This is the time in the western world when we think about Christmas, Hanukkah, and New Year. It’s a time to be with family and to reach out to old friends. Today we received Christmas Greetings from two families in England, both of which we met through home exchange, one in 2001, the other 2004. We stay in touch with most former swap partners; five of these families have seen us in California subsequent to our trade. We have visited six families in Europe from previous home exchange vacations. Roger and Liz have hosted us twice in Wales and given us lunch at their second home in France. We were pleased that they stayed with us a few days in May this year.

The weeks immediately before Christmas are not the time to be looking for a summer house swap. The week between Christmas and New Year is ideal for sending and receiving home exchange inquiries for the summer to come as is January.

We have booked back to back 3 week home exchange vacations for July to mid-August 2012. I will be talking more about that later. Didier and I wish you happy holidays and a prosperous New Year!

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I recently received an e-mail from a guy hoping to trade his home for a year in a Spanish speaking country. He wanted his kids to experience another culture and improve their Spanish language skills. Other reasons for a long term swap might be a sabbatical or to check out a country as a possible retirement location.

Many home exchange agencies allow you to indicate you are open for a long term exchange. That can be a minimum of six weeks to six months, depending on the agency. For example, you can search for long term exchange by checking off a box at HomeExchange.com, Homelink, HomeForExchange.com, www.Intervac.com, Geenee.com, or Homebase Holidays. If you are lucky you might find someone to trade for a year. Alternatively you could consider a shorter duration if that’s all that was available. You might be able to work with more than one family in your country of interest. For back to back swaps to work you would need a reliable person to make sure your house was in good shape after each exchange.

HomeforHome.com is an agency based in Spain; they have over 8,000 members there. Unfortunately they don’t allow you to search for a long term exchange as such. 1st Home Exchange doesn’t have a long term exchange search either. They do allow you to indicate a minimum number of days for an exchange; this might allow members to find those interested in long exchanges.

A long term exchange is much different than a vacation swap. You will need to make special arrangements for insurance, paying bills, and dealing with problems that will appear over the course of months instead of days. A health emergency, either with the exchange family or one of their relatives could demand a return home; you need to have an agreed plan for this and other contingencies.

The Spanish speaking country with the most home exchange activity is Spain, though there are many listings in Latin America. HomeExchange.com has 488 members in Spain interested in long term home exchange, HomeforExchange.com has 180, Homelink has 85, so trading for a home for a Spanish speaking country should be possible.

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Our family had a busy May getting ready for our summer home exchange. I focused on the garden, pulling weeds, planting tomatoes, and fiddling with the automatic irrigation system. The garage was cleaned and organized for the first time in years. Julia endured a vacuum and mopping marathon. Our home had deferred maintenance issues. The dishwasher didn’t work as well as it should and certain rooms hadn’t been painted in over 20 years. We hired a professional to fix the dishwasher, Julia’s brother Alastair moved in for a week and took care of the painting and other problems. The photo shows freshly painted columns on the rear of our home.
A benefit of house swapping is having an incentive and deadline to get your place in tip top shape. Your exchange partners will appreciate it for a few weeks, your family has a permanently improved home.
We had agreed to an exchange with a family from Berlin, Germany. They had younger children 3 and 6 years of age. Could we find them two car seats for the kids? How about a child’s bicycle? These items were easily and affordably found at a neighborhood garage sale. Our children were much older but being packrats we had several boxes of toys in the playroom. Julia found a bag of stuffed toys in the attic.
We were still working on the home and garden the morning of our departure. Fortunately Alastair was available to take care of last minute items. Having outside help makes getting ready for an exchange easier.

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Trading a car on a home exchange can be an economical choice. If you swap vehicles you need to take appropriate precautions.

Before leaving make sure your car is in good shape. Everything should be working and the car should have been serviced as recommended by the manufacturer. There should be a comprehensive atlas or maps in the car, even if you have GPS. You should make sure the terms of use are well defined; you should have a specific agreement with the following provisions:

1 – Conditions of use

• Who will have the right to use the car and what is the age of the authorized drivers?
• Is it ok to take the car to other countries?
• Is there a limit on the mileage? Intense use of your car will wear it out faster and reduce its resale value. You could agree to a payment for each extra mile/kilometer beyond the original limit.
• Specify the type of gasoline to be used by your car.

2 – What happens if your car is in an accident?

