Trading Places:
The House Swapping Adventures

“It’s a safe way to travel... you really see what the country is like and you meet people.”

By Catherine Daley

Bonnie and Bruce LaRue were excited when they spotted a koala bear in the backyard of their borrowed home in Adelaide, Australia. “He was perched high up in a eucalyptus tree,” Bonnie reported on her return to their Toronto home. “Koalas are really adorable. He could have been a stuffed version, the way he was perched so nonchalantly in the fork of the tree – just hanging out.”

“It’s a rare experience, even for an Australian,” says David Bamford, who exchanged houses with the LaRues for three weeks last year. David and his wife, Susan King, were staying in the LaRue’s home in Toronto as part of a house exchange program.

David and Susan had their own rare experience. Never having witnessed the fluffy white stuff we Canadians so fondly call snow, they carefully planned their side trips to Niagara Falls and Montreal to avoid driving in it. Temperatures dipped to -15¾C during their November/ December stay, and David found the experience “invigorating,” to say the least. “It certainly gives you a different perspective on life in another country,” he says. “We received an e-mail from Bonnie and Bruce telling us that temperatures in Australia were around 38 degrees.”

Bonnie, Bruce, David and Susan are part of a growing trend – travellers who want to get a close-up look and be immersed in the culture of another country. Both couples were registered with HomeLink International, which charges $165 a year for a printed directory and access to their Web site listings, or $120 for Web access only.

David approached the LaRues in the fall of 2001 and requested a possible exchange in November of 2002. David, a lawyer and academic, was scheduled to attend conferences and do research at Osgoode Hall during this time period. For the LaRues, the idea of trading the dull month of November for spring in Australia seemed ideal. And, as a bonus, this exchange offered not only a home near Adelaide but the use of a primitive ‘batch’ (cabin or cottage) in the outback. “We can sit on the porch at night and watch the kangaroos come down,” said Bonnie. David and Susan wanted a home environment during their visit to Canada, and the LaRues’ suburban Toronto house seemed perfect.

Initially, Bonnie and Bruce hesitated, but then asked themselves what was stopping them? Bonnie is a retired schoolteacher, Bruce continues to work as a consultant, and both their daughters are away at university. “There was nothing to stop us,” said Bruce.

Participating in a house exchange wasn’t a new experience for the LaRues. They first did it 10 years ago when their daughters were in their early teens, and since then, they have participated in five exchanges in England, Germany, Washington, D.C., and twice in Scotland.

Home exchanges are ideal for singles and couples of retirement age whose travel times are not limited to school holidays and who have a great deal of flexibility throughout the year. According to the LaRues, there’s no better way to savor the flavor of another culture than to swap homes, vehicles and, more often than not, acquaintances – not to mention the savings on hotels and car rentals. As Canadians, we possess one of the most popular destinations worldwide. Europeans are clamoring to visit Canada, so the world is our oyster.

Any seasoned exchanger will tell you not to expect an equal trade of premises. You may be exchanging a cabin for a castle, or a two-storey home in a rural town for a flat in downtown Paris. It’s all part of the adventure. “Location is everything – who cares what it looks like,” says Bruce. “It’s where you want to be.”

Connie and Charles Smith of Toronto agree. “You have to be adventurous.” The Smiths recently sold their home in the Kingsway area of Toronto. Now in their 80s, their travelling days may have dwindled, but the memories of their amazing exchange experiences haven’t faded. “It’s a safe way to travel,” says Charles. “You really see what the country is like and you meet people.” Connie adds, “A house exchange gives you the opportunity to extend your stay and really look around.” The Smiths have organized exchanges in Australia, New Zealand, England, the Netherlands, Scotland, Austria and British Columbia.

Barbara Tallis, a single mother, only wishes she had been aware of this option when her son was younger. “I hate having to eat breakfast out every day; I like being in a home. And I wouldn’t be able to afford to stay the amount of time I want if I wasn’t (in a home exchange).” In the past, she has shared her home exchange vacations with friends, and just recently returned from her first ‘solo’ exchange to Vancouver. There, she spent two weeks in a luxury townhouse with a view of the ocean. Australia, New Zealand and rural France are on her wish list for future exchanges, but Barbara is open to all offers.

The overriding concern for many people who exchange homes is the care of their property. But there’s no need to worry. As an example, after her return from Vancouver, Barbara cancelled her cleaning person, scheduled for the next day, because her home was cleaner than she left it. This experience is common. A respect for each other’s homes develops over months of planning. If anything gets broken, the item is usually replaced or allowances are made to restore it. The LaRues’ old tea kettle finally bit the dust while they were gone, and they came home to a shiny new one.

Ed and Catharine Daigle of Port Perry, Ont., found their exchange experience trouble-free – for the most part. As their holiday just outside Paris came to a close, the Daigles accidentally put diesel fuel in their host’s car. “It was the most expensive part of the trip,” laughs Ed, “but the car was in excellent condition when we left.”

