contacting the other family to agree
on the conditions and the dates of a
particular swap can be incredibly fast
or can take several weeks. The range
of options is endless and some families
also offer their cars, campervans,
boats, and even their pets!
Once you’ve selected your
destination, you can enquire about
what the region has to offer and the
type of activities your family is likely
to enjoy. The exchange of information
prior to arrival, or the information
packet the home-owning family leaves
for their guests, is invaluable and
more targeted than the recycled facts
of guidebooks. Your hosts can help
guide you towards the kid-friendly
places and activities in the area, and
may help ensure that all your needs
are covered. Child seats, playpens,
highchairs, toys, kids’ DVDs and
bicycles are just some of the things
that hosts often make available. And
the homes are generally kiddy-safe.
In Asia and several other countries,
you can often book the services of the
family babysitter, too.
Leap of faith
Your first house exchange experience
can be daunting, especially among
those of us who barely know our
neighbours, let alone open our homes
to strangers. Home swapping is a
concept built on trust – and that
works both ways: both families can be
worried about how the other will take
care of their house and belongings.
Our own personal experience has
only been positive, and nowadays
we feel reassured that our house is
occupied when we go away. We always
treat others’ houses even better than
ours because we have been entrusted
with it.
Sometimes house swaps can even
turn into long-lasting friendships.
When our plane landed at Mexico
City International Airport, after
flying over what was the largest
urban sprawl we had ever seen, my
husband discreetly asked me what
exactly we would do if our exchange
partner “Rodrigo” didn’t show up.
The incredibly crowded arrival hall
was daunting. “I suppose we will
take a cab to the house. I have the
address.” We held our children tightly
by the hand and moved along with
the human flow, when a smiling
man squeezed through the suitcases
and announced: “Hola, Laetitia, soy
Rodrigo. Welcome!”
The first reaction of our son was
to compliment our host for having
the largest and thickest moustache he
had ever seen in all his life! Rodrigo
is a chef and he drove us directly
to his restaurant, where we tasted
mouth-watering Mexican specialities.
He then took us to his gorgeous
house, where everything had been
prepared for us, including two fridges
full of groceries. He explained how
everything worked and left his car
Laetitia Chanéac-Knight is a writer based in Bali and the editor of the family guidebook
Bali with Kids
(
www.baliwithkids.com
). She is currently looking for an exchange
opportunity in Hong Kong at the end of April, whilst she can offer non-simultaneous
exchanges in Bali or France.
keys for us to explore the village. My
husband probed him for a little insight
on the history of the place whilst his
lovely wife showed us round the kids’
room, games, DVD player and video
games. When they waved goodbye,
Rodrigo shouted in his heavily accented
English: “I love my country and I want
you to love it too!” Our holiday was
fabulous and Rodrigo’s family have
become real friends.
The best advice I can offer
anyone considering home swapping is
to spend time browsing and searching
reputable websites, such as those
listed above. Read the reviews from
experienced exchangers. Then, once
you make contact with interested
families, it’s important to ask all the
questions you have.
Home swapping has become the
preference in our home now, after eight
successful exchanges in Tuscany, New
Zealand, Western Australia, Côte
d’Azur, Thailand, Spain, Indonesia
and Mexico. Our kids clearly see a
great opportunity for a comfortable
and fun holiday. These are the sort
of requests I now need to deal with:
“
Mum, can you make sure you ask the
family if they have a pool, bicycles,
games, DVDs, boogie boards, a table
tennis table or a trampoline … and if
they have pets, tell them we will look
after them very well.”
Photo: Laetitia Chanéac-Knight
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