| House Swapping Makes Long-term Travel Affordable For Many
Properties Are Inventory for Global Travel Exchanges
The Signal - Business Section, October, 2005
If just thinking about the price tag for 29 hotel room nights is enough to prevent you from taking your family on a month-long vacation, you are not alone. But rather than stay home, or in cramped hotel room with your family, consider another option – house swapping.
It’s really quite simple, and more affordable than traditional travel lodging arrangements. You stay in someone else’s home while they stay at yours. Several companies are available to assist in planning this type of travel, and among them is HomeExchange.com, a Hermosa Beach-based firm specializing in home and hospitality exchanges.
With an inventory of properties throughout the world supplied by travelers like you, HomeExchange.com can help you from concept to completion. Their easy-to-navigate website prompts visitors through the process of listing a home – whether a primary residence or a vacation property – all the way through determining a vacation destination and locating a home trade that meets your needs. Swapping is done for longer periods of time than a weekend getaway, often lasting an entire summer vacation, teacher sabbatical or winter ski season. It also takes earlier lead time to coordinate a home trade than to book a hotel room in your favorite city.
The concept of trading places has been around for some time, but has gained momentum recently as an affordable way to see the world, up close and personal. While some companies specialize in “wow factor” vacation rental properties, usually luxury homes in upscale neighborhoods with a butler, maid and driver, the house swap puts you in the middle of a mainstream neighborhood, or real life. You get a glimpse of how the family you are swapping with lives every day.
No big-digit bill at checkout, the currency exchanged for staying at these properties is your home. If you live in a recreational vehicle or 40-foot yacht, these too are considered tradable properties for the right vacationer seeking a new experience. In some instances, home exchangers even offer up their cars as part of the deal.
Another way to participate in home trades is through what is called hospitality exchanges. Similar to the idea of sponsoring a college exchange student who lives in your home with you, in this agreement both sides take a turn hosting each other in their homes. From a social perspective, this is a great opportunity to meet new people, see a destination from the local view, and still benefit from the zero cost of trading.
House swapping also provides travelers with more privacy than a hotel room, the freedom to live among neighbors, and to prepare meals at home. Just think of the money you’ll save in food alone that can be invested in the total vacation experience, from sightseeing tours to evening entertainment. You could even splurge on transit costs, flying in first-class style to and from your vacation destination.
As with any type of travel planning, it is important to work with a reputable firm with experience in home trading. Statistics from HomeExchange.com show that more than 250,000 successful house swaps happen every year. Home exchangers are retirees, professors, lawyers, doctors, home-based business owners and other professionals, some are single and some come with spouses and kids. What they share in common is the desire to see new places in a fresh way and to fully embrace the travel experience.
Since both sides have invested their homes in the arrangement, mutual respect for the other person’s property is the guiding principle. But the biggest challenge you’ll face in home swapping is narrowing down your options and deciding where to go and when. Plan now for spring and summer 2006, and stop stressing about the price tag. Your room is free.
Commentary provided by Eric Maryanov, president and founder of All-Travel.com, the Los Angeles-based travel management company with an office in Valencia. He can be reached at 661.775.7511..
For more information
contact Nicole Stinson, Public Relations
(310) 312-3368
