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• Jon L says:

  12 Jan12 January 08:50

  Can anyone who is not sponsored/compensated by Love Home Swap comment about their experience? I would imagine it would be difficult to find people who want to swap homes on the exact same dates as you do . . . ?

  • Michael C says:

    12 Jan12 January 09:01

    I used other similar sites years ago: I was extremely flexible (worked online, had zero commitments), and so were many other people on the site, meaning you could request/offer “a few weeks this autumn/any months in the winter” etc. etc., without limiting it to fixed dates.

  • Dawn says:

    12 Jan12 January 12:25

    Yes! I’ve been home exchanging for about 8 years and love it. I use their sister company HomeExchange.com
    It doesn’t need to be simultaneous. I’m swapping with Clearwater, Florida and he’s coming to my home this summer. I’m going to his in the winter.
    Or you can get Guest Points if they want yours but you don’t want to go to theirs.
    This year I spent 5 weeks GP exchange in Antigua. Used my 2-4-1 so cost of flight and accommodation was around £1000.
    Then did 7 week Gp exchange in Gran Canaria in Nov/Dec. Total cost BA flights and car hire £785 for the two of us. It’s the only way we, as retired folk and working for a non profit can afford to travel like this and it’s all thanks to finding HFP for the flights.
    I’m happy to answer any home ex questions.

• Michael C says:

  12 Jan12 January 09:03

  PS really think for marketing purposes they should change to Love Homeswap.
  I’m always left pondering what sort of Love Home they want to Swap!

• SammyJ says:

  12 Jan12 January 12:25

  I’d be up for this but realistically I just can’t see many people with a beachside villa in Miami wanting to swop for a fortnight in Doncaster.

  That annoying feeling too when you can’t find something at home, would always come with the added doubt that someone living in your house might have taken/broken/lost it.

  • Dawn says:

    13 Jan13 January 04:52

    You’d be amazed actually. I’ve stayed in the most beautiful homes in Australia, USA, Sri Lanka and the Antigua home was incredible. I have an ugly flat in Scotland and it’s full all the time. It’s all about location. Uk is very popular and many ex pats are looking to come on holiday and stay near relatives for example or research their family history.
    You leave a home as you found it, do the laundry and cleaning or pay for a cleaner.
    The site has insurance in the event of anything happening and your exchange is covered. However, one exchanger broke something once and just replaced it. I broke a glass in a kitchen and I replaced that. In about 50 exchanges that’s all I’ve had happen.
    There’s a review system so you can write about your experience which I always do both as a host and a guest.
    This is not Airbnb where half of the people don’t care, it’s a community and people leave the home as good as or better than they find it.
    I also had reservations but tried it out and don’t travel any other way now.

• CarpalTravel says:

  12 Jan12 January 19:33

  I cannot help but wonder what the home insurance implications would be, should something bad happen to my home whilst people who are basically complete strangers (who might completely disappear after the fact) and may not be completely truthful / open about what happened.

  Mine is a listed property with a lot of conditions attached to the policy so there is zero chance of me trying this, sadly.

  • Dawn says:

    13 Jan13 January 04:56

    It doesn’t suit everyone. HomeExchange have insurance both parties are covered by. They also have a Support team if needed. I understand your concerns with a listed building.

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