With 5 seasons under our belt now, I'm quite confidant to recommend this type of travel. It is a safe and inexpensive way to explore countries you always wanted to go. Planning it well, however, and in advance is necessary when you aim for 2 or more exchanges.
Let me sum up what seems to be vital:
- Choose a reliable, well established home swapping agency online. You can compare prices and what they offer- also what type of clientele they have. Send me a message and I will reveal who we have been booking with. (I just don't want to promote that company here for all to see as they refused to promote my blog. I think that is a fair quid pro quo..?)
- Prepare you online profile well in advance. The pictures of your house are the most important ingredient. If they allow you to put up 20 pics, do so. I hate to look at possible homes who only reveal glimpses into a couple of rooms. Those who have no photos up don't seem to be too engaged and serious about it.
- Our online agency shows the response rate of individual members. I never bother to send an inquiry to those whose response rate is low. Who would you rather expect an answer from? The ones who reply 98% of the time or those who only bother 14% for whatever reason. Maybe they are highly eligible properties in supreme locations where everybody would like to vacation and they are inundated by offers. Even then they could apply the short cut answer: NO THANK YOU.
-You will also see the professions of your potential exchange partners on this online site. I like to take that as an indicator of what to expect. A lot of members have their own webpage now where they provide even more information about their properties and suggest sights in their surrounding areas.
- There are agencies for seniors only. This means you're only dealing with couples, not families with children. Maybe that will take some of your trepidation about the safety of your home. At the same time, they are likely to have smaller homes. Like we have now with the result that we are of no interest to some families with three or more children any longer. Last year we still could accommodate them.This year we had to send our regrets. You will also find that seniors are interested in longer stays because they don't have to go back to work or school anymore.
- Start your search early! Germans for example will start planning as soon the new travel brochures are out and as soon as they know when their children will be on holidays. That varies each year from state to state within Germany. French families are likely to search an exchange in August as their offspring is off then. October-November seems to be a good time frame for your inquiries. Closer to Xmas people are busy with the holidays. Again in January, I find members are susceptible to offers. Especially us inquiring from Florida when our European counterparts are still in the throes of Jack Frost!
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