Let your insurance agent know that your exchange partners are using your car and verify that they will be covered by your policy. Verify the insurance of the car you are using; be sure it is insured against all risks. Have copies of your partner’s driving licenses. All concerned should know who will pay what in case of an accident; it should be in the exchange contract:

• The amount of any deductibles
• Coverage limits and amounts, will there be a rental car to use while your vehicle is being repaired?
• Names and telephone numbers to call in case of accident or other problems

An agreement won’t solve all potential problems.

If your partner is caught by a red light or speed camera you might be fined and threatened with higher insurance rates or the loss of points on your license. Don’t panic; send copies of your home exchange contract and the license of the person that was driving to the authorities. You might also include copies of your airline tickets showing you were out of the country at the time.

Your home exchange agency should have a sample car exchange contract on their website.

This is part 2 of a 3 part series on trading your car

Translated and edited by John Mensinger.
To read Didier’s post in its French original

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Cap Camago Insurance is the first insurance carefully designed for the French speaking home exchanger. It is a notable advance that will contribute to the development of vacation exchange and will encourage home exchange agencies to come up with their own competitive offerings.

We have already talked about this theme in our post The Well Insured Exchanger. Home exchange agencies have experimented with solutions to the problem of exchange cancellations but these programs are rare and the coverage they provide incomplete.

Cap Camago Insurance covers last minute cancellations and the problem of the swap home being not as advertised or unavailable. Also covered is liability, damage to contents, and trip interruption. There are Euro limits for each of these categories; the limits seem reasonable.

This insurance is available to residents of the European Community, though you need to speak French if you want to read the policy and accompanying documents. An exchange contract is required and the insurance must be taken within 72 hours of signing the contract. They suggest an exchange contract; I couldn’t review it online due to a programming bug.
In general it costs 50 Euros for an exchange if you stay in Europe. An additional option (add 20 Euros) provides repatriation, overseas medical expenses, and baggage insurance. This extra doesn’t seem necessary as your credit card may already provide this coverage.

The cost rises to 80 Euros for an exchange outside of Europe, with the plus option an extra 35 Euros. This is beginning to get expensive though it is outside Europe where the coverage provides the most benefit.

Our advice: As with any insurance policy, read the coverage documents carefully. This could be a good investment if your exchange includes expensive non-refundable airline tickets but unnecessary for a week end exchange in France.

Translated and edited by John Mensinger.
To read Didier’s post in its French original

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I first visited Europe as a student. I relied on a travel guide for impoverished youth called Let’s Go. If a youth hostel, restaurant, or attraction was featured you could be sure it would be overrun with North Americans.

These days we have the Internet and can do our own research on tourism and travel. I still enjoy reading books to learn more about the country, its history, customs, culture, and life. I love the Michelin Green Guides which include general background information and specific recommendation for places to visit with beautiful and detailed maps. The Culture Shock series is produced for those thinking about living in a different country. Home exchange appeals because it is living in a different country, even if only for a short period of time.

This begins a new course at Home Exchange University. We are going to focus on practical advice for finding and enjoying a house swap in specific countries. The goal is to focus on information not available in traditional travel guides or websites. This includes:

1. Characteristics of available exchange homes and families
2. Driving, cars, bicycles, walking, and public transit.
3. Shopping and sightseeing.

We analyze statistical information freely available to all on the Internet from home exchange agencies representing over 100,000 members. Agencies have different information in their exchange databases, so the information should be considered directional not definitive. We will only discuss countries where we have traded homes.

Please feel free to give us your advice and criticize our work. Can you guess our first country?

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If you want to be relaxed on an exchange you should be well insured. It is a good time to think about your coverage.

The House

From a legal point of view home exchange is similar to an invitation from a friend, because it is not a commercial transaction. As a result, your home owners insurance should take care of any losses while you are gone such as fire, water damage, theft, etc.
In certain countries home insurance is not required. Insurance laws vary. In the European Union there is little to worry about but outside Europe things can be complicated. If you have damaged your exchange home you should use your personal liability insurance to compensate your partner. Be alert, verify before your departure the geographical coverage of your insurance and if necessary take out a policy of personal liability insurance for travel.
If it is your partner’s insurance that will take care of damage that you have caused, you will have to pay the deductible. It is recommended that you think about the possibility of insured damage and specify the deductible amounts in the exchange contract.
Your guests could hurt themselves at your home and file a claim against you if they have proof of negligence. Assure yourself that your personal liability insurance covers the occupants of your house.
Insurers generally welcome house swappers as they know that the possibility of theft is reduced. The first time you exchange you should meet with your insurance agent and verify that your coverage is adequate.

