Home swapping for vacations
By Melissa Wirkus
The real estate and housing markets are constantly
changing and evolving, bringing new ideas and trends
to the forefront.
And one of the most recent trends in real estate involves
trading homes with another
family or homeowner for vacation. The trick is that
you let someone stay in your home for a vacation while
you travel to that person’s home for your vacation.
It is basically a win-win situation that can save a
tremendous amount of money by not staying in a hotel
or other form of lodging.
A recent article from Bankrate.com by Shelly K. Schwartz,
“Traveling
on a budget? Try swapping homes,” discusses the
details associated with this practice that is growing
in popularity.
“Home swapping, a concept that originated in Europe,
is catching on fast in the United States as the Internet
makes it easier to find other families across the globe
that are looking to trade houses for a short vacation.
Such arrangements, of course, eliminate the biggest
portion of your travel budget -- accommodations -- making
virtually any destination affordable. On an average
trip abroad, says Pauline Frommer, author of the ‘Pauline
Frommer's’ travel guide series, home exchanges
can save travelers several thousand dollars.”
To participate in a home swapping vacation and to meet
other people who are interested, you need to become
a member of one of the many growing sites who specialize
in matching different homeowners
up so they can plan their swap.
“For a nominal fee of around $50 a year, Internet
swapping clubs, including HomeExchange.com, Intervac
and 4homex.com, enable homeowners to list their property
with pictures and detailed information about the amenities,
neighborhood and location. Some, such as The Vacation
Exchange Network, specialize in second homes or vacation
properties -- which can eliminate the need to do a direct
swap with another family at the same time.”
As you can see the options for these types of programs
are very broad, and once two homeowners are matched
up, they can negotiate other arrangements that are unique
to the particular trip they are planning.
Many people enjoy home swapping over a commercial hotel
because they can do things like the locals do.
“Beyond the cost savings, those who participate
in home swapping say the biggest benefit is the opportunity
to live like a local, practice forgotten language skills
and immerse themselves in another culture.”
But many people who are thinking of participating in
a home swapping program are concerned about the safety
of their home and other valuable possessions.
“Prudent homeowners should take steps to safeguard
their personal property before making an exchange. That
means taking personal identification information, important
financial
paperwork and valuables, such as art or jewelry, out
of the house while you are away or putting them in a
locked safe.”
For the most part, home swapping is very safe way to
travel since you normally get to know the family through
phone calls, emails and pictures, before the swap even
takes place.
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