated the specific instructions provided). We spent nine days in Kissimmee, Orlando taking in the theme parks and American culture. It is often the little things that are intriguing in a different land such as the squirrel that was on the driveway to greet us.

We had met the owners of the house in Victoria when they arrived in New Zealand three days before we were due to fly out. This was a great idea as we seemed to have so much in common and felt very comfortable about leaving them in charge of our two properties in Taupo and Palmerston North for three months. We also swapped cars. Finally, on 4 April 2003: ... we are flying from Denver to Vancouver bound for Victoria. Below are thousands of acres of arid land, hills, mountains, snow, tributaries running like veins through the valleys. The thawing snow leaves patches of white on the peaks ridges and hills. With months of planning, my excitement builds as I anticipate our vacation over the next couple of months. I love this thing called travel as it takes me on a wave of fantasy away from the world of responsibilities and worries ...

On arrival at our new house in Victoria we were greeted by a sculpture of a young woman standing on the verandah and it took some time to realise that it was not a real woman. Everything in the house was clean and tidy and we were pleased that these people who had now become our Canadian friends had similar standards to us. We had a fabulous time enjoying the close proximity to the city centre in Victoria. We went to a couple of rotary meetings and met interesting, friendly people. We visited many places on Vancouver Island including Tofino on the west coast. We also made trips to Seattle, Vancouver and Whistler before cruising on the beautiful Sun Princess to Alaska. A tour of the Rockies was an excellent ending to a memorable vacation. The home swap was like home away from home. We had a wonderful time and are now "open to offers" for our next exchange (see our listing, HE12442); we are also interested in letting our home to overseas visitors ($NZ100.00 per night).' - Carole Grant. *Editor's Note: Carole sent detailed information on the organisation that went into their swaps (and, as it's difficult to think of every eventuality, a few things they should have done before leaving). Carole's suggestions will be included in an article in the next edition of Home Swappers.

View Carole & Maurice's exchange offer in New Zealand, HE12442

	'The Home Exchange Guide': Book Reviewers Wanted
We recently received a review copy of a new book, 'The Home Exchange Guide: How to Find Your Free Home Away from Home', due for publication in the USA by Poyeen Publishing on 1 November (retail price $19.95US). The authors, M.T. Simon and T.T. Baker, are experienced home swappers who saw a need for a guide focussed particularly on using the internet to arrange exchanges. It's hard to believe that only a few short years ago home exchangers relied on print directories updated two or three times a year (directories inevitably were out of date even before publication). The internet has dramatically changed this process. Members joining Home Base Holidays now have instant access to all other members' full listings, their own offers are immediately available to others (and can be changed whenever needed) and communication between members by email is quick and cheap. Along with all its benefits, the internet has brought a bewildering amount of information (and misinformation) on all subjects and home exchange is no exception. 'The Home Exchange Guide' is welcomed as a source of unbiased information, guiding the reader through the whole process of arranging an exchange, from how to decide if home exchange is right for you, what to look out for when searching for home exchange possibilities, detailed guidance on making the arrangements, preparing a home for an exchange and tieing up loose ends once the swap is over. Although we hope that the Guidelines available on the Home Base Holidays site and issues of Home Swappers help all members arrange successful home swaps, 'The Home Exchange Guide' is a convenient reference guide that comprehensively covers most issues likely to arise when arranging an exchange in a logical step-by-step order and easy to read format. As far as we are aware, this is the only book in print on home exchanging in the USA or Europe. To test how useful 'The Home Exchange Guide' is likely to be for members, we have two free review copies to give away. In order to get two slightly different perspectives, we would like one reviewer who has had one or two exchanges only (who will be in a good position to judge if the book would have been useful before a first exchange). The other review copy is available to a reader interested in taking part in a home exchange but who has not yet had an exchange. As the book's authors are American, and the largest number of our members live outside the USA, it would also be a test of the book's universal appeal if our reviewers were non-Americans (sorry to American subscribers - I am sure we will be able to offer you a special deal on the book later!). If you are interested in receiving a free copy of 'The Home Exchange Guide' in return for writing a short review, please send me a message (email link below) asap, stating whether you have or haven't yet had an exchange. The first two subscribers that fit the bill will be contacted and sent review copies shortly. Extracts from our reader reviews will be included in the next issue of Home Swappers. *Editor's Note: information on how to purchase the new book will be available on the Home Base Holidays website soon and also included in the December newsletter. Interested in Reviewing 'The Home Exchange Guide'? Email Lois »

