Home swaps!

[WAD]

Has anyone ever done this?

Seriously, what do you do with all your 'stuff' clutter?

Maybe my home is more cluttered has more stuff than most - but there are lots of implications - nosiness, theft, breakages... I like the idea in principle, but doubt I would ever go through with it!

I will watch with interest as I could have written your post.
We looked into it last year thinking that the Olympics might be the ONLY time anyone would ever consider coming to visit our part of East London! Then it all seemed too much of a hassle to considering further.... as you say if you have to spend weeks emptying/tidying your house it makes it a lot less appealling.....

tricot - looks like no-one else has encountered a problem ...

Hi, we've swapped a few times, a lot of tidying in advance and putting a few things away that I'd hate to get broken....to be honest haven't swapped this year as couldn't bear the thought of the clean up needed while my two of 4 and 2 demolishedplayed behind me

We got back last night from our fourth home swap. Enter into it with a lot of good will and look on the tidying up as an opportunity to do all those little jobs you never get round to - you will be quite impressed by how nice your home looks by the time you are ready to go.

I don't care if people look through my things and I don't bother putting lots of things away - I don't have knick-knacks or heirlooms - just make sure that everythng is very, very clean and that there is wardrobe space. We generally swap with families so take it as read that they want things a bit relaxed (toys out etc). The first time we did it, the family broke a light shade and our pushchair but, as it wasn't a simultaneous swap, it made us feel more relaxed about any potential accidents when we went to their home (there weren't any).

I find swapping a God send as I don't like hotels but love travelling - there's no way we would have gone to some of the places we have been to otherwise and they've all been delightful.