Home Swappers: Issue 7
November/December 2000
http://www.homebase-hols.com
Newsletter Archive: http://www.homebase-hols.com/news.shtml

Home Swappers Newsletter is published bi-monthly to provide information on
home exchange for current and recent members of Home Base Holidays,
enquirers, Newsletter subscribers and journalists. If you do not want to
receive further Newsletters please send us a message with 'Remove from
mailing list' in the subject line plus your name in the message:

mailto:homeexchange@btinternet.com

Topics Covered:
  1. Advanced Search - Finding the Best Matches
  2. Member First Exchange: Southampton, England to Toronto, Canada
  3. November 2000 Directory Published
  4. Getting Responses to Your Exchange Offer
  5. Recommended Websites
      (a) Focus on Seniors and Singles:
           Single Again Online
           Seniority.co.uk
      (b) Bed & Breakfast in the UK:
            B&B NET
      (c) Travel and Shopping in Europe:
           Wine Road Collectibles
  6. Travel Guides & Maps - Discounts on DeLorme USA Road Atlases
  7. eDreams - Travel Advice from Online Travel Experts
  8. Home Swappers Archives
  9. Newsletter Contributions
10. Subscriptions

1. Advanced Search - Finding the Best Matches

Search all current home exchange offers at:

http://www.homebase-hols.com/ihea/search.cfm

Note: members - log on to the Member Area with your User ID and password and then click the Search Listings link:

http://www.homebase-hols.com/login.shtml

The first search facilities are for basic searches by continent, state, country and town. Immediately under the basic search box you will see a link to Advanced Search:

http://www.homebase-hols.com/ihea/search.cfm?search=Adv

There are a number of ways you may refine your search to those members
offering:

(1) By theme - boating, fishing, golfing, horse riding, skiing, tennis,
walking
Note: the listings received won't be the total number offering such local
amenities - some exchange offers could suit more than one of the above
'themed' holidays.
(2) Car exchange
(3) Children welcome
(4) Members' preferred destination (find out which members are especially
interested in your country or city)
(5) Disabled access/facilities
(6) Pet care offered
(7) Free text - use this to enter any words that may help find the type of
exchange home or location you want. For example, enter the word, beach, to
find all homes near a beach or seaside.
(8) Listings posted (by various time periods) - this is the search feature
we feel will be particularly time saving once you have initially checked
through listings carefully to find the most likely exchanges. We are busy
blitzing the gremlin which has crept into the system and has affected the
join dates on a small number of listings. Check back later to use this
feature.

We hope that the above search facilities will help you find the perfect exchange this season but please remember that the more 'open' you make your search, the greater the choice of listings you will have.

2. Member First Exchange: Southampton, England to Toronto, Canada

Hannah Woodford reports below on her first exchange experience to Toronto.
Hannah and husband, David, are 'Open to Offers' for their next exchange.
Members can view their listing for more details: HE10531

Reading an article in a weekend newspaper about a holiday swap experience
set it all off. A quick email to Home Base Holidays and before we knew it,
we were receiving emails from all over the world.  Checking for emails to
see who wanted to visit our home and receiving letters from abroad was a lot
more exciting than just planning for the next package holiday.

We decided on Toronto for our first exchange.  We had to be a bit flexible
on dates as Margaret, the lady we exchanged with, was visiting three places
in Britain which meant we were fitting in with two other exchange groups.
It all worked out perfectly.

In the time before the holiday, we got to know Margaret through email and
telephone.  She sent us photographs of her home and we did the same.  I
visited the local tourist office in Southampton and Portsmouth gathering
leaflets and obtained bus and train timetables just in case she fancied a
break from driving and, if she did drive, I made sure there were road maps
available. The extra insurance cover for our car was sorted out over the
telephone and a cover note received two days later. Margaret came to
Southampton the day before we travelled so we were able to show her round
the apartment.  Showing her our car, she asked where the air conditioning
was - my husband showed her the window winder!  (We do have an air
conditioned car now for anybody wanting to exchange). We told our neighbour
about our exchange and they got together with Margaret and the less said
about one of their outings (a day trip to France) the better!

Arriving in Toronto was a pleasure - no having to pick up a hire car, no
getting lost and taking 4 hours to do a 20 minute trip.  Instead Margaret's
friend was waiting with a notice that said "Welcome to Toronto David and
Hannah".  She drove us to Margaret's place where, compared to hiring a car,
we arrived fresh, with nerves and tempers still intact ready to explore the
neighbourhood.  Margaret had left plenty of tourist information for us as
well as local transport timetables but who wanted to use public transport
when there was a brand new Pontiac Firebird in the driveway?  I'm sure she
enjoyed our Ford Fiesta.

