Published in NEXT Magazine, 2000
Freelancer Contributor – Jos Budge
02 9357 1201
josandbee@iprimus.com.au
Home for a Home
How often have you felt you're at your wits end and are crying out for a decent
holiday? But, because these days you seem to be permanently slumped in budget blowout
a break away is just a distant dream, a futile fantasy.
Well, it doesn't need to be. Those of you who have read Tara Road by Maeve
Binchy will have an idea on how to make inexpensive holidays a reality. This
story of love, laughter and learning provides food for thought as it unravels a tale
about a family from Dublin swapping homes for a summer with a family from Connecticut.
The lessons learned by both families during this swap become rich lessons for life.
And the good news is Tara Road does not have to remain a lovely fictitious
memory for you can easily make this tale a reality all of your own.
More and more people are catching onto the idea of house swapping as a viable means
of enjoying exciting yet inexpensive holidays, either within New Zealand or, better
still, overseas.
As its name suggests it involves two parties of people agreeing to swap their homes
with one another for an agreed amount of time so that both enjoy the pleasures of
a break away in new surroundings. From a practical viewpoint costs are kept to a
minimum, as you only need to pay for your travel to and from the house swap of your
dreams. There are no accommodation fees as it is a quid quo pro arrangement.
Many Other Benefits
Putting the financial advantages aside, house swapping offers may other benefits.
You get to stay in a home away from home and the importance of this should not be
under estimated, particularly if younger children are part of your holiday equation.
Too often the stresses of holidaying outside your cultural comfort zone, finding
food that your children will deem suitable to eat, and being on the go touring the
countryside is all too much. Partner these stresses with the reality of a sterile
and unfamiliar lodgings and you have a recipe for chaos if not disaster. You end
up craving creature comforts to soothe your soul and can't wait to get back home
again.
When home swapping you get to enjoy your day out and about knowing that you will
eventually return home to a welcoming environment where you can relax and then later
on cook fresh local produce that you know everyone will enjoy. Better still, because
you are staying in a neighbourhood, you get a taste of what it is like to live the
life of a local. This ensures a rich insight that is lost if you stay in a hotel,
lodge or camping ground.
And you get to stay in quirky places that you wouldn't normally have a chance to
stay in due to the lack of rental accommodation in these areas. This adds to the
sense of holiday adventuring, increasing the memorability factor.
Sydney Swap
Omori couple Liz and Russell Shaw certainly enjoyed these benefits when they swapped
houses with friends of friends based in Sydney. When not gazing out at their gorgeous
view of Lake Taupo while enjoying the soothing sounds of birds chirping in the trees,
Liz and Russell are kept busy writing and publishing their two educational magazines
Starters and Strategies and Early Starters for teachers of younger
children
Last Christmas, however, the tranquillity got to them and they yearned for the hustle
and bustle of a thriving city. Friends of theirs put them onto Sydney couple Kay
and Phillip who, equally, had had enough of the bright lights of the city and were
eager for a relaxed holiday with their two children in a quiet slice of heaven. All
it took was a quick phone call and sales pitch from Lizzie and the swap was organised.
"It was a perfect swap," says Lizzie, "It was so relaxing to stay
in someone else's home and not to feel like a tourist. I loved going down to the
local deli, buying some scrummie goodies, having a huge latte while I was there only
to wander back 'home' and spend the afternoon basking in the courtyard, feasting
on delish deli food. It was so different to Omori and the change was just what we
needed. Best still it was so easy to organise. One phone call and we were on our
way. It certainly beats staying in a claustrophobic hotel that has that pristine
'hotel' look, smell and feel, complete with a bathroom of wet towels. No thanks"
Lizzie says an added bonus was that both parties had thought to ask their neighbours
to drop in from time to time to keep them entertained and make sure they did not
feel completely alone.
The point about neighbours or friends dropping in is a great tip as it also offers
you peace of mind as well. Without making it too obvious they can cast a quick eye
around to make sure everything is in order. This is particularly reassuring if you
have swapped with people who you don't know very well or complete strangers who you
have located through a professional database. You need to feel at ease with the idea
of strangers staying in your house while you are not there so having a friend drop
in solves this dilemma. In these cases it is a good idea to arrange for overlap at
the start and have your swappers arrive earlier so that you spend a day or two together
to get to know one another. This sets any worries you have aside while also adding
to your overall experience as nine times out of ten you end up making firm friends
for life.
An Addictive Passion
You can see why home swapping can become an addictive passion, especially for people
who love travel and meeting people. Through home swapping experiences you explore
some fantastic places; get to know variety of interesting people while staying in
some fabulous homes. Best of all, the accommodation is free. Taking aside the travel
costs you won't spend much more money than a normal week at home.
The big question is why haven't more people done this more often? It is such a simple
idea, yet so perfect as it’s so incredibly easy to arrange. Start out by thinking
about friends of yours who may wish to swap with you and sell them the concept. On
a more formal front there are a number of professional databases that deal in house
swapping accommodation. You can access these through the Internet or by subscribing
to one of the many House Swapping magazines (see below for further details).
