News

'It's very difficult replying to your email; 8pm and still about 28 degrees and very humid. More "Amber Nectar" is called for!!'

This was how a message from a UK Home Base Holidays member began. At the time, John and his wife were on a home exchange holiday in Australia and, as it was in the depths of winter here in England, his comment on the Australian heat didn't sound like too much of a hardship! (see John's exchange offer in the seaside town of Deal, Kent, HE15409)

However, there can be problems when arranging exchanges between northern and southern hemisphere countries in finding times of the year that suit both parties. The UK has always been a popular destination for Australian and New Zealand home exchangers and more and more British members are now enjoying home swaps Down Under. In a recent phone call, Australian member, Derek Howes, commented:

'British members may think they like the heat but when they get here in summer, they find it is actually too hot. When contacting members in the UK with our exchange offer, I suggest that the months of September, October and November are a good compromise so that we should both have some reasonable weather while on exchange.'

Derek continued:

'My wife and I were delighted with our swop to Wales and are keen to swop to the UK again in 2005.'

Derek and Lorna have an attractive bungalow type home, 5 kms from Adelaide, an excellent area for wine. Their home is situated close to Linear Park, that follows Torrens River from Adelaide Hills to the sea, some 20 miles. Shops, pubs, restaurants are within walking distance. See their full listing (link below) and, if you are already a Home Base Holidays member, log on and send them an exchange offer (see HE11860), not forgetting to offer to compromise on dates to find a time of year that will suit you both!

One of the very few complaints that crop up fairly often from Home Base Holidays members is a lack of response to messages from some other members. The instant nature of email has perhaps made us all a little less patient than in the past. This expectation of replies almost by return keeps those of us running internet businesses on our toes that's for sure!

There can, of course, be genuine reasons why a member may fail to reply to your message - could be away from home and not able to check email, may be ill or have a family/work crisis, computer might have crashed, your message may have been blocked by their ISP or diverted to their spam folder and deleted unread; the member may have had good intentions to respond but your message was simply lost in a tide of email. This is not meant to excuse the few people who may simply not bother to respond to an exchange offer message if not interested. Note: if a message is returned undelivered it is likely that the member has changed their email address but forgot to change it in their listing. Check the listing for other contact methods (phone, fax, mailing address).

We have covered at length in various articles in past issues of Home Swappers Newsletter, in the Guidelines on the website and in a recent blog post how crucial it is to compile thoughtful, informative and personalised exchange offer messages that are most likely to illicit responses. However, this article will concentrate on the bare bones of what Canadian member Kristen McKendry (HE15958), and UK member Roger Gilbraith, a very experienced home exchanger (HE3866), both aptly referred to recently as 'email etiquette' or an 'Email Code of Conduct'. So here goes (suggestions for additions, changes, and also ideas for making these points more succinct are very welcome!):

Home Exchange Offers

• Acknowledge all exchange offers within a week of receipt at most, even if you can't consider the offer or need more time to think about it.
• When responding to exchange offer messages, always include your full name and User ID to make it easy for the recipient to match your reply to your listing. It is helpful to keep the original exchange offer message in your reply too (your User ID will be shown in the 'To' line if the message was sent using the form in your listing).
• Check email every day if possible. If unable to check messages at least once a week, make this clear in your listing.
• If an offer may be of interest, give a date in your acknowledgement message (no longer than three weeks away) when you will reply with a definite answer.
• If you are considering more than one exchange offer, make your decision as quickly as possible and let other members you have been communicating with know without delay. Perhaps you could suggest an exchange at another time?
• If a member fails to respond to your exchange offer, or to follow up within the agreed time frame, re-send your offer (in case they didn't receive your original message), with a note to say that you are looking forward to hearing soon whether or not they may be interested in your offer.
• If you still don't receive a reply within a few days, and you are keen on their exchange offer, communicate in another way. Most members include at least one other contact method in their listings apart from email - phone, fax or post.
• No response to your call, fax or letter? Assume the member is not interested and advise them that you are now considering other exchange offers.