The Car

Never accept an exchange if the car of your partner (or yours) isn’t covered against all risks. The insurance must cover all drivers. If there is a requirement concerning a minimum age (generally 21 years old) you must keep it in mind. It is indispensable to indicate on the exchange contract the amount of the deductible, the maximum amount of coverage (especially for bodily injury) and the persons authorized to drive the vehicle.
Before leaving it is advisable to tell your insurance agent and send him the names of your exchange partners that will be driving. He might ask for a copy of their driver’s license or the certificate of insurance on their own vehicle.

Travel Cancellation

The cancellation of an exchange is rare though nobody is immune to health problems. Travel cancellation is often included in your travel insurance, which you may take without knowing that it may be included as a free benefit of your credit card.
Your trip cancellation insurance allows you to recover what you paid for your tickets if you or a member of your family isn’t able to travel for health reasons.
If your partner has cancelled the exchange the situation is different. In this case you have a true problem. Exchange agencies will help you by trying to find another partner in your chosen country. This is a makeshift and uncertain process.
Homelink is the only exchange agency to propose a solution to Europeans (Exchange Cancellation Insurance) that will reimburse you up to 2000 Euros for a cancellation less than 30 days before your departure. HomeExchange.com used to have an exchange cancellation insurance, this is no longer offered.
North American readers have more options; they can take an insurance policy specifically crafted for home exchangers by ChecTravel. The home exchange agency Geenee also has an insurance option for North Americans.

Translator’s Notes.

Insurance rules vary by country, as Didier recommends you should consult your insurance agent. Trip cancellation insurance for home exchange is a new innovation, many home exchange agencies have experimented with policies, please expect changes in their offerings. Homelink USA and HomeForExchange offer forms of home exchange travel cancellation insurance. If your exchange is cancelled at the last minute you should always contact your home exchange agency for help and advice. One last insurance tip: always back up your computer hard drives before leaving your home to an exchange family.
Translated by John Mensinger.

To read Didier’s post in its French original

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One of the frustrating aspects of house swapping is sending an e-mail to a potential partner and then hearing nothing. This happens for the following reasons:

• The person that received your e-mail places a low priority on replying
• They think your home is ok but isn’t as promising as other properties they are considering. In their mind they keep their options open by not sending you a response. When they finally secure that other exchange they may or may not remember to drop you a line.
• They like your home but need time to think about it and check with other family members. They could send you a note explaining this but don’t.
• They never got your e-mail as it was eaten by their spam filter or diverted into a spam folder which they didn’t bother to review.
The flip side of this problem is that you may not be receiving home exchange inquiries because they are being caught by your spam filter. There are two ways to eliminate this risk:
• Check your spam folder regularly
• Visit your home exchange agency and check their message center or archived list of inquiries

For example, HomeExchange.com has a listing of inquiries you have sent and received. You click on the inquiries tab from the “my account” section. Homelink has a message center, as does Geenee and HomeforHome among others.
The message center adds a layer of extra effort to home exchange as you have to log into the website to use it and respond to potential partners. It has also has advantages. We will use Homelink’s message center for this discussion. When you send a message to a Homelink member they get an e-mail with your message. They can respond by clicking a link on the e-mail or they can log onto the website. It is possible this message could be caught by a spam filter. At least the member will receive your note when they log onto Homelink. There is a flashing envelope sign when you have unread messages in the message center.
There are other benefits. The message center tells you if the other member has read your communication. I had contacted a lady in England who hadn’t responded. It was easy to see why—she hadn’t read my note. She eventually got around to it and sent a polite reply saying she would discuss it with her family and get back to me in a few days. The message center has a feature allowing you to send one of two pre-scripted rejections, one saying you already have an exchange, the other using many words to politely convey “thanks but no thanks.” I have increased my foreign language vocabulary by repeatedly reading this message in several European languages.

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Credit photo Photos Libres

By Didier Leclerc

The handicapped encounter great difficulties when traveling. It is difficult to find vacation accommodation that fits their needs and budget. They are confronted with obstacles such as cost, difficulty of access and unreliable information. Many vacation resorts claim they are accessible to those in a wheelchair but the reality proves otherwise.