We did use Toronto's marvellous public transport though; one ticket takes
you on the bus, then onto the underground and then onto the streetcar if
needed, as long as it is one consecutive journey.  A very friendly driver
let us travel to Little Italy for free because we didn't have the correct
change.  Dinner in the restaurant on the top of the CN tower was
unforgettable and definitely recommended.  As the price of the dinner also
included entry to the viewing floor it worked out very reasonable.

Any problems we had or anything we wanted to know all we had to do was see
Margaret's friend next door or phone Jeannie who had met us at the airport.
Knowing that we had people to contact if anything had gone wrong was a plus
to the holiday.  Staying in someone's home rather than a hotel gives you
such freedom.  We took off for a long weekend in Niagara; we took an
overnight Greyhound bus to New York to visit family for a few days and
didn't  have to worry about leaving belongings in a hotel room.  And of
course staying in someone's home for 3 weeks you do get to know the
neighbours.  Gina, the Italian lady next door, always passed the time of day
when we bumped into her and just taking a stroll through the neighbourhood
on a warm summer's evening after a day of sightseeing was very relaxing  (as
was sitting on the swing seat on the wooden deck with a bottle of Canadian
wine).

Our last evening was spent in Ontario Place, enjoying a meal and a fabulous
display of fireworks and music.  We enjoyed a glass of wine the next
afternoon with our next door neighbour while waiting for our taxi to take us
to the airport.  So much more relaxed than being herded onto a tour bus or,
worse still, having to find your way back to the drop off point for your
rental car at the airport!

People have asked me "aren't you worried about someone else being in your
home?" I usually answer with "well they're trusting me with their home and
their car". If you are worried, make sure you sort out any problems before
you agree the swap.  If you have personal papers, family heirlooms or
something else that you would rather keep to yourself then arrange to lock
them away or leave them with someone else.  If you do have a good friend or
neighbour, try and get them involved with your guest as it makes such a
difference to their holiday. But most of all relax and enjoy your swap. We
did and we're looking forward to doing it again. -Hannah Woodford

3. November 2000 Directory Published

As all current members receiving this newsletter have internet access, most
will use the website to search for potential exchange partners. However,
many members do not have internet access; these members use the three print
directories published in early November, March and June to check out
listings and make contact with other members. Some members choose to have
both, as for many members worldwide there are still high phone call charges
which deter lengthy sessions on the internet.

If you have not yet joined or renewed your membership for 2001 do join well
ahead of the dates you would like to exchange (10% discount rate for on-line
renewals. Forgot your User ID or password? Contact us:
homeexchange@btinternet.com). All listings are released on the website
within hours and also published in the next directory (final deadline for
March 2001 directory: 15 February).

http://www.homebase-hols.com/join.shtml

4. Getting Responses to Your Exchange Offer

A recent new member, Susan Monteith, sent us the following message on not
receiving acknowledgements to her exchange offer (check out Susan's very
attractive offer in New South Wales, Australia: HE10876):

'Since Tuesday I have been sending messages to different members expressing interest in their listings but I have not received one single answer. Is this normal? My messages appear to have been sent and I re-sent this morning in case, but I was wondering if there could be a problem reaching people over there.? Would appreciate any hints you could give me to do this
successfully. Thanks.' -Susan

Although it is frustrating not to get responses immediately, do give members
a little time to consider your offer (and remember that not everyone checks
email every day). Here are a few hints for your initial message suggesting
an exchange:

(1) Although you will include your User ID number in the message so that
members can easily find your full listing, try to entice them with a short
description of your exchange offer - your home, the particular attractions
in your area.
(2) Personalise each message by saying what has attracted you to their
exchange offer. Everyone appreciates a personal message rather than one that
looks like it is being sent out en masse to many members. Also, if you have
particular needs - perhaps your exchange party is large - do check each
listing carefully for suitability so that you don't waste yours and the
other member's time if their home is clearly not suitable.
(3) Offer to answer any questions the member may have and to send photos and
local tourist information if they are interested.
(4) Don't bombard the member with many questions about their own home and
offer at this stage. You will have lots of opportunity to ask questions once
the member has shown interest in your exchange offer.
(5) Make it clear that you understand the member may need some time to
consider your offer but that you would appreciate a short reply so that you
know your message has been received.
(6) If your message isn't returned to you it more than likely means it was
delivered. Don't re-send the same message several times 'just in case' as a
mailbox full of duplicate messages isn't going to impress!
(7) If you haven't had a reply within a couple of weeks, send a brief
reminder (or a quick phone call would be in order if time is short to make
your arrangements). In the meantime keep checking for other possible
exchanges - it can sometimes take awhile to find the right exchange partner
where dates and desired destination work for both parties. Don't ignore
those members who don't have email addresses or you may be missing lots of
very attractive exchange possibilities.
(8) And of course, reply promptly to any exchange offers you receive too! Be
as flexible about dates and destinations as you can be and be prepared to
compromise a little to ensure an exchange will work for both sides.

