If you've ever taken a good, long look around your house and thought, "I wish I could trade houses with someone - even for a month," you're not alone. Some homeowners are acting on those words.

Home-swapping (or home exchanging) has become increasingly popular, and for many reasons.

After the initial glee of temporarily inheriting another's home wears off, you might ask yourself if you'd really be interested in taking up residence in a stranger's home in a faraway place. After all, a home is such a personal thing. Won't it seem like an invasion of sorts? And by the same token, are you willing to trust a stranger in your own home while you're away? The traditional home exchange involves just that - you're literally trading homes with another individual or family. But as several organizations worldwide have demonstrated, trading homeowners have the opportunity to correspond and meet with one another prior to the big switcheroo, enhancing the comfort level and trust on both sides.

While the concept may seem a bit foreign at first, you'll soon learn to love it. Consider the following advantages of home-swapping: First, you're getting the invaluable opportunity to explore an unfamiliar place - a new country, a new culture. Although airline fares have come down in cost, plane tickets are just the beginning; and in fact, they're practically a financial afterthought. Lengthy international travel - especially for families -- can be prohibitively expensive. Home-swapping enables you to stay in a new locale without paying rent for your accommodations.

While you may have had initial reservations about trading homes with a strange family or individual, the personal nature of this trade is precisely the reason why home exchanges have proven to be so successful. Particularly when they're venturing into unfamiliar territory, home-swappers actually feel much more comfortable trading accommodations with a family they've met, versus committing themselves to a random vacation home or timeshare property they located online by themselves or with the assistance of a large timeshare resort organization. If you plan to stay somewhere for a lengthy period of time, hotels, while more predictable, are much, much pricier and don't provide travelers with the same level of cultural immersion as a home exchange. You'll never converse with your fellow neighbors or take a leisurely stroll through town on your way to the market as you would being a temporary homeowner.

Another reason that traveling for extended periods is a formidable challenge is the question of who will take care of your permanent residence. Who will assume responsibility for the day-to-day tasks, such as watering your plants, taking care of your son's hamster and just keeping an eye on the place? You can hire someone to do it, of course, but it's going to cost you dearly, especially considering the length of time you're going to be away.

As a home-swapper, you're getting this service performed 24 hours a day, seven days a week, free.

If you're interested in learning more about home-swapping, but as you glance around your own home, you have doubts as to whether anyone would be willing to hop on a transatlantic flight to live there for an extended period, think again. Many individuals and families - especially those who have never traveled overseas before - are anxious to gain cultural experience.

Regardless of how luxurious (or not) your home might be, your temporary tenants are going to benefit from their immersion in another culture and language. Be as honest as you can be in your description of your home, but by all means, play up the positives. Is your home located near public transportation? Restaurants? Shopping? Recreational activities? How many people will your home sleep? How many bathrooms do you have? Stress all of those points, leave your home neat and tidy, and you'll find your guests are happy with their temporary accommodations.

The desire to be introduced (cost-effectively) to new walks of life and gain exposure to other customs is what drives homeowners to trade residences with other homeowners. Home-swapping has gained fans of every age group