Vacation Home Exchange
60Should You Enter Into A Vacation Home Exchange?
With all of the different methods of traveling these days, it is no surprise that more and more people are wanting to get away from hotels and tourist locations in exchange for living like the locals. Putting your home into a vacation home exchange can open up a world of possibilities to you, if you are prepared.
Depending on what you want to get out of your travel plans, you may be better suited listing the home in an exchange rather than handing over large amounts of money for hotel and food costs during your trip.
In a vacation home exchange, no money changes hands, except for becoming a member of an exchange site and these charges do vary, depending on if the company is worldwide, offering international home exchanges or perhaps just offers home exchanges in the USA or Spain for example.
Recommended Vacation Home Exchange Companies
- HomeExchange.com
The premier international home exchange and home swap service - HomeForExchange.com
Affected by the financial crisis? Cut your holiday expenses by 50% or more and exchange your home like thousands have done before you. - 3rd Home
Luxury home exchanges
This simply means that you can keep your budget under control much easier when you use an exchange program. You will find people who are interested in traveling to the area where your home is located, who may also have a house available in an area where you want to visit. An even trade for a set period of time means that you do not have to worry about the increased costs for lodging.
When you use an exchange to travel you are also able to live like the locals much easier than if you were staying in a hotel. The homes that you will look at are going to be furnished by people who live in the area, which helps to make you feel at home.
Being in a hotel you may be stuck in a tourist area that does not provide the authentic feel that borrowing a fully furnished house does. You also do not have to be confined to tourist areas.
Many people want to get away from the tourist lifestyle and would much rather stay in a home located away from the central activity than to stay in a hotel located in the middle of the action.
When it comes to making the decision on whether or not you want to enter your home into the exchange, you are going to have to think about what you want from your vacation.
If you are wanting to save money while traveling, and feel like you are a local, you will definitely want to consider the benefits of a vacation home exchange. However, if you would prefer not to cook and clean while you are on vacation, or would rather not have strangers entering into your home while you are out of the country, you may be better suited to conventional hotel travel.
Some people are just not comfortable with having strange vacationers in their homes, while others will simply not want to cook and clean while they are on vacation. If you fall into either of these groups, you could benefit from staying at a hotel where you are taken care of.
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thanks Mark, another good-n'...
I actually stayed at a private home that was managed by a hotel in the area. Here's how it works: You are willing to rent out your home, or vacation home, for part of the year, but don't want the responsibility of clean-up after. You contract with a resort in your area, or even a cleaning company in your area. They meet the vacationer with the keys, and sort of walk them through, showing thermostat, local phone numbers etc. They also leave their card in case guests need anything. In the end, guests return the keys to them, and they make sure the place is properly cleaned up before seeing that the deposit is returned. Of course it isn't the same as the exchange, but the guests get the home without the risk going to the homeowner.
My son was three and still remembers that house. He used to call it "our other house" and ask when we were going back. The owners had raised their family there, and were retired. They rented out their home while visiting kids and grandkids.
That sounds interesting. I think it varies from company to company how it actually works though.
Very useful info - I wish I had signed up before our trip in a couple of weeks. Every bit of extra cash helps even if you have to give up some of your privacy and domain.
The only things that have kept me from doing this is that people can be nasty and of course making sure all of our valuables are neatly tucked away! Great idea though.
Not a problem if you have a holiday home though. Wesbites like http://www.exchangeholidayhomes.com speciaslise in holiday home owners only and they dont charge for membership. It's a credit based system so you dont need to do a direct swap so nothing could be easier!
msorensson Level 3 Commenter 2 years ago
It is a good idea. I don't know that I would do it but it is a good idea...