Have you done one? If so, what were your experiences? Would you advise others to try it or avoid it?
What about home exchange companies? Are they within this bracket too? Has anyone done an exchange? I'm thinking of doing one but I want to research it a little first. I'm signed up on a free site but want to know if there are any tricks like these with the car companies?
Reply to this Sylvia and I have just returned from six months in Europe. We swapped our house in Oz for three of those months with a family from Brighton, England. I can highly recommend it.
We used an Australian-based group called Homelink. It was AUS$250 to join but was by far the best of the organisations I researched. Another good one was Green Theme International (GTI) which was only AUS$50 to join but didn't have the variety of swaps that Homelink had. It was better for House-sitting, though.
If you are swapping vehicles as well, make sure you are covered by the owner's insurance. Accidents do happen. The car we used in the UK was vandalised while we were in Scotland and the damage repair was around AUS$5000. Because we were covered by the insurance, we only had to pay AUS$500.
John
Reply to this Hi! Yes, I have done this. I am from B.C. Canada, and I swapped homes with a couple from Brisbane, Australia. I thought the experience was brilliant, and would do it again in a heartbeat with the right swappers.
I don't think I can post the link here but the name of the website was home 4 exchange. I pay about $50 a year and get some really great offers. I may be swapping with someone from Peru soon.
In Australia, it was a great experience to be immersed right into the lifestyle of the typical australian. Grocery shopping, going places, day trips. I wouldn't of had that experience if I stayed in a hotel or hostel. Plus, they had their friends pick me up at the airport, and take me to the house, so that was a bonus.
We drove each others cars - and that was also convenient. All we had to do with advise the insurance companies what we were doing -- we didn't have to pay extra. Same with the house insurance.
Reply to this Hi everybody!
Last summer I did my first home exchange and it was a really good experience! We are from Barcelona and we found a house in Berlin. The location was good and the home had got a special decoration. It was funny and very interesting!
For next holidays we want to do another exchange but we don't have any specific destination. We are opened to your suggestions 😊
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Bye!!
[Edited: 2014 Jan 03 01:37 - Roosta:95057 - No contact info in posts, please. Use private messages to contact, see TOS.]
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