Are you hot yet? Are you always saying, “Next summer I’m going to a cooler climate?” Are you starting to feel like you’ll never see 60 degrees again? Well, maybe it’s time to log on to a house-swapping website.
House swapping has been around for a long, long time, even before it actually had a name. Friends and relatives frequently swapped their homes with other friends and family members without getting involved in a structured arrangement. With people you know well, leaving your pet, car, plants and a stocked refrigerator is easy. It’s when you’re swapping with perfect strangers that the anxiety level is elevated.
If your cousin, Sally, is offering you her 600-square-foot cottage in the woods in Vermont in exchange for your Gulf-front 1500-square-foot condo in Florida, it may not be exactly what you’re looking for. You do, however, have other options as long as you’re flexible and willing to take a chance.
The home-swapping platforms People Like Us and HomeExchange are just two of many other programs you can review. They boast a combined membership of almost 200,000 members and growing annually since the cost of travel has gone up during the past four years. These platforms charge annual fees starting at about $100.
Because of the advanced internet, Zoom and the worldwide availability of Facetime, you can actually get to know the people you’re swapping with. After all, if you can get a medical diagnosis on Zoom and find a date for your friend’s wedding why not meet new people and tour their home?
Most swappers entering into this arrangement are not casual travelers. They are sophisticated and frequently worldly, making them flexible when something goes wrong. And this process can be a long-range commitment, giving both parties time to get to know each other and get comfortable with the property and firm up a date.
Most of the properties available for swapping are either primary homes or second homes, therefore, there will likely be personal items, family photos and collections left by the owners. Owners frequently will lock up valuables or more personal things including clothes for their return in a separate storage area.
If you’re thinking of swapping your home and it includes your vehicle, boat, skimobile or other items not within the home you need to be alert that your current vacation rental insurance may not cover these extras. It is possible to get supplemental insurance that either you or the person coming in pays for, but it is essential to research this and make sure both sides of the transaction are adequately covered.
Finally, as we who live in Florida know, condominium rules strictly govern rental of units. These restrictions can be anything from the number of days you can rent, adequate insurance coverage and completion of an application with names of all individuals using the unit for a specific period of time in addition to a rental fee.
All of this may sound complicated, but once you do it, it’s the same process every time. Most swappers love it, but it does require a fair amount of faith and flexibility. Starting slow and local before you venture around the world is probably the best advice I read in my research.
Humans are nothing if not creative, especially Americans who have been infused with entrepreneurial ideas and an independent spirit since this country began. Use your creativity to cool off during the long, hot summer and explore other countries. It’s the American way.
