Are all Home Exchanges the same?
Why don't you stay at my home while I stay at yours? For us, this is the most straightforward description of home exchange. You might be saying to yourself, really? How am I going to find someone at one of those interesting destinations that wants to come visit my home?
Popular theory is that home exchanging started in Europe back in the 1950's between teachers looking to experience something new and different during their long summer breaks. Good news is that today, we can still enjoy home exchanging for adventure and a lot more but we also have a much easier way of finding others to exchange with, the internet. Today it is not just teachers benefiting from home exchange, but people from all walks of life. Before looking at how to choose an exchange that is right for you, let’s take a look at differing types of exchanges.
The three most popular types of exchanging are Direct, Non-Simultaneous, and Hospitality exchanges. Let’s explore each of them as you might find one or more perfect for you. Depending on where you are in the world you might call an exchange a swap or a trade. We will intermingle these terms as they essentially mean the same.
Direct Exchanges - the most commonly known, this is when two parties agree to swap locations for the same period of time.
Non-Simultaneous Exchanges - when the two parties schedule their vacations at different times. This is most popular when using second or vacation homes, though it is possible to use the primary home if the owners are traveling.
Hospitality Exchange - when one party hosts another in their home while they are there too. The gesture is then reciprocated at a later time.
As you can see above, one or more might be perfect for you. There are many benefits of home swapping; the following are most frequently quoted:
From our experience, the most important of all is HAVING FUN, enjoy!