5. Recommended Websites

    (a) Focus on Seniors and Singles

Single Again Online
http://www.singleagain.co.uk

Single Again Online is a one-stop website for anyone who is on their own. It
provides information, news and advice  for singles of all ages and
backgrounds, from all corners of the UK. One of the most frequently visited
areas is the Travel Centre, which provides advice and tips for single
travellers, a directory of useful travel companies, travel and holiday
ideas, and details of the latest special offers.

Seniority.co.uk
http://www.seniority.co.uk

Seniority.co.uk is the leading interactive community for people aged fifty
and over. The main difference of the site is that our regular visitors send
in 90% of the content. Visitors can then get involved by using a link to the
forum to discuss that article or any other topic they fancy. Looking for
something fun to do in the cold winter months?

Join the rest of the Community http://www.Seniority.co.uk   Your scene. Your
site. Your say.

Note: check out the fun Prize competition on the site - you may win Amazon
vouchers worth £25!

http://www.seniority.co.uk/ma_main.shtml

    (b) Bed & Breakfast in the UK

B&B NET
http://www.uk-expo.com/

Looking for a B&B or independent hotel in the UK ? Check out B&B NET -
www.uk-expo.com/ - Via our website which has been running for six years you can take an 'in depth look' at the descriptions and photos of B& B homes and small hotels in London and across the UK which are personally inspected by our responsible team for your peace of mind. We mainly list gracious private B&B homes but we also have some 'budget' London accommodation within our site too. We offer a full on-line booking service and many other B&B travel related services such as airport transfers, hire cars and tours. We are happy to answer any UK travel related question that we can and above all we adda very personal touch to all enquiries. Being only a small business we care about the way you spend your precious holiday time!

   (c) Travel and Shopping in Europe

Wine Road Collectibles
http://www.munnwerks.com

Wine Road Collectibles, a comprehensive site for those who love Europe!
Check out the various links on this German based site for the Polish Pottery
Shop, European Bazaar and the new Antiques and Collectibles Store. Look for
the Eurotravel Links page and subscribe to our free EuropaBARGAINS Travel
and Shopping Ezine!

6. Travel Guides & Maps - Discounts on DeLorme USA Road Atlases

All DeLorme USA road atlases are on special offer at £11.50 each during
November and December (no postage or packing charge):

http://www.homebase-hols.com/books.shtml

7. eDreams - Travel Advice from Online Travel Experts
http://www.edreams.com

Over 400 guides are available to answer your questions on travel topics by
activity or destination. Fancy yourself an expert on a travel subject and
want to be considered as a DreamGuide? Check out for information on the
site. There isn't currently a home exchange expert  - why not have a go?

8.  Home Swappers Archives

If you miss any issues of Home Swappers you can read back editions on the
website:

http://www.homebase-hols.com/news.shtml

9. Newsletter Contributions

If you have had a home exchange holiday we would be pleased to receive your
contributions for the Newsletter - short articles about your exchange
experiences and tips for those new to the idea of swapping homes. Members'
articles include HE reference numbers to give added publicity for their
exchange offers. We also welcome questions from all considering home
exchange for the first time. Information on travel related websites or other
travel bargains which could be of interest to readers of Home Swappers are
also appreciated.

Happy Home Swapping!

Lois Sealey

mailto:homeexchange@btinternet.com

10. Subscription Information

We are very happy for you to forward Home Swappers to friends and colleagues
who may be interested in home exchange but the newsletter must be sent in
full. All Home Swappers content is copyright and cannot be used in any form
without written permission from Home Base Holidays.

To subscribe, send us a message with your name and e-mail address and 'Add
to mailing list' in the subject line.

To unsubscribe, send a message with your name and e-mail address and 'Remove from mailing list' in the subject line.

mailto:homeexchange@btinternet.com

Copyright © 2000 Home Base Holidays

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HOME BASE HOLIDAYS, 7 Park Ave, London N13 5PG, England
tel: +44(0)20 8886 8752  fax: +44(0)20 8245 9532
mailto:homeexchange@btinternet.com
http://www.homebase-hols.com
1985-2000: 15th year providing a home exchange holiday service worldwide

Any questions on home exchange? Contact us - we will be pleased to help.

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