Auckland/London
Jane Sweeney can only say fantastic things about her
family's home swap experience. Currently heading up the Auckland office of New Zealand
public relations company, Consultus', Jane and her family swapped houses with an
Auckland family when they were based in London in the early nineties. At that time
she was working for a London-based public relations firm and desperately wanted to
come home to family for a summer holiday. Jane and husband Mark went through professional
company TNT to locate a family in Auckland who wanted a chance to spend a month in
London. In a ten-minute phone call the swap was on. |
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Accmmmodation Dilemma
Solved
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"It was the perfect answer to our accommodation
dilemma. We decided early on that we needed our own space in Auckland, as one month
was a fair length of time with three rowdy boys in tow. It wouldn't have been fair
on either of our families to land our lot on them. We decided a swap was the best
option and it was an excellent solution. We ended up staying in a great home where
we could entertain friends and family, have parties and generally make some noise
without offending anyone.
In the Heart of London
Our London home was right in the city and the family
we swapped with had a fantastic time there exploring the city during the day only
to come 'home' to flop in comfortable surroundings that were less formal than a hotel
at night. They loved the fact they could just suit themselves what they did and when
they did it. All up it was an excellent experience, and we'd certainly do it again.
If you want to be based somewhere for a week or more house swapping is the best way
to travel and holiday with kids".
The concept can work for domestic travel, too, cutting the costs of long weekend
breaks which are normally priced at a premium.
Prior to emigrating to New Zealand, Communications Consultant Kim Slessor and her
Kiwi architect husband Richard frequently swapped their London flat with friends
from one of their favourite spots.
Friends from the Cotswolds
"It started with some friends from the Cotswolds
who asked if we would mind them using our place as a base over the Easter break.
We were desperate to get out of London after a particularly busy few weeks so ended
up staying at their fabulous cottage in the heart of the countryside for a long weekend.
While we enjoyed long, lazy lunches by the river and evenings by the log fire of
their local pub, our friends were racing around designer stores, museums, art galleries
and eating out at the latest hotspots.
"This worked so well that we swapped at least once a year for the five years
leading up to us moving to New Zealand. The last three occasions also included one
or the other of us playing host for a day or two so that we could catch up with each
other, rather than just crossing paths somewhere on the motorway!"
Kim says that they also loaned their flat to friends from Paris who were planning
a trip to London at the same time we were planning to be in New Zealand.
"We were delighted to be able to do them a favour and to have people we knew
and trusted around the place in our absence. We then, on a separate occasion, took
a long weekend break at their home in central Paris while they headed for their annual
trip to the South. All for the cost of a train journey through the Chunnel."
Essential House Swap Tips
Casting their minds back over their experiences, Lizzie,
Jane and Kim have the following swap tips to share:
- Ensure you know as much about the
property and area as possible before you accept the swap. Get photos, videos, references
if possible, an inspection by a friend or family member as it helps build excitement
for the adventure
Try to get a feel for the people you are swapping with. For instance, do they have
similar values, ideas about property?
Leave a list of idiosyncrasies about your house and local contacts for plumbers,
electricians etc. - it may seem like foreign language when you first sit down to
it but it is invaluable if something goes wrong. Not that it is going to!
Leave a few hints on where they can go to buy scrummie food - this is particularly
important if your home is in the middle of nowhere as, without insider knowledge,
your swappers will struggle to find these gourmet delights.
Organise for some neighbours and friends to drop in and make your swappers feel welcome
and looked after. This is a nice touch and adds to their experience.
Establish some ground rules carefully. Think about how you want the others to treat
your home and belongings and make sure you tell them. For instance, do you want them
to drive your car? Are there pets to feed? Lawns to mow?
Stop any newspaper deliveries or your mail during the time you are away as it is
just an extra hassle for your swappers to deal with if they wish to do a weekend
trip away.
Put away anything that's precious so you don't get any breakages.
Agree on a replacement regime if other items of daily use are broken.
Agree on how you want the house left by those you're swapping with. For example,
the house Jane borrowed had light carpets so she had the lounge carpet cleaned professionally
after a month of boy-wear, prior to departure.
Ensure they can contact you in case a real disaster unfolds.
For goodness sake, just go on and do it - you won't look back and you'll get the
bug - it can easily become a lifetime passion.
Inspired to organise a swap? It's as simple as 1, 2, 3 - pick some dates, get on
the phone and organise it. Within five minutes you too could be on your way to an
exciting house swap adventure.
Internet Sites:
(Each one costs about $190 for a year's subscription. Ask your magazine shop
to order one of these in)
Books:
Home Exchange Vacationing - Your Guide to Free Accommodations, Bill and Mary
Barbour
Let us know about your house swapping and exchange
ideas.
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House Swapping Made Easy