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Greetings!
The ExchangeHomes Newsletter is published bi-monthly to
provide information on home exchange vacations for
current and recent members of ExchangeHomes and Newsletter subscribers.
Quick Links to the left to: Member Login, Browse the Listings, Sign Up, Read Our Blog, Go To Our Help Center.
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Address links are to be found at bottom of the page.
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Contibutions
To This Newsletter and Our Blog
We always welcome contributions from both Members and subscribers to our two publications. How about putting together a report on your recent home exchange a piece of advice, or a list of tips? Anything you believe could be of benefit to your fellow home exchangers.
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Home Exchange Tips
By Ruth Marvin Webster
1. Some web-based home exchange organizations inflate their databases and even plagiarize listings. Look for companies that constantly update their listings; look for fresh listings by noting each member's registration date.
2. Test the level of customer or trade service each company provides.
Determine whether there is someone to answer specific questions or has
representatives in different countries. Bigger may not always be
better.
3. Don't be dissuaded by companies that require a reasonable membership fee (from $30 to $100). A fee may indicate genuine interest on the part of the members.
4. Check to see how long the company has been in business. Sometimes brand-new companies will use other companies' listings to start a directory or database.
5.
Check for references from your exchange partner (if they have exchanged
before) and satisfied customer testimonials from the company. It is
always a good idea to correspond or talk directly with your exchange
partners. Clearly agree on travel dates and the location of house keys
and whether cars and pets are exchanged too.
6. Be certain your home and auto insurance policies cover house exchanging. Most do.
7. Put away anything in your home that you couldn't bear to see used or broken.
8. Leave a list of "how to's" for complicated appliances, security systems, sprinklers, etc.
Leave a phone number of a neighbor or friend who your partner can
contact. A list of recommendations for shopping, eating, sightseeing,
and emergency numbers will also be appreciated.
RUTH MARVIN WEBSTER, a former attorney in California, publishes widely.
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Home Exchange Resources To Aid Several Charities
ExchangeHomes.com Home Exchange finally has a Resources Page
in place containing links to several extremely useful travel oriented
web sites. Should anyone click these links and make a purchase,
ExchangeHomes.com will receive a small percentage. I plan to retain a
mere 5% of whatever the page earns to cover administrative expenses and
the remaining 95% will be donated to charities.
I believe that Home Exchangers are caring folk and I'm hoping that everyone will support this venture and help make it work.
In these early stages the list of companies is not extensive, but I
hope to build upon it. As new companies are represented I'll keep
everyone updated.
Currently we are working with The Luggage Guy, London Pass, Paris
Pass, Trails.com and Vacation Homes Rentals (yes, I know, a rental
company-but they may be useful for last minute trips!).
 The charities I would like to contribute to are:
- Doctors Without Borders
- CARE
- Humane Farming Association
I will report on how the venture progresses on the Resources Page.
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Our Country Doesn't Appear in the List of Home Exchange Countries
Occasionally we receive emails and phone calls from potential home exchangers who are interested in joining ExchangeHomes.com,
but are reluctant to do so because they cannot find their country
included in the list of Countries, either in the Quick Search on the
Home Page, or on the Detailed Search page.
If there is currently no listing for a particular country, then
quite correctly, that Country doesn't show up in either of the Country
Search Lists. However, immediately a member registers their membership
from a country not currently represented, and enters details for both
the relevant continent and country on the Registration Form, when the
listing is saved to our database, the country in question instantly
appears in the Country List.
Similarly, we have been contacted by members and visitors to the web
site who have been exploring the listings and noted one in an otherwise
not represented country. They've returned for another look only to find
that the country is no longer available in any Country Selection List.
In this instance the listing they were watching has expired. Expired
listings are immediately hidden from view and because of this, if they
were the only listing from a country, it too disappears from any lists.
Of course, in all the high demand countries worldwide ExchangeHomes.com
is well represented. Countries with no, or occasionally one or two
listings are in locations very infrequently selected by the average
traveler-even the most adventurous home exchanger!
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Home Exchange Members Should Not Forget The Need For Travel Insurance
I received this especially useful advice from a home exchange member recently and thought it would definitely worth publishing in this newsletter
and sharing with everyone-
Do not forget to include travel insurance in your to do list before
planning your home exchange vacation. Most people take travel insurance
lightly and never discuss travel insurance in detail with their travel
agents. It is important to know what your travel insurance covers you
against in the event of any unforeseen situations which may subject you
to a financial loss or otherwise.