Considering these facts home exchange between handicapped people is an excellent solution. They can travel at a lower cost. They know the swap homes are suited for them. The exchangers share information and advice that guarantee a successful vacation.

The principal home exchange agencies such as Homelink, Intervac, and HomeExchange.com have for many years facilitated exchange offers of handicapped persons. Advanced search engines make it easy to find handicapped accessible homes from the data base.

Recently specific home exchange agencies have been developed for the handicapped. They include E.L.S.A. (in French Echange de Logement et de Services Accessibles) and Handirem.

Aurélie Cevaër, a master’s degree student in tourism and leisure development has written a paper on the slowness of France as regards access for the handicapped visitor. E.L.S.A. was created due to her ideas and those of tourism professionals and handicapped citizens.

E.L.S.A. is today up and running supported by French organizations such as MATMUT, REUNICA, the region of Aquitaine, GIHP, and AFT. This project has received the Prize for Entrepreneurship in Social Economy given by Crédit Cooperatif.

With E.L.S.A. exchange listings are detailed as regards the nature of the handicap and the accessibility of the home and availability of specialized services. Members with a particular handicap can find others in the same situation. To make this easier members are required to indicate their disability. There are many categories such as physical, visual, hearing, psychological, or multiple handicaps.

Members on exchange can benefit from necessary equipment for daily life and a network of health care professionals. It is comforting and reassuring for members to know how to obtain care should it be needed.

Vacations in France or abroad can be organized in confidence. E.L.S.A. is actively developing its international network. Their website is available in English and French.

Photo by Dottie Mae.

Translator’s Notes. Two years ago I was working a home exchange booth at a Rotary Convention. A gentleman in a wheelchair rolled up and asked about exchange. I explained that he could search the database for accessible homes. He wondered if anybody wanted to trade with a guy in a wheelchair who lived in Chicago. A few hours later a lady in a wheelchair came by. She lived in the Midlands of England. I was more convincing than before, mentioning the gentleman who I had spoken with earlier. Yes, he would love to go to the Midlands. Yes, his home would be perfect for a person in a wheelchair. It is helpful that home exchange agencies indicate which places are accessible. E.L.S.A. takes this idea one important step further. Translated by John Mensinger.

To read Didier’s post in its French original

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By Didier Leclerc

Home exchangers and couch surfers can benefit from learning about the Global Greeter Network. But what is a Greeter?

A Greeter is a proud resident of his city and region who wants to share his enthusiasm with interested visitors. A Greeter will tell you about local history, take you on a guided tour, and provide advice. They will do this for free, for the pleasure of spending a few hours with you.

Each Greeter is specialized; one will show you around by bicycle while another will be a museum fanatic. They have family experts that know what attracts young children. Each Greeter is a key to a different door. There is no such thing as a standard visit.

The Global Greeter Network that was founded in 1992 in New York by Lynn Brook. She wanted the world to know New York like she knew it. Her New York is a super large small town with neighborhoods, small businesses, cozy restaurants, and friendly locals that will take time to help you.

You can find the Greeters in 50 cities around the world: Houston, New York, and Chicago in the United States; Toronto, Melbourne, Adelaide, Buenos Aires, Brighton, and Kent are other examples. You will find them in the French cities of Brest, Lyon, Marseille, Nantes, Paris, and Versailles. They also are active in the French Departments of Seine et Marne, Pas de Calais, and Tarn.

You can make contact with a Greeter by visiting their website, www.Globalgreeternetwork.info, which will refer you to the local websites such as Nantes or Paris. You fill out a form and send it to them.

This is tourism that is participative and alternative. It is based on cultural exchange and volunteers who freely share their knowledge with others. A Greeter is a good will ambassador.

If this concept appeals you can become a greeter by joining an existing local association or creating a new one if it doesn’t yet exist in your city. To join the global network you must freely welcome visitors and know and love your city

Let us know about your discoveries.

Translator’s Notes

This is a natural fit with home exchange. One advantage of house swapping is you live like a local instead of as a tourist. Having a Greeter take you around will enhance your knowledge and understanding. The Greeter network and trading your home save money and offer a deeper and more genuine experience. Both promote good will and friendship.

To read Didier’s post in its French original

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