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'*Couch surfing sounds great in theory and for some may be fun in practice - meeting interesting people from all over the world. However, the obvious downside is that it is not necessarily a mutual exchange of couches, i.e. the "surfers" may never provide the beach! Or in this instance, a couch.

Home Exchange provides a service for those people who want their own space when travelling. My wife and I had a wonderful experience as members of Home Base Holidays, swapping our large Sydney unit for a huge semi in London for a family Christmas overseas (complete with snow!).

However, a dilemma arises when, say, only one of our five adult children would like to travel but we are not going at the same time.

The answer - why not swap them with someone from overseas who is interested in using their room whilst they are away? So, more a "Room Swap" than a "House Swap".

Obviously this is an 18+ proposal. It is not a babysitting arrangement and hosts would have the option of "eviction" earlier than planned if the swap did not work out.

There are many advantages to this swap proposal. We have hosted children of international Rotary members for short periods and have thoroughly enjoyed the cultural exchange. It would not be expected that the swap would be long term, although this would obviously be left up to individuals.

However, as a first point of call on arrival at a new country it would provide some peace of mind for parents who are seeing their children travel for the first time. The host family could also be available later in a person's travel in the event of crisis or illness (a much appreciated benefit when far from loved ones).

Of course this swap arrangement does not need to be limited to the young or single! How much more pleasant would an overseas trip be if you could share experiences with the locals? I know that we thoroughly enjoyed meeting our Exchange Family in their home prior to their departure for Australia.

So if you are interested in this addition to the Home Base Holidays "Menu" to extend your family's home swap experiences, do let Lois know!' - Vince Dore, Sydney

Editor's Note: '*Couch surfing' is a term sometimes used to describe an idea, popular amongst young travellers looking for a place to stay for a night or two. It basically involves people offering a couch to a visitor and, in return, may couch surf themselves at another time. Although many Home Base Holidays members already arrange hospitality exchanges and/or offer to provide bed & breakfast accommodation, I am including Vince's idea of a Room Swap as, the way he envisages this working, mainly as a way of finding and providing accommodation for members' grown-up children, is a slight variation on mutual hospitality exchanges or paid B & B.

Many of us are now experiencing the 'boomerang kids' phenonemon, the grown-up children who leave home, only to move back later on, usually because they can't afford to rent/buy their own homes. These young, semi-permanent residents of the family home, plus student gap year travellers/their parents, might like the idea of having all the comforts of home at least for a few nights that room swaps arranged in advance would enable.

Vince and family may be moving within the next few months but, when settled, will renew their Home Base Holidays membership and test out the idea of room swapping.

'I have been a member of Home Base Holidays for nearly seven years and have undertaken many exchanges with my husband and two children. Recently, I have been following with interest people's comments in the newsletter about leaving feedback after an exchange and suggestions on the importance of the final clean-up before leaving an exchange home.

Whilst I agree that the final clear up is a crucial stage in any exchange to ensure the swap ends on a happy note, I wanted to raise the point that sometimes our expectations of others can be a little bit unrealistic, especially if, when we return home, we expect that everywhere will be spotlessly clean and everything in the right place. I am not saying that it's not important to leave the homes we stay in as we found them, only that we need to be sensible about this. We are all different and we all have different standards and different ways of doing things.

I admit that I am as relieved and as pleased as the next person when I return home and find everything is fine. However, I have found that, no matter how neat and tidy my home is when I return, no one really makes my bed the way I like it made or arranges the cushions in the way I like them arranged.

Also I have come to appreciate that the process of home exchange is more than just about exchanging your home and how tidy you find it on your return. When you exchange homes you often experience a kindness and level of trust that so often feels in short supply in today's busy world. When else would you freely hand over the keys to your home, invite people you may never meet to sleep in your bed and use your car? 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.

Since exchanging my home I have come to realise that these acts of kindness and the diversity of experience offered are what's really important. I think home exchange is a great concept and I know that we could never imagine a better way of seeing and experiencing the world.' - Joanne, HE8441

 

Every once in awhile we receive a question about car insurance problems from a Home Base Holidays member (almost always a UK resident swapping to either the USA or Australia). Over the years we have collated some UK specific auto insurance information based on feedback from members but, as members haven't always had the same experiences even when dealing with the same companies, it's been difficult to recommend any particular insurance companies. However (and I hope this won't tempt fate!), we have had several good reports now on Norwich Union Direct (UK free phone: 0800 096 8279). The latest member to ask about car insurance, UK member, Hazel Gunn (exchanging for two months with Australian members), reported back on her experiences:

'Thank you so much for your reply to my enquiry about motoring insurance and cover for our swappers. This is just to confirm that Norwich Union Direct have indeed come up trumps. They have insured us for £100 less than our previous insurers, Saga. They have also covered our visitors as named drivers during the period of their stay of two months. When we come home, all we have to do is to ring Norwich Union Direct and they will remove the exchangers' names and reinstate our son as named driver. There may even be a small rebate!

