www.homebase-hols.com                                                                                              November 2012 (issue 91)

The amazing coincidence: Home swap story competition runner up

"It is October 2009 and we are on our first ever home swap staying in a little flat deep in the Sussex countryside, glorious golden trees directly outside our windows marching in autumnal splendour across the undulating landscape.

We have spent the morning in the little on-site leisure complex, swimming in the warm pool and sweating in the sauna. We walk to the local pub for lunch and feast on succulent Dover sole before crossing the road to visit the pretty local church, set proudly on the brow of a fold in the hillside with more burnished trees stretching as far as the horizon. What an introduction to this home swapping idea, we think.

We take the bus to Bateman's, one time home of Rudyard Kipling, and as we are leaving a couple of hours later some-one calls, 'Hello. Hello there.'

As we turn we recognise a couple we've only met once before. One sunny afternoon the previous month we had shared a courtyard table with them in the tea room at Greenways, Agatha Christie's Devon bolthole. They lived in Cornwall and had told us of their plans to spend their retirement travelling the country visiting National Trust properties. We in turn explained how we had joined Home Base Holidays and hoped that this would boost out early retirement travel opportunities. And here we are, a few weeks later, swapping stories and inviting them back for tea.

How I wish we had exchanged phone numbers on that day. I'd love to know if their adventures are working out as well as ours."  

Sandra Newnham, London   

Click here to view Sandra's home swap offer in London...

Some Home Base Holidays members' exchange parties do vary; for example, a couple may sometimes travel on their own, sometimes with another couple, and sometimes with children or grown up children/grandchildren. If an exchange offer listing shows the exchange party is one couple over 55, most members (if not told otherwise) will assume that there would not be anyone else included. A member recently pointed out this out:

"We advertise ourselves as a 'party of 2 seniors over 55' and when searching for exchanges always stick to those in the same 'over 55' category as we prefer to exchange with people in a similar stage of life to ourselves. As we are only one couple travelling we find that exchanging with just one other couple simplifies things at both ends. 

Age and number of exchange guests can often be an important consideration when making your selection of exchange partners. So if for instance you list yourself as a party of 2 who sometimes travels with friends or other family members (even for part of the exchange) then I think that it should be made perfectly clear in your first response to any enquiry that others would be included on this particular exchange. Your potential exchange partners will then know from the very start of negotiations whether they are willing to take the enquiry any further before things have gone too far, perhaps making it embarrassing to back away. 

Just a small issue I know but could be one to highlight as there appear to be more and more of us 'silver surfers' signing up to travel the world this way." 

Note: You can narrow search results in a number of ways, including to only members over 55. Click 'Show more options' on the main search page. Do read exchange offers in full to see if the exchange party is always one or two people over 55, or if they sometimes travel in a larger group.   

Complimentary membership to 2nd swap site (ends 31 Dec 2012) 

If you are a current Home Base Holidays member (or join by 31st December 2012), you are offered complimentary one year membership to a second North American home exchange agency. To take up this offer, contact us (subject line: Global offer) with a note of the password you would like set.  

Your message, along with a link to your Home Base Holidays listing, will be forwarded to a representative of the 2nd swap site who will contact you directly with information on using the site. Contact us to sign up to the free offer! 

Reminder: Check that your insurance will cover your exchange guest(s) to drive your car before agreeing to include a car as part of your home exchange agreement. This is particularly important if you are swapping homes outside your own country as there can sometimes be restrictions on insurance cover for drivers from another country or over a certain age.