7 Things to Address Before Home Swapping
Especially for first-timers, there are few things that you and your fellow swapper should go over before agreeing to swap. Often times, the excitement of finding a potential swapper can distract you from addressing certain things that can make or break your trip. As home swapping is built on mutual trust with strangers, it’s important to make sure both parties feel absolutely comfortable and confident before sealing the deal. Here are 7 suggestions for topics to bring up before swapping!
1. Get to know your potential swapper
Since you’re going to be sharing your most prized, not to mention your most expensive, possession with a stranger, it’s important to get a feel for the other swapper(s) before agreeing on anything. Just by engaging in small talk, you are able to develop mutual trust and, in turn, feel confident about exchanging homes.
To learn a bit more about who you might be swapping with, try asking about their families, occupation, insights on their city and culture, previous home swapping and travel experience, etc.. Once you know a bit more, you can sense whether it will be a good fit for you and your family.
“Ultimately, if you feel comfortable after a few conversations, then in the end it feels like you’re swapping with friends”. Gila from Israel, frequent swapper
2. Agree on how you will prepare the house for each other
Imagine neatly preparing your home for your guests, but then arriving to your swapper’s home where dishes are in the sink, sheets haven’t been changed and laundry hampers are filled to the rim. Nicely put, it’s not a great start to your trip. Hospitality tends to mean different things to different cultures. For example, it’s standard in America to leave your home in a welcoming manner for incoming guests. However, expecting that same standard from other countries may lead to disappointment.
That being said, there’s no shame in discussing how each family would like to receive their swapper’s homes. Some agree to leave instructions on the countertop, provide a list of activity and food recommendations, place stacks of clean sheets on the beds, or leave a bit of food essentials in the fridge and pantry. You may both agree to not spend too much time tidying up for one another, but at least you’ll be on the same page!
3. Discuss how the homes should be left upon departure
One of the biggest hesitations new home swappers have is the fear that their homes will be torn apart, possessions will be stolen or it will altogether be burnt down. Although those fears are hypothetically possible, they are quite extreme and rarely occur. In addition, by getting to know your swappers and developing mutual trust, you’ll be preventing any such mishaps.
Nonetheless, it’s important to establish how each party would like their home to be left. As mentioned earlier, different cultures have different customs, which is why formalities such as this one should be addressed initially. Some families pay for weekly or monthly cleaning services that can take care of washing sheets, cleaning dishes, etc.. However, for those that don’t, it’s perfectly normal to ask swappers to tidy up the place prior to leaving.
4. Talk about what things guests can use freely and what are off-limits
In many cases, swappers agree to share more than just their homes. Cars, membership passes, ski equipment, or even a speed boat can be included in the exchange. If you or the other swappers are less comfortable about sharing certain possessions, it’s critical to express that.
“We agreed on what we can use freely in the houses and anything that we didn’t want to be used, we simply put a note saying ‘Please do not touch’.” Michelle from NY, frequent swapper
If you’re worried about certain things getting ruined or misused, simply communicate that with your guests beforehand. That way, neither you nor your swappers will come off as standoffish or strict if “Do not touch” signs are written all over the house. If anything, just reiterate the home swapping golden rule; treat other’s things like you would with your own.
5. Go over how guests should enter and lock the house
This might seem trivial, however, those who have experience with Airbnb or VRBO know that key trouble can be a terrible start to a trip. Also, as a home owner, you want to be sure that your house keys won’t be misplaced or taken.
Swappers usually agree to have nearby friends or neighbors pass along the key upon arrival, leave them hidden by the door, have a lock box, or use a code-lock instead of a key. The important thing is to clearly outline to your fellow swappers how this will work.
6. Exchange contact information of neighbors or good friends for emergencies
Guests who come to your house might already have contacts in the area, however, leaving a list of trusty neighbors and friends will greatly benefit you as well. If something breaks or guests need assistance, you have someone you can rely on to help out instead of them taking care of it on their own. Plus, since you’ll be on vacation too, it’s one less thing to worry about.
7. Finally, make an agreement on dates
Although the whole home swapping idea is quite relaxed and informal to begin with, it’s still a good idea to have a semi-formal agreement on dates in writing. There have been a few home swapping stories of parties misunderstanding agreements on dates, causing awkward and embarrassing encounters.
Whether it’s through a home swapping platform, over chat, or through email, make sure you have something to refer to incase there is any confusion between you and your fellow swappers.
Time to swap! Now that you know the essentials to address when securing a home swap, you’re future trips will be the most comfortable and care-free. Just remember, communication is key, especially when lending your home.