Travel insurance covers different features and it is up to you to
choose and ensure you are adequately covered. The first and most common
is Trip Cancellation/Interruption coverage. Most of these policies
cover cancellations due to weather, sudden illness, death and
emergencies whilst at home or abroad.
Another common type of travel insurance is for medical emergencies.
This type of coverage is particularly useful if you plan on traveling
to underdeveloped countries, or for individuals with an on going
illness that might require medical attention at some point during the
home exchange. These policies will reimburse you for the cost of doctor
visits, medication, and sometimes even medical evacuation out of the
country. It's best to check with your insurance provider regarding the
details, as travel health coverage policies vary widely.
It is also possible to obtain travel insurance that will cover
non-refundable tickets in the event that a trip has to be canceled for
any number of reasons. Some coverage plans will sometimes cover missed
connections as well, which can be a lifesaver in the event of a flight
delay or over-crowded and/or confusing airport terminal.
For longer trips, or for frequent travelers, a comprehensive
insurance package is probably the best value. These usually provide a
wide variety of coverage, and some even allow you to choose what kinds
of coverage to be included. Since it's impossible to know what problems
might arise during your home exchange, these policies cover all the
bases so that you have protection against monetary loss in the event of
nearly any emergency.
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Home Exchange When You Have Pets
Many members successfully arrange home exchanges to include their
pets. For a lot of families, caring for each other's pets is an
enhancement to the arrangement, especially if they have children.
However, I cannot stress emphatically enough that no-one should ever
demand pet car of their home exchange partners. Many people don't like
pets, have never kept a pet, and simply would not be comfortable
looking after one. Not only that, if they have no experience with
animals, it's definitely not a good idea to expect them to suddenly
care for one properly. Such an arrangement could lead to disaster.
Look at it this way, you're already saving a small fortune on hotel
or vacation rental costs, so if your exchange partners are in any way
reluctant to care for your pets, either place them in a good boarding
facility, or with more willing and experienced friends or family. If
you opt for a boarding kennel, make sure your pet is current on all its
required shots before you actually drop it off otherwise that could be
another recipe for a last minute disaster!
Even if your home exchange partners are perfectly happy to look
after your pets, it's really not fair or realistic to expect them to be
tied to your home throughout the duration of their vacation. Far better
to set up an arrangement with a local professional pet sitting service
so that they will be "on call" to your exchange partners and able to
visit your home to feed and generally care for your pets should they
take a day trip or stay away overnight.
Reputable pet sitters will be registered with either of the following:
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Tips To Avoid Lost Baggage
Article By: Cynthia Ross Cravit
1. Arrive at the airport early. If you check in at the last moment:
you may make the flight, but your bags may not. The more time the
airline has to get your bag onto the plane, the more likely it will
actually arrive at your destination. If you're changing plans, try to
book flights that allow ample time for baggage transfer. Staying on the
same carrier can also help.
2. Make sure you receive a claim
check for every bag that you check. Also verify that the agent checking
your bags attaches a destination tag to each bag. (To avoid confusion,
remove tags from previous trips.) Finally, check to see that these tags
show the correct three-letter code for your destination airport.
3. Use colourful tags, labels or straps for easy spotting. Many bags
look alike, so a distinctive marking or colours will help you identify
your bag better - this could also deter would-be thieves.
4.
Label your baggage with your name and contact information, including
cell phone number. For security reasons, it's a good idea to use your
business address instead of your home address. Remember to include
labels on both the outside and inside of your luggage. That way if your
external tag is removed, you still have the inside tag.
5. Pack important items such as medication, keys, eye glasses and
laptops in carry on luggage. Other items which should not be checked
include small valuables such as cash, credit cards, jewelry, cameras or
irreplaceable items such as family heirlooms.
6. Keep a detailed list of what you packed in your baggage to facilitate any necessary claims.
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ExchangeHomes.com is a home exchange company that's been continually in business since 1986. This newsletter is published bi-monthly. Links to update you email address, unsubscribe and forward this issue to a friend can be found below.
Sincerely,
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Anne Pottinger
Editor
ExchangeHomes.com
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