As a matter of interest, Saga happily put our visitors on our policy as named drivers at very small extra cost, but failed to mention on the telephone that they were adding an endorsment to the effect that, in the event of a claim made by our Australian swappers, not only was the normal excess payable but an ADDITIONAL £500 would also be payable because they were foreign nationals. Thank goodness that we read the small print.' - Hazel, HE19169

Editor's Note: Always read the small print on any insurance document and, if you have agreed to swap cars with members from another country, be sure to check your insurance cover well in advance of your exchange dates just in case there are any problems or extra expenses in getting cover for your exchange partners.

The photo above is of Hazel's home in Saffron Walden, Essex. See her full exchange offer, HE19169

After taking the time to write an informative and enticing home exchange offer description, the very best way to enhance it is to add good quality photos as soon as possible after joining Home Base Holidays (up to eight photos). However, not everyone is an expert photographer or has an eye for taking interesting shots that will give potential exchange partners a good overall idea of what a home is like. For this reason, I am delighted that Marguerite Carstairs agreed to share some brief photography tips with members and subscribers.

Marguerite, a teacher, has also worked as an Estate Agent in West Australia, during which time she created websites for houses she had listed for sale. She has had extensive experience with showing homes to their best advantage for the retail market, and much of the same advice is relevant for members listing homes for exchange. Marguerite is currently in Korea, and enjoys exploring with her camera.

Marguerite's first seven tips have been published on our blog, one a day. over the past week, using several photos from current Home Base Holidays listings to illustrate the tips (and including links to each listing). Click the Tips below to go directly to the full posts, starting with an introduction.

Marguerite writes:

'If you need to take photographs of your home, whether for Exchange, Sale or Rental, you will first create what is called a "Pictorial Portfolio" of your home. For a home exchanger, the most important use of the Pictorial Portfolio is to collect together a variety of photos to add to their home exchange listing.

The most important feature about your Portfolio is the quality of your photographs. Make sure, above all, that they are attractive and clear, so the viewer knows what you are focusing on and why. Quality has nothing to do with the size of your camera or the equipment you use. It has a lot to do with how you take the photograph which is what I will concentrate on: Tips for Photographing Your Home. Your aim is to show what your home is all about. Think of it as creating a story around your house or apartment, making your story interesting and real.'

Editor's Note: While looking for good photos to illustrate each of Marguerite's tips, it was great to see that many Home Base Holidays members already cover all the points in her seven tips on making the best use of photos very well. The photo above is from a current listing in Haines City, Florida. See the full exchange offer and all photos, HE19644. Marguerite's comment on the photos included in this listing:

'good series, clear photos, careful presentation'

Tip 1: Lighting. Always use flash for indoor photos, and outdoor photos too. If you are photographing close-ups, lessen the flash or you will end up with a white photo. No flash gives you a dark photo.

Tip 2: Focus on an area. By adding a person or people you can show the size and dimensions of the room and area, and share a story with the photograph. This can be more effective and better understood than actually showing the whole room, especially if there are features associated with an area.

Tip 3: Include a full photograph of the home from an entrance point. This also helps the people to find the home when they first arrive. They also get an idea of what the house or apartment block actually looks like from the street, whether there is a garage and parking, and maybe the garden and the general appearance. It also sets a standard for what you expect the house to be maintained like in neatness, order, and presentation.

Tip 4: Include a rear and maybe side view of the house too. This shows whether there is a garden, the locality, the back features and sets a location and perspective to the property. Use flash to avoid dark corners and areas, or take the photograph when the light is good. If you have a garden that needs maintaining, make sure this is also shown.

Tip 5: Unusual angles and portrait shots give different dimensions. If it's a high-rise apartment or an unusual building, show this in the photo to entice the viewer. If there are extra features such as a pool, patio, barbecue area or pagodas and atriums, show these as you want to highlight the living features of the house, not possessions, for here you are selling a lifestyle, not simply the house.

Note to Home Base Holidays members: by all means use a variety of photos, including portrait shots, but choose a photo in landscape format as Picture 1. This photo is also included as a small thumbnail in your summary listing shown in search results (using a landscape photo avoids distortion in the thumbnail photo).

Tip 6: Are there pets or garden routines, or services that need to be attended to? A pond or pool may require maintenance as does solar systems and lawns. Show photographs of these so the viewer knows to ask questions about what may be involved in terms of time and commitment.

Tip 7: Locality Features. When people are looking for a house to exchange, they are also interested in what is around the area. Schools, churches, golf courses, sports centres, shops and shopping centres and whatever else your area has of interest. If it's a distance away from features, then you might show public transport such as nearest bus stop, station or airport. If you are prepared to make your car, bike or whatever available, then make the suggestion. Add photos of these areas and also any places of interest in your neighbourhood.