	Home Swaps in the Media: BBC Online, USA Today, Channel 4
There has been much media interest in home exchange since our last newsletter was published. First up, on 14 August, an article, 'Would you swap homes with a complete stranger?' was published on the very popular 'BBC News' website. Many thanks to members who talked to journalist Megan Lane about your exchanges: Jan Stewart from California (HE12279, photo of Jan's home below), whose exchange to London was featured in the December 2002 newsletter; Mike & Peggy Francomb from Essex, UK (HE13056), planning to retire to Australia after a recent swap with Brian & Sue O'Connor from Brisbane (HE13006), whose exchange story in the August 2003 newsletter was also quoted in the article. See the link below to the full article on BBC News Online, which also includes a form to leave your comments and read others on the subject of home swapping. 'USA Today' published an article in the Travel section, 'House-swapping vacationers savor living like the locals' on 5 September. Thanks to member, Joan Raymond, who talked to journalist Kitty Bean about swapping her home in Felton, California (HE12371) for homes in England and Scotland last year. Joan says, 'It was so nice to come "home" from a day of sightseeing and not be in one small room in a hotel.' Joan is 'open to offers' for her next exchange. Reminder: current Home Base Holidays members can log on to view any exchange offers mentioned in the newsletter by the User IDs given. Non-members: click the Preview Listings link at the end of the newsletter; then use the Detailed Search link and view listings by User ID (HE + a number). Some subscribers in the UK will have seen Channel 4 'Home from Home' programmes last year, the series entirely devoted to home exchange. The second series of 'Home from Home' started on 15 September and continues every week day at 4.30 pm for six weeks. Home Base Holidays members have been filmed on exchange by Maverick TV, the company which produces the series for Channel 4, for both the original and the current series. I haven't seen every single programme in the series now being broadcast. Please do let me know if your exchange was filmed so I can look out for the dates all programmes featuring Home Base Holidays members' exchanges will be shown. Maverick TV will start filming for the third series of 'Home from Home' shortly. They will also want to take photos of additional homes to include as 'feature' exchange offers at the end of each programme. If you would be interested in taking part, either in being filmed while on exchange (previous participants reported that this is fun and interesting and not too intrusive) or in possibly having photos of your home taken for inclusion as one of the feature homes shown, please do let us know.   BBC News Online: Would you swap homes with a complete stranger? »

	Special Request: Gold Coast, Australia to Swap for SW Ireland
Chris McNamara's home is a spacious canal front property on the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia, only 15 minutes drive from Surfers Paradise, all the major theme parks and many world class golf courses. Chris and his wife are a retired couple in their 60s who are looking for an exchange, preferably March - June 2004, in South West Ireland where their grandson is working for a year, at Newcastle West, living in company supplied accommodation. A comfortable 'home base' in the area would enable family members to visit for short stays and for Chris to also research family history in the Co. Clare area. If you have a home in Ireland which is easily accessible to Newcastle West, and you may be interested in this very attractive exchange offer in Queensland (described as 'beautiful one day, perfect the next'), check out the McNamaras' listing, HE14129 (direct link to full description page below). View Chris's Exchange Offer in Queensland, HE14129 »

	Off on a Home Exchange? Who's Looking After the Cat?
'If you are thinking that a house swap might be a good, cheap holiday, spare a thought for the neighbours you leave behind'. So begins a recent article by Sandra Deeble in the Property section of 'The Observer' newspaper. Sandra's neighbours were so busy making their last minute preparations that it sounds like they were just a little vague in their arrangements for having their poor cat looked after! Although we did hear of an instance years ago (not Home Base Holidays members fortunately) when American exchangers took great care to feed the cat entrusted to them, while often shooing away a stray that kept appearing (and, yes, you probably guessed, the owners returned to find a rather sorry looking moggy while the real stray was fat and happy!), we have never had a report of a member failing to make sure that a neighbour would be available and willing to look after their cat if needed. We don't get feedback from all those friends and neighbours who kindly act as 'agents' for members on exchange, handing over keys, helping the temporary home occupants with any problems and often happy to be much more involved, inviting the home swappers to dinner and more. So Sandra's article (see link below for full article) redresses the balance and is a good reminder to make sure the person who agrees to be your agent while you are on an exchange knows exactly what this entails. Thanks to the two UK members who talked to Sandra about their exchanges and were quoted in the article: Eileen Palmer from Brighton, HE13209, and Paul McIlhone from Leicester, HE10766. 'The Observer': Home and away heaven »

	Airport Car Parks: Handing Over Keys
In the last issue of Home Swappers Newsletter we included information from two members on arranging to have car keys handed to an exchange partner on their arrival at the airport car park. Check the newsletter archives link below to see the previous edition (Aug/Sept 03) including the article. Home Base Holidays member, Lucia Hughes, passed on another suggestion while on exchange in Canada: 'I know you can leave your keys in the left luggage in a sealed envelope at Dublin airport. There is a small charge. We are using this service as part of the hand over for this exchange.' The photo below is of the Hughes' 200 year old farmhouse in South East Ireland (listing HE4809).   Home Swappers Newsletter Archives »

	'Enhance France': Make the Most of Your Trip to France
The aim of the 'Enhance France' website is to help English speaking visitors get the most out of a trip to France (flights, ferries, travel, hotels, holiday homes, art & much more). Check out the 'Enhance France' website and the first newsletter which focusses on home exchange. We haven't yet had a feature story in Home Swappers on an exchange to France. If you either live in France and have had a home exchange recently, or have swapped homes with members in France, we would be pleased to hear of your exchange experiences. 'Enhance France': Website & Home Exchange Article »

	Newsletter Contributions
We 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. Please feel free to forward Home Swappers to friends and colleagues who may be interested in home exchange (see Forward Email link below newsletter). *Note: if you are reading this newsletter on the website but believe you should be receiving copies as published by email, please let us know. There can be a number of reasons for non-delivery - from an incorrect or out-of-date email address on our mailing list to ISPs with overly rigourous spam filters that can block many legitimate messages along with the spam. All Home Swappers content is copyright and cannot be used in any form without written permission from Home Base Holidays. Home Base Holidays, London, UK 1985-2003: 18th year providing a home exchange service worldwide Contact Lois Sealey, Editor, Home Swappers Newsletter »

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