If you have been to Laugh Quotes anytime in 2012 then you probably know that we spent the better part of the year traveling around the world. We stayed in a variety of accommodations including hotels, hostels, apartments, tents, casbahs, riads, cruise ship cabins, friend’s homes but we love home exchange. (OK, if I were being really honest, my favorite was probably the 5 star resort or the cruise ship, but this post is about a home exchange and the membership to home exchange giveaway).
Home Exchange is simply making a deal with another person or family to trade homes for an agreed upon period of time. We know people who do it for a weekend, but we prefer longer exchanges and have so far done a 9 week, a 5 week and a 2 week exchange. For two of the three we swapped cars as well. We do “meet” our partners on-line, and by the time we agree to swap we usually feel like we know them fairly well.
Here is one of our Home Exchange streets:
We love Home Exchange for so many reasons.
- It makes travel so much more affordable as no money changes hands for accommodations.
- Lot’s of space – we were staying in a home, rather than a hotel room.
- Everything we needed was in the house, including a kitchen and laundry facilities.
- Getting local rather than being in a tourist location really changes the perspective on travel.
- Living in the community also reduces food costs as the extras are in the house and we shop local rather than tourist.
- Introduction to neighbors.
- Our exchange partners were available via email to answer questions, plus they left us ideas on things to do.
Home Exchange has offered this three month membership to me as a gift to share with a friend and has approved its use in this home exchange giveaway. If you win, your gift card will come from me via email and you will need to activate it by Jan. 31.
Since nothing is perfect, here are our best tips for a successful home exchange:
- If you are exchanging cars, be sure to include in the discussions who is responsible for normal wear and tear – so if a part wears out whilst you are in the exchange who will pay for that piece. We used the sample letters and agreements supplied by home-exchange.com but they didn’t include this contingency.
- Look closely at the photos of the exchange partners house and assume that this is as good as it gets for these people. So, if the place is a bit untidy in the photos, they are probably not people who keep things in perfect order -which may or may be what you want, depending on who you are.
- Cultural differences are huge, so don’t assume what seems obvious to you – one of our home exchange partners didn’t have an oven.
- Ask for a map highlighting the house and any major locations you are interested in – “walking distance” had very differnt meaning to different people.
Click here to enter to win a 3-month membership to Home Exchange.com.
Join the Home Exchange Giveaway now!
Related Links:
- Where in the World – A Geography Game
- Home Exchange is Awesome!
- Sample letters and agreements from home-exchange
- I Want to Ride a Camel Across the Desert and Sleep in a Bedouin Tent
- Fiji Pictures - Share My Vacation Fun!
- I Want to Visit Petra – Pictures Just Don’t Do It Justice
Travel with us as we laugh our way around the globe. I am Rhonda Albom, wife, mom, photographer and blogger, sharing the lighter side of our traveling family's life with two teens. 
I’ll take the hotel room and my home is locked up with the alarm on. This is just not for me. Not one bit, but I’m so happy it works for you.
Have a terrific day.
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LOL – If it’s the five star hotel resort I am right there with you. However, if it is longer term, and you want to save the budget, and you are not bothered by other people living in your house, then home exchange is a great way to go. So, I am guessing you didn’t enter to win a free membership
Hi Rhonda! I agree with you that home swapping is a smart way of travelling. A lot of people are now interested with this concept because it makes us save during travels big time. We also run an online community of home swappers and we noticed a significant increase in traffic. Our seasoned members say it’s a great way of gaining friends too. Please include us in tour list. We are http://swapyourhome.net.