Has anyone done a holiday house swap?

[tahe49]

I just wondered if anyone has done one of these house swap thingies (like in the slushy movie - The Holiday).

They look a fab idea if you want to come back to the UK for a holiday!

[eddie&tina]

We haven't personally but our friends who came home this xmas did. They did this on the net, went over for a month, and fell in love with australia.
They made friends as well with the family which was an added bonus and definitely recommended going along this path, it obviously saved them the expense of hotels/accommodation etc.
I think if we'd have known about this then we would probably gone down that route.
eddie,tina

[ugodwin]

Home Exchange offers an enriching vacation alternative for the traveler seeking a unique traveling experience far off the beaten path. At the same time, it allows for great savings on the travel budget.

It is not uncommon that swappers become friends in the process (like in the case of your friend). My best home exchange experiences were the ones where I had a chance to meet my exchange partners in person. This is sometimes difficult to arrange with a simultaneous exchange, but definitely worth the effort.

I recommend Home Exchange to anybody with an open spirit and a flexible mind. It is a real adventure that brings a completely new dimension to vacationing. It is great with kids!
Last summer my family and I exchanged our home for a restored medieval Tuscan tower. A trip we will remember a lifetime.

I recently started my own Home Exchange Club - JewettStreet.com. I would like to invite you to visit our growing Home Exchange community. Maybe you like to give Home Exchange a try! Membership with JewettStreet is presently free, no strings attached.
JewettStreet has received excellent reviews from the unaffiliated Home Exchange Information site Know Your Trade. KYT rates all 60+ home exchange clubs worldwide. It is an excellent source to learn more about home exchange.
Ursula

[ugodwin]

Home Exchange offers an enriching vacation alternative for the traveler seeking a unique traveling experience far off the beaten path. At the same time, it allows for great savings on the travel budget.

It is not uncommon that swappers become friends in the process (like in the case of your friend). My best home exchange experiences were the ones where I had a chance to meet my exchange partners in person. This is sometimes difficult to arrange with a simultaneous exchange, but definitely worth the effort.

I recommend Home Exchange to anybody with an open spirit and a flexible mind. It is a real adventure that brings a completely new dimension to vacationing. It is great with kids!
Last summer my family and I exchanged our home for a restored medieval Tuscan tower. A trip we will remember a lifetime.

I recently started my own Home Exchange Club - JewettStreet.com. I would like to invite you to visit our growing Home Exchange community. Maybe you like to give Home Exchange a try! Membership with JewettStreet is presently free, no strings attached.
JewettStreet has received excellent reviews from the unaffiliated Home Exchange Information site Know Your Trade. KYT rates all 60+ home exchange clubs worldwide. It is an excellent source to learn more about home exchange.
Ursula

[tahe49]

thats great - thanks for the links. I think I will definately look into it when I get to Oz. A christmas ones sounds perfect.

[hays]

Website looks great, i've always thought it was a good idea. My only problem is i have pets, everything is moveable other than the cats.
would i have to put them in a cattery??

[tahe49]

I have looked at some other sites and they do say that some families swap with people that have pets so there is no need to move them?????

[hays]

ummm, thats the bit im sure about!! strangers looking after my babies? how do you know they are cat lovers/likers, im just not sure about it! i think i'll have to re think the idea until they pop their clogs!

[ugodwin]

hays, many home exchange sites offer the possibility for members to add their "lifestyle preferences" in their member profile. Or with other words, you can search for other members with the same requirements as yours. At , JewettStreet.com for instance, you can do a search for other members with pets.
Also, in the preparing stage of a planed home exchange, home exchange partners usually come to an agreement how to handle the pet situation.
You and your home exchange partner decide together what works best in your particular situation.

[Curlysoo]

Just been thinking about this! It would be a great way to see different parts of Oz as well! ... We have a four bedroom single storey house in Sydney, might look into this in a great deal more detail once we move out there in August!