How to house swap
Nick Faud, the founder of Australian home exchange website Aussie House Swap, shares his top five tips for a successful house swap.
Communication, communication, communication!
The more you communicate with your swapper, the more chance of having a successful and enjoyable swap holiday. Make sure you email each other and talk on the phone about your home, the local area and anything your swapper might need to know regarding heating and cooling and phone etc. If you communicate things via email then you can refer back to it if needed which can be helpful as there can be a lot to remember.
Get snap happy
Make sure you send photos to each other and be honest about your home. It is important that each swap partner knows what the home is like they are going to stay in so there are no last minute unwanted surprises. It doesn't matter if your house is not the biggest or flashiest, sometimes what is charming is a small country home. It is just important that each swap partner can get a good idea of the home and that this is a good fit for each swapper.
Start early!
Make sure you start early in organising a swap holiday. This way you can make sure you find the right person to swap with and you will have plenty of time to organise travel, see photos and have enough communication with your swap partner that you both can feel comfortable that you are prepared for your swap holiday.
Fill out your Handy House Swap form!
To make your swap holiday easy we have a Handy House Swap form on our site. Print it out and add your detailed information about your home for your swap partner. Explaining how to use a television or a tricky oven can make the difference for your swapper, and your swapper will also do it for you. The more information each of you have to refer to, the easier it will be. Every home appliance has its own quirks so include anything that you can think of that might be helpful for someone staying at your home. This can include when bins are collected, what to do if the electricity cuts out etc. Include the number of a family member or friend who can be a contact person in case of an emergency. Once you do this once then you can use it for all other swap holidays and just add any new information. Having this information at your fingertips makes the stay that much easier!
Clean
Ensure your home is clean, neat and tidy for your swap partner. As you are saving so much money on accommodation, some swappers will get a cleaner in for a couple of hours before the swap to help them have the place sparkling for their swapper. Maybe leave a bottle of wine, some chocolates, and some local information about where to get good coffee and nice restaurants or things to do. Many swappers will leave fresh flowers on the table and a bowl full of fruit- anything that will help your swap partner feel at home. These extra touches can really impress your swapper and they are easy to do. Also make sure that when you leave your swapper’s home, you leave it as clean and tidy as you found it. Check if your swap partner wants you to clean the sheets before you leave, or perhaps they are just happy for you to strip the bed. Travelling home after a holiday it is nice to walk in the door to a neat and tidy house where all you have to worry about is unpack from your trip. Ensuring the house is left clean and tidy for your swap partners return is really important- and they will have done the same for you! Feel free to leave a thank you card and a small gift if you really enjoyed your stay as this is the icing on the cake for your swap partner.