In conclusion: Tell a story with your photographs. People want to know more than how many beds you have, and whether you have a dining area. These (provided their exchange party can be comfortably accommodated in your home) are not as important as the lifestyle you are offering to share with your home exchange guests.

Looking through the photos Lois sent as possible examples of the tips I've covered, I have realised that family personalities do come out in the photos and that is great. For example, in the photos used in the listing (house in Sheffield, Yorkshire, England, HE19765), I like the child influence and the family sounds fun.

Marguerite Carstairs 2007© http://M- carstairs.com http://M-carstairs.com/ebooks

 

In an article, 'Home Exchange Offer Messages: Increasing Response Rates', published in the April/May Home Swappers Newsletter, I forgot to mention one crucial point that should certainly increase the response rate to your exchange offer messages, i.e. be sure to read each listing carefully, especially the destinations that members have requested, and gauge whether your home would fulfill their particular needs. Then target your exchange offer messages at members whose homes would suit you and who are also most likely to be interested in your offer.

You can do a reverse search to look for members who have specifically listed your area or city as a destination. This is a good way to start but also search more widely to pick up those who haven't indicated your area but are either open generally or are flexible on locations in your country. Many members are very open on countries/areas they will consider and, indeed, it increases your chances of finding suitable home swaps enormously if you aren't too specific about destinations. This doesn't mean, of course, if someone says they are 'open to offers', that they will definitely be interested in your offer but such members are inviting contact and should at least respond to your offer messages.

Avoid sending your offer to members who are very specific about destinations and dates if your offer doesn't fit their strict criteria. There's no point suggesting an exchange with your home in Florida to members in London if the Londoners need an exchange in Sydney to attend a wedding there unless, of course, they have also indicated that they would be interested in further exchanges later on.

Some members, who live in sought after areas or large cities, may receive many offers they aren't interested in. If you live in Paris, for example, and you've just received your 15th exchange offer in a week from an Australian when you've specifically indicated in your listing that you can only consider exchanges within Europe, it's understandable that you might wonder if anyone bothers to read your listing before sending their exchange offers!

In a nutshell, take the time to read listings carefully so you don't waste your time or theirs by contacting members who are very unlikely to be interested in your exchange offer. Target those most likely to be interested, taking your time to personalise each of your offer messages so that the recipients will know you have read their listing and have considered their needs as well as your own. This may seem time consuming, and does take some initial effort, but you should reap the rewards in better response rates and increase your chances of finding suitable exchange partners.

For many home exchangers, the organisation involved in making contact with others and arranging exchanges is all part of the fun of the whole home swapping experience.

Newsletter Contributions: We are always pleased to hear from members and subscribers and to receive contributions for the newsletter and weblog - short reports on your exchange experiences, tips you feel would be useful to those new to the idea of home swapping and any questions you have on home exchange. Please include 'home exchange' in the subject line when contacting us as messages with no subjects (or dubious sounding subject lines!) or unexpected attachments may end up in our spam folder and deleted unread.

Reading this on the Website? Use the newsletter subscribe link to add your email address and receive the newsletter regularly. If already on the list but not receiving your copy by email, there can be a number of causes:

• Incorrect email address - send us your name and correct address Add our email address, homeexchange@btinternet.com, to your address book or 'white list' of accepted messages
• Check your spam/bulk folder before deleting - many 'real' messages can be put there by mistake

Be Alert: If you are a current member, and should ever receive unsolicited (spam) message(s) from an unknown agency which you think could only have got your name and email address from your Home Base Holidays listing, please forward it to us. The private member area on our website is for one-to-one exchange offers between members only, not for any other purpose. It is important to be alert to potential scams on the internet (reputable businesses prominently display phone numbers and postal addresses on websites - and never send spam). Never respond to offers in unsolicited messages - if a 'free' offer seems too good to be true, it probably is! Spammers only continue sending their annoying mailings as, even if only a very small minority of recipients respond, it's worth it for them.

Copyright: All Home Swappers content is copyright and cannot be used in any form without written permission from Home Base Holidays. However, please feel free to forward the newsletter (in full) to friends and colleagues who may be interested in home exchange (use the Forward Email link below the newsletter).

Further Information: Check the archives to read past issues of Home Swappers Newsletter. Also, don't forget to visit the Travel the Home Exchange Way weblog for regular information and updates plus special exchange requests. To receive notices by email whenever a new post is added (generally no more than three a week), add your email address to the box above 'Get email updates' in the left hand column of Travel the Home Exchange Way.

Home Base Holidays, London, UK 1985-2007: 22nd year providing a home exchange service worldwide