HomeExchange: We love Living like a Local while Travelling
Home exchange – live like a local 🙂
Want to live like a local anywhere besides your backyard? Try the Home Exchange program and, like us, have access to live authentically in one of 230,000 homes in over 130 countries worldwide.
My partner, Geoff has been enrolled in the HomeExchange program for over ten years, whereas I joined four years ago. This excellent program allows us to “swap” houses with another family. The visit could be a simultaneous or non-simultaneous vacation with another family for Guest Points.
What is a Guest Point (GP)?
It sounds much more confusing than it is. For instance, three years ago, Geoff and I spent a week in an authentic Tuscan farmhouse we loved owned by Alyce, a host living in the US. However, she wanted to use her holiday time later in the year, and as it was her second home, we used saved GPs to book her farmhouse for the time we wanted. Later, Alyce used the GPs she received from us to travel elsewhere when it suited her best.
Geoff and I organized a reciprocal exchange with Duilia, a warm and welcoming host on this same trip to Italy. When Geoff and I spent a week at their beautiful contemporary condominium in downtown Florence, they vacationed in his cottage in Parry Sound, Ontario, Canada. Therefore, no GPs were required.
How do you earn or save Guest Points? An easy online formula calculates how much each home is worth. It considers the square footage, number of bedrooms, bathrooms, amenities, etc. You can earn Guest Points by staying at a house that charges fewer Guest Points than your residence. As well, you could allow a family to stay at your home when you are visiting friends or family, etc.
Membership Costs
Now, let’s share that a $220 annual membership fee exists to join. But if you don’t make a suitable exchange the first year, the second year is free. However, there are no cancellation fees; they provide extra coverage if a host cancels. As I write this article, I participate in a terrific home exchange in Tours, France. This is our second HomeExchange in France after spending nine days in downtown Paris, where Michel hosted us.
Unfortunately, at the last minute, Michel and his wife could not participate in the simultaneous exchange to travel to Geoff’s home in Ontario. Since there wasn’t enough time to find another suitable host to accommodate the 4 of us in downtown Paris, HomeExchange stepped up. They provided Michel with the necessary GPs for our stay. We didn’t have to use any saved GPs because that wasn’t the original vacation plan.
HomeExchange relationships
The world really is at your fingertips when you participate in the Home Exchange program. Close relationships form between Home Exchange partners, and I have kept in touch with families at Christmas. This partnership provides our family with a personal connection, which makes travelling with my daughters, Emma (21) and Tessa (19), much more relaxing. Both girls have an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and anxiety, so I must ensure the home suits their needs.
Also, I love that our hosts provide a warm welcome. They have left local wine, ciders and candies for the kids and detailed notes about the best restaurants, parks, and attractions to visit. I like to bring some authentic maple syrup as a thank you. My hometown, Elmira, Ontario, is known nationwide for its Elmira Maple Syrup Festival.
Why do I Love HomeExchange?
1.HomeExchange allows me to spend time living like a local anywhere. We visit authentic homes, shop at local grocery stores and patisseries, and eat at small local restaurants off the beaten path. Families love to visit nearby parks, chat with neighbours, etc.
2. I can personally select the homes I am interested in based on location, amenities, time frames, etc., that best suit our family’s needs. For example, Tessa enjoys a soothing tub at night, so I can ensure that a bathtub is present at each HomeExchange location by choosing that amenity as a necessary feature.
3. Sometimes Geoff and I travel as a 50+ couple, and other times as a family of 4 with Emma and Tessa. I am with my ex-husband, Rudi, as an extended family of 5. Based on the number of people and the time frame, we can personalize our needs with various living quarters, bathrooms, etc.
4. Staying in a home provides a fully equipped kitchen. This means we can make as many meals at home during our vacation depending on time, budget, # of family members, etc. Breakfast at home is a great way to start the day during a home exchange.
5. Travelling with Emma and Tessa, who both have anxiety and autism spectrum disorder (ASD), is much easier in a homey atmosphere. The girls benefit from having their own separate space and bedroom to unwind. It really allows us to continue established routines as much as possible.
Benefits to HomeExchange
6. Extras: all of the advantages of home may include bicycles, trampolines, swimming pools, WiFi, internet, video games, Netflix, etc. Did I mention laundry?! This is especially true when we are travelling with the girls 🙂 We all love animals, and I have enjoyed taking care of friendly felines, especially Sarah’s trio in Maui. Emma particularly enjoyed feeding the hens in Aix-Au-Provence this summer, so much so that we must explore owning a chicken coop at home.
7. Our home exchange often incorporated a car swap as well. During our present holiday, we used vehicles from our hosts for 4 of the 5 weeks, a considerable cost-saving measure. Also, some of the families from our reciprocal exchange have children, so driving a minivan in Tours, France, with five adults and lots of luggage has been great! But could you be sure to check in with your insurance company?
Scuba Diving - Silfra, Iceland
8. Scuba diving! While I received my SSI certification from a dark, cold quarry outside of Cambridge, Ontario, our Home Exchange travels have opened access to dive sites I never would have thought possible. So far, my absolute favourite trip for scuba diving was last summer. Geoff and I watched the graceful ballet of manta rays during a night dive in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii. Approximately 35-40 manta rays elegantly embraced us in their dance as we sat motionless on the bottom of the Pacific Ocean floor, shining our flashlights above.
Geoff and I became dry suit certified to participate in another dive of a lifetime. We dove between Thingvellir National Park’s North American and Eurasian tectonic plates this summer.
The diving site at Silfra is right where the two continents separated in 1789 and affords 100% visibility.
We organized a scuba dive in Iceland after Emma, our guest host, assisted us with an excellent caregiver connection to watch the girls for the day. While we enjoy family travel, Emma and Tessa don’t scuba dive. They can’t stay alone for safety reasons, particularly in a foreign country. We really appreciated that our Home Exchange host went this extra mile for us.
9. Education! Did I mention that I plan visits to historical sites as a history teacher?
We learn relevant facts about the area around us in every country we visit. Our recent four-week trip to France allowed us to visit twelve World UNESCO sites, incredible museums, chateaus, etc. History books come alive visiting the Palace de Versailles, climbing the Pont du Gard, a 2000-year-old Roman Aqueduct in southern France, and Mont St. Michel, a tidal island in Normandy.
Overall, I love walking out the door and exploring a neighbourhood, whether walking downtown Paris and picking up fresh breakfast croissants from a patisserie, collecting eggs from the farmhouse down the lane in Tuscany or enjoying an unobstructed view of the Pacific Ocean from a terrace in Hana, Maui.
By the way, if you want to join HomeExchange, please use my contact information! Then I can receive the 250 referral Guest Points, which you also receive! It doesn’t add to your membership fee, and Geoff gets more requests to stay at his place in Parry Sound than I do 🙂
Monique HomeID #1529470 and I can be your sponsor, code: monique–02141
But a visit to the Muskoka – Parry Sound Area in Ontario is always terrific, particularly during the summer months on Georgian Bay or to see the fall colours. I will share Geoff’s HomeId # 1492509, and he can also sponsor you as well as he did for me 🙂 code: geoffrey-3ce1a
Some of our favourite home exchanges:
Hana, Maui – HomeID #1789562
Tuscany, Italy – HomeID # 1517119
Florence, Italy – HomeID # 914997
Victoria, British Columbia, Canada – HomeID #1454173
Check out Home Exchange and start planning your next bucket list adventure! I can’t wait to plan ours!