Communication Before an Exchange is Agreed

This is the period when regular communication is crucial so that each member knows the other is definitely interested in pursuing the exchange.

• Agree to keep in regular contact (say a minimum of once every two weeks) - asking/answering questions, sharing information but, if nothing crops up, still send short notes regularly just to keep in touch.
• If you will be out of contact for awhile, let your exchange partner know when you will next be able to check email and respond to messages.
• If not available already, share alternative means of communication - phone number (give the best time to call and bear in mind time differences when phoning), fax, a second email address.
• Arranging consecutive exchanges: if you plan to arrange two, three or even more consecutive exchanges, make sure all members you are communicating with are aware of this and keep all informed of your other exchange dates as fixed. Arranging more than one exchange requires a great deal of organisation and coordination.

Period Leading Up to the Exchange

• Once an exchange has been agreed (with an exchange agreement document setting out all arrangements and agreed by both parties), continue corresponding regularly as a reassurance that all is well. A lapse in communication, with no advance notice, could be an early warning of a problem. Phone your exchange partner in case there's a problem (e.g. firewall, ISP filter) with your email getting through.
• Never, ever renege on a firm agreement to exchange (the only exception to this is a serious illness or death in the family that will prevent you from travelling). In the unlikely event you do have to break a firm agreement, let your exchange partners know immediately and do all you can to help them with alternative accommodation (better still, consider this as part of your exchange arrangements).
• Continue to respond promptly to any further exchange offers you receive. If any are of interest, suggest an exchange at a later date. *If unable to consider other exchange offers at this time, log on to your member area, access your form and tick the box, Exchange Arranged (click Continue at the end of the form to add this to your listing).
• If you change your email address, log on with your old address and change the email address on your form (click Continue to save).

*Note: If at any time during your membership period you don't want your listing available on the Home Base Holidays website (perhaps you are moving or a family member is seriously ill), contact us to let us know. Your listing will be hidden until you let us know you are ready to consider exchange offers again.

Buzzle.com is an information site with articles in over 20 Chapters, and thousands of links for each Chapter for additional information.

The editors at Buzzle.com write:

'We love finding new, great sites, and are eager to highlight our favorites for Buzzle.com users. So, we came up with the Golden Bee Awards to do just that. And we loved your site! We liked it so much, actually, that your site, Home Exchange Vacations Worldwide - Home Base Holidays, has been chosen as a winner of the Buzzle.com Golden Bee Award.

Buzzle.com's Golden Bee Award is given to web sites we believe are particularly well designed and easy to use. Only a very few sites receive the honor of this award. Buzzle.com's Editors base site evaluations on visual design, organization, navigation, content, functionality, and general site experience. Please feel free to read more about our judging criteria. At Buzzle.com, we hope this recognition builds more awareness of your well-built site. You deserve it!'

Well, what I can I say? We're delighted - thanks Buzzle.com!

'You've always dreamed of living abroad, but how can you be sure a place is really right for you? Home exchange gives you the chance to try before you fly - and for a fraction of the price of a holiday' - Joanna Leevers

'A Place in the Sun' magazine covers all aspects of buying property abroad. Joanna's article, in the current issue, focuses on using home exchange as a way of finding out more about a country or area before buying a home, especially if considering the major step of a permanent move to another country.

Home Base Holidays members, Phil and Debbie Bland, HE13347, live in Ilkley at the gateway to the stunning scenery of the Yorkshire Dales National Park. They kindly answered Joanna's questions about their exchange experiences:

'Over the past two years we've spent six months in Melbourne and two months in Vancouver. We already have two more exchanges in Australia planned for 2005-6. Our plan is to move to Australia permanently but we've seen a lot of people fail, due to lack of research into all the areas.

'Home exchange is an ideal way to stay in different states for several months ... we've made a lot of friends along the way and have started to identify places we'd like to put down roots. Making friends with the neighbours gives you valuable information on all the things you need to know - crime rates, health care and local facilities.

'To us, home exchange is a fantastic way to see the world in a very economical way, as well as being a great way to research our future emigration plans.'

