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When you go into a home exchange, your thoughts are usually focused on the excitement of living in a new place for a while. At the same time, there is always some level of concern about other people living in your home, particularly if the people you’re exchanging with have children. When doing a home [...]
The question I am repeatedly asked is, “Why should I not be worried about having a stranger in my house?”
My immediate response is always the same, “Why should your potential exchange partners not be worried about having you in THEIR house?”
Be rational and pause for a moment to think: Why should you assume your [...]
Since the release of that silly movie “The Holiday”, too many people have labored under the misconception that arranging a home exchange is easy—a piece of cake!
This simply isn’t true. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not putting home exchanging down—just being realistic!
Unless you happen to live in a home that is perfect in every way, [...]
Usually I try to keep abreast of the multitude of things being written on the web on the subject of home exchanging. On an average day I will find several new postings and if appropriate I like to spend a few minutes responding.
Recently I’ve become more than a little concerned by the number of of [...]
I was somewhat disappointed to read a post this morning on another home exchange blog referencing an email the author had received from a New York home exchanger requesting information about putting together a ‘Home Exchange Contract’— or as we call it—’Agreement’.
ExchangeHomes.com for twenty years admitted to me that she has never utilized an Agreement [...]
Part Seven of the Series
This post will conclude my series of posts walking you through the entire process of selecting your home exchange club, setting up your listing, making contacts and, most important, finalizing the home exchange arrangements.
Finalizing your arrangements can be critically important and unfortunately it’s one aspect of home swapping that some members [...]
Okay, so you’ve joined the [tag-tec]home exchange club[/tag-tec] of your choice—hopefully ExchangeHomes.com—and set up your listing, including adding some illustrative photographs. Now it’s time to begin contacting fellow members. Don’t make the serious mistake of adding a listing (no matter how great you think it may be), and then sit back and assume that your [...]
Part Five of the Series
To help our Home Exchange members, I asked a photographer friend for a few basic tips for amateurs hoping to produce some attractive, illustrative pictures to include in their home exchange listings. His words of wisdom follow …..
Use Digital Cameras Only With Still Shots
Most home-use digital cameras have a one- or [...]
Part Four of the Series
It’s worth remembering that there are several ways you can “dress up” your basic [tag-tec]home exchange listing[/tag-tec]. Here are some suggestions:
Set up your own personal web site dedicated to [tag-tec]home exchanging[/tag-tec]. Have sections devoted to your family, your home, pets, neighborhood and more general location. Describe any previous [tag-tec]home exchanges[/tag-tec] you [...]
Part Thee of a Series.
The way in which you set up your online listing for the world to see is often pivotal to your home exchange success. You need to clearly describe your home and the amenities it has to offer, then you need to introduce your family, your children, teens and give their ages. [...]
This is part two of a series I’ve been asked to write covering successful home exchange procedures.
In my last post I began working on the process of selecting the home exchange club you decide to sign up with. Here are a few more thoughts about that same subject:
A Genuine Home Exchange Businesses should be [...]
This is part one of a much requested series I’ve been asked to write covering successful home exchange procedures.
The first thing you will need to do is select a club. It’s very inadvisable to even think about cutting out this comparatively small expenditure and go it alone with classified advertisements or an ad on Craigslist, [...]