 
Ideally, travelling should be an exercise in fun,
relaxation and new experiences. But all too often, the
cost of travelling gets in the way of having a good
time.
For years, smart vacationers have been taking
advantage of a unique way to see the world — at
significantly lower costs.
Exchanging involves swapping your home with someone
else’s in another part of the world for an agreed upon
period of time. It’s free accommodation for both
parties, with each side still getting to enjoy the
comforts of home.
Established in 1953, HomeLink has been helping
people facilitate home exchanges for half a century.
Its international directory, also available online,
contains more than 11,000 listings of homes in more
than 50 countries.
Vacation
value
HomeLink president Jack Graber says the concept
works because of the appeal of huge savings.
“The first appeal is economy,” Graber says.
“People discover they’re saving much more than they
realized. They can save six to 10 times the cost of
taking a family vacation.”
Cultural
coaching
In addition, there is the benefit of
getting an insider’s experience of the country you’re
visiting.
“When you’re in another home, you are experiencing
the true culture,” he says. “I’m not knocking hotels,
but we’re talking about exchange, and you really are
immersed.”
He adds that the fear of allowing strangers to stay
in one’s home disappears with the prospect of a mutual
exchange.
“We attract the kind of people who have decent
places, and are confident that someone else will enjoy
being there,” Graber says.
To join HomeLink, members pay rates ranging
from $100 Cdn for a Web-only membership, to $145 for
a regular membership that includes access to directories,
with extra fees for posting pictures, cancellation insurance,
etc. Membership is open to virtually everyone, including
couples, families, singles and retirees.
Keys to a successful home
exchange:
1. Consider your vacation
preferences, and what times of year you’d like to
travel.
2. Submit your listing to a home-exchange
organization, indicating the number of people living in
your home, your location, and a list of destinations
that appeal to you. Adding a photo of your home will
increase your chances of getting an exchange.
3. Identify offers that appeal to you, and
initiate contact to arrange exchange details that work
for both parties.
4. Once both parties have agreed on the terms
of an exchange, send each other written confirmation and
signed agreements.
5. Create a guide to your home and
surroundings, indicating house-care instructions (i.e.
pet care, plant care, pool maintenance), along with
information about local tourist attractions. Include
contacts to good friends, a doctor and a dentist in case
assistance is needed.
6. Leave your house clean and in good
condition. You may even want to leave the makings for a
first meal.
“When a person joins, often they have some idea of
where they want to go, but just as often they end up
exchanging in a place they haven’t listed,” says Graber,
who has successfully had half a dozen exchanges. “You
have to be adventuresome.”
Photos at top: Homes available
for Canadian exchanges in France (left) and England
(right).
Photos courtesy of HomeLink
MochaSofa,
April 2002 |
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