Joanna has written an excellent article on home exchange in the current issue of 'A Place in the Sun' magazine (available in WH Smith and many newsagents in the UK or by subscrip tion for overseas readers). This is the Show Special 14 issue which ties in with the first 'A Place in the Sun' exhibition, 1st - 3rd April 2005 at ExCeL, London Docklands. The exhibition is described as 'The UK's Biggest and Best overseas property, travel and lifestyle exhibition'. We had several free tickets (worth £10 each) to give away and were delighted that so many weblog readers responded to the offer - great to know so many of you are reading the blog! I'm so sorry that we didn't have enough free tickets for everyone who wanted them.

Comment Added to Weblog Post on Article: 'I doubt very much if you remember us, my husband was the one who would rather send you a cheque in the post than pay on the internet quite a few years ago. Since then we have had some fantastic swaps and met some fantastic people. We both thank you as it was your original idea that helped us have many an adventure, along with our children, going to places that we only dreamed of.

We are now emigrating to Australia, the result of many a house exchange to the land of Oz and sadly it looks like we will no longer be available for house exchanges for a year or two at least. On that sad note we will not be renewing our membership (just yet). Look forward to joining again.' Kind regards, John and Laura Parfitt

Member, Cathy Lawie-Phillips, wrote after publication of the Feb/Mar issue of Home Swappers Newsletter:

"A thought for a future newsletter - the benefits of looking outside the square. Our first and very successful exchange (as has been recorded in a previous newsletter) was with someone who initially was looking for an exchange in Norway and ended up by coming here to New Zealand. I approached them with just a 'have you thought of coming to New Zealand'! They were in an area where we wanted to go to."

As Cathy points out, you have nothing to lose by contacting members who haven't listed your country or area as a destination they want to visit - they may just not of thought of it and an attractive offer, well presented (those all important initial exchange offer messages again), might just persuade them to take up your offer.

Members who are pro-active in contacting others to suggest swapping homes are generally more successful at arranging the exchanges they want than those who wait to be contacted (the Cathys of the home exchange world could be busily snapping up those attractive offers as new members join while you wait to be contacted or give up too quickly if you don't receive positive responses!)

Note: if you tried to view Cathy's listing from a link in an article in the last newsletter, sorry that the link didn't work - it's correct on the website version.

Regular weblog readers will see that some of the posts originally published on the blog are adapted for the newsletter. However, there is much more information included in the regular blog posts than we could ever include here without making an already lengthy newsletter much too long! Most of the posts are based on questions and comments received from enquirers and members.

'No Young Children' in Home Exchange Listings: 'I've recently subscribed to your home exchange service. When the listing says no young children, how young do they mean?' - Ed, HE16439

A: That's a very good question! Usually this will mean 'no under five year olds' but, if you're not sure from the listing description, and are interested in an offer, do contact the member, giving the ages of your children. Read full answer on the weblog.

Moving Houses: 'Could you arrange to remove our Home Base Holidays listing as we have recently sold this property and will be moving very shortly?' - P.Spull

A: Your listing has now been 'hidden' so no one can see it and members can't contact you at present. However, if you decide to offer your new home for exchange before your membership expires, there's no need to pay to re-join. Full answer.

UK Home Base Holidays member, John Quartermain, wrote:

'Do you know of any solo, single man or woman who might fancy a month in Brisbane, Australia? I have arranged to housesit for Home Base Holidays members in Brisbane (they will be staying in a home in London as part of a non-simultaneous home exchange at the time). I will be house-sitting from 18 May - end of June.

I would prefer a travel/holiday companion from the UK, preferably over 35. However, I would accept anyone compatible, who speaks English and who could meet me at Brisbane airport.'

If you are interested in John's offer, and are a Home Base Holidays member, log on, view his listing, HE10841, and contact John directly. If you are not a member yet, please send your message to us (subject: for John Quartermain) and we will forward it to him.

John is a well seasoned traveller to Australia and, as he doesn't have a great deal of time to find a suitable companion for his trip this year, please contact him soon if you may be interested in taking up his offer.