The Home Exchange Program: Never Pay for Travel Accommodations Again!

There's no place like home; home away from home; home is where the heart is;

seems like home to me; my home is your home; anywhere I hang my hat is home;
home sweet home; all the comforts of home. Often spoken adages, and all so familiar?

Imagine taking a vacation anywhere in the world and it does not have to cost any more than staying at home - well, except for the travel costs and perhaps a bit of spending money!

Interestingly enough, the above adages can be the motto for the many home exchange / swapping type programs available to consumers today. This unique and seemingly popular method of cost-effective vacationing has captured the interest of countless travellers.

This approach, of switching homes for either leisure or taking a break from one's daily life, played a 'starring role' in the romantic comedy "The Holiday", with Cameron Diaz and Kate Winslet.

Cameron's character accesses a home exchange website and impulsively swaps her Los Angeles mansion for Kate's cottage in Surrey. Two strangers who find their 'home away from home' in each other's home!

Though there are countless home exchange programs listed on the internet, some of the most popular ones are HomeExchange.com, IVHE.com (Luxury Vacation Home Exchange), digsville.com, intervac-homeexchange.com, homebase-hols.com (Home Base Holidays).

In 1992, Ed Kushins, a former marketing director for an airline and entrepreneur of numerous start-up companies, created HomeExchange.com with the belief that such a program was a comfortable alternative to high priced hotels and typical tourist vacations, and to rather experience an area as a local - not a tourist.

"Over the past twenty years, HomeExchange.com has grown into a leading brand in the industry, with 40,000 listing in 137 countries on 5 continents, and we anticipate a growth to 50,000 by December of this year. And trust factor has been the key to that growth", says Keghan Hurst, Director of PR and Marketing. She added that their membership database includes people from 140 countries, and about 2500 members in Canada - from British Columbia to Ontario.

Keghan added that the great advantages of being a member is that they can do their own spot checking. "HomeExchange.com gives members such a unique way to experience travel. One of the top reasons is that members love the cost effectiveness of the program and the opportunity to enjoy the culture as a local resident" she continues. "Members find home exchanging a great way to travel with children, and weekend jaunts are the fastest growing use of home exchange vacations."

Its 'role' in the movie increased HomeExchange.com's already existing public awareness by leaps and bounds. Listings expanded rapidly and it piqued the interests of many who watched the movie. Movies certainly can inspire new ideas and adventures - just think of 'Under the Tuscan Sun', 'Eat, Pray, Love', 'Roman Holiday', 'When Harry Met Sally', 'Two for the Road', and 'Shirley Valentine.'

For the HomeExchange.com group for example, membership includes:

* Exchange Guarantee: Make an exchange in your first year of listing your property, or your second year is free
(Most other agencies will also provide this same offer)

* Toll free customer service number
* Easy to read and informative listings
* 40,000+ Listings - Your listing will have exposure to MANY more potential exchange partners
* Email contact directly to you from your listing - 24/7
* Your contact information and email address are always kept private
* Free, unlimited photos of your home
* Update your listing whenever you want - 24/7
* View 200 new and updated listings from member area
* Get email notifications of new listings from where you want to go

Do your homework

A home swapping / home exchange program opens the door to many destinations and questions as well.

As with any new project, do your homework.

Experience:

Your first step is to find a reputable and established agency that best suits your wants and needs. There are agencies that will offer member-only services, 'open systems' which allow non-members to search listings but not contact members of that agency, hospitality exchanges, which means members stay with you as your guests and in turn you would stay with them as their guests, niche markets as Rotarian swaps, luxury homes and even for singles only.

Find out how long the agency has been in operation and if they have a local presence. Check out some home exchange blogs for tips, information, Q & A's and insight from some experienced home exchangers. Simply type 'home exchange blogs' in the search engine and join in the conversation.

When surfing the net, phrase your search with such words as home exchange, house swapping, vacation home exchanges. In many cases these agencies also provide whole websites translated into other languages.

Support:

Once you have found agencies to your liking, consider the following:

1. The number of listings available in the countries you wish to visit, and even in your country

2. Is the website easy to navigate?

3. Does the agency offer a toll free number should you require additional information?

4. Does the agency provide a toll free number for members only?

5. Are the listings current?

6. Does the agency act as a liaison, or is simply listing services?

7. Does the membership fee work well with your budget?

To read the rest of this article and many other interesting articles go to www.sngmagazine.com.

About the Author

Silver and Gold Magazine is a full-colour, bi-monthly, uplifting & glossy magazine especially published for the 55+ demographic. Silver and Gold focuses on the specific needs, interests, and active lifestyles of this segment sometimes known as Zoomers. It's also a great resource for those interested in Senior Deals.

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Author (K Arp). Submitted on Mon, 11 Jul 2011 Time: 7:04 PM

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