Anyone used a house swap agency?

[Gem13]

Just watching Channel 4's 'Home from Home' and wondering about the commercial companies.

Anyone used Interhome and the like?

[Gem13]

Will bump this now that the footie is on.

[wilbur]

Yes, we have used Homelink International and have done three swaps now, two to Florida and one to Amsterdam. Great fun and wonderfully cheap holidays. You definitely have to be someone who is happy to do emailing, sending keys, sorting out kind of stuff, plus you have to make a big book about your house and local area so your visitors can find everything and know what to do if the alarm goes off or how to work the washing machine etc. Also, it sounds obvious, but you have to be someone who is happy with the idea of someone else in your house, sleeping in your bed and so on. We will definitely be doing it again but might use somewhere other than Homelink as it seemed to have a lot of retired people on their books and not so many family type places on offer, but there were places in South Africa and Sweden that looked amazing.

[Gem13]

Thanks for that Wilbur. Any ideas on a child friendly agency?

The EBritish swap on Channel 4 on Friday was a house in Bath full of antiques and the couple had swapped with a family who had a 2 year old! Brave or foolish?

[SueW]

Have you thought about trying the NCT's houseswap register? That's family friendly.

It's moostly UK I think but there are people from overseas. Costs £29.99 pa I think for three editions and regular email updates.

Contact Denise at [email protected] for more information.

[jennifersofia]

We've done swaps through NCT and Intervac (international), they have mostly been great and we thoroughly recommend it. You can view the sites before you join up and can also specify if you have children or not. Also are members of Homelink, but haven't done a swap through them yet. It is work, but also very interesting and affordable and great to have all the kid 'clobber' in place.

[daisychain71]

have just listed my house on a new UK only house swapping site... have made contact with a few folk - and it looks like i am sorted with our hols this year - fab and all for under £15!
take a look www.ukholidayswapshop.co.uk

[mumoverseas]

have you tried the houseswop thread on here? (think its under classified now since recent changes)
I'm doing a houseswop in less than a week with another MNer. I'm going to her house in Malaysia and she is going to mine in the UK. I was a bit nervous at first but we've been communicating since around October so quite happy that everything will be ok and it will enable us to have a holiday we wouldn't otherwise be able to afford with 4 kids!

OP, where do you want to go and what have you got to swop?

[cdw8984]

i have friends who have used www.oneeasyexchange.com, One Easy Exchange is the UK's most modern exchange network. It enables world wide property exchange of your home, boat, yacht, motorhome, caravan and campavan. and its free to register your home.

[fuddlepuck]

The guardian have a online house swap section

There is a nice one in the Bahamas wants to swap with someone in Surrey Hants area for 2 persons only........ dreaming

guardianhomeexchange