Minor mishaps are part of everyday life and part of the overall exchange experience. Everyone has a story, but each incident is easily resolved with the help of neighbors and friends – just like at home. There’s nothing like having a contact person to assist with directions, operating instructions or, in more extreme situations, as an interpreter if visiting a doctor who doesn’t speak your language. “The LaRues’ friends and neighbors have been very hospitable,” says David. “I think this is one of the most positive aspects of a house exchange – the nice people you meet along the way.”

The process of finding a suitable match and then preparing for a house exchange can be equally intriguing. If nothing else, long-delayed projects get a kick-start in preparation for the arrival of your exchange partners. Suddenly, the leaky tap gets a new washer, the broken step gets fixed and the spring cleaning that was put off for the last two years gets underway. You start to look at your own environment through a stranger’s eyes and make small adjustments to accommodate them.

For some, more extensive renovations are initiated, or a dreary room gets a new paint color. While none of this is absolutely necessary, it is important to leave your home in good repair, with all appliances in working order. Precious items can be put away but, for the most part, people have respect for their temporary homes. “We’re on holiday,” said Bruce. “We’re not going to be using the good china, nor do we want to.”

It is important to clear off the surfaces of some dressers, empty a few drawers and make space in each closet for your guests’ clothing. And, of course, linens have to be fresh and the obvious necessities made available. “I like the convenience of putting my clothes in a cupboard,” said Charles. “And if I have to go anywhere, I just hop in the car.”

A comprehensive list regarding your home, including local amenities, is recommended. This should include simple things like garbage day, how to work the washer and dryer (which can be quite unusual in other countries), and where the electrical panel is located.

On her recent home exchange in Vancouver, Barbara Tallis was presented with a ‘Welcome to our Home’ book. In it she found directions to her hosts’ favorite destinations, transportation information and a list of the best restaurants in the area, broken down by price range. Barbara also benefited from a detailed list of how the kitchen was organized, right down to the location of the cutlery.

Each experience will be entirely different, and it’s important not to expect everyone to provide the same things. It’s advisable to leave a prepared meal for when your exchange partners arrive. When you’re tired and hungry from a long trip and haven’t had the opportunity to get your bearings yet, this is a down-home welcome like no other.

A list of contacts quickly becomes one of the most treasured pieces of information. Whether it’s a neighbor, friend, family member or all of the above, everyone involved benefits from this neighborly approach.

When the LaRues visited Germany, they exchanged homes with a Lutheran minister, his wife and three children. The house was located on the grounds of a large hospital for mentally and physically challenged adults. Their contact was a former Catholic priest and his wife who lived in the local village. Upon their arrival, the couple invited the LaRues for dinner, later joined them on a trip to Amsterdam and regaled them with many wonderful stories.

The Daigles, who were interested in an exchange in the Paris area, turned down five or six offers, for various reasons, and sent out umpteen letters to prospective travellers without much success. “Then, out of the blue, Helene Mouton phoned,” said Ed. “They were looking for a property close to, but not in, Toronto, and they had friends in Montreal, New York and Washington.” The Daigles and Moutons shared numerous letters and discovered each other’s interests. “We felt we were already living there before we even arrived,” says Catherine.

And the adventure doesn’t end there. Many exchange partners maintain contact long after the holiday is over. Christmas cards, photos and e-mails are shared and visits arranged, often with acquaintances made while on holiday in the host country.

Home exchange companies offer many possibilities. Barbara Tallis was asked to host a couple for two weeks at her home in Toronto’s Beaches neighborhood. She was more than happy to prepare meals and provide a room. In exchange, she was offered four weeks at a holiday unit in Spain. Her son used two weeks for his honeymoon, and she still has two weeks left. “Now that I’m retired, I don’t have to travel in prime time,” Barbara says.

One family approached the LaRues and asked whether their daughter could spend a month with them while she settled into a new job in Canada. In exchange, they were offered free accommodation at a family-owned resort.

Exchanges aren’t limited to exotic destinations in foreign countries. There are also wonderful opportunities for those looking to travel throughout Canada and the United States. The LaRues have already set up an exchange in Halifax to spend time with their daughters in the spring, and are looking for a home base in Vancouver this summer while touring around and visiting friends.

Home exchange etiquette suggests that promises are kept once arrangements have been made and that cancellation is only acceptable in the case of an emergency. Charles and Connie Smith were scheduled to leave for Austria when the son of their exchange partners fell ill. The family went to stay with relatives and the Smiths proceeded as planned. The following year, the Smiths stayed at their cottage once the Austrian family was able to visit Canada. “There’s always a way to work things out,” says Bruce LaRue.

A representative for a popular home exchange company suggests there’s a stronger interest in vacations with a learning/cultural/educational component, as opposed to the ‘fly and fry’ holidays. Baby boomers have been the driving force behind this phenomenon, having promised themselves travel opportunities once they’re retired. This all indicates a trend towards travellers who want more meaning and comfort from their holidays. And there’s no better way to get this than with a house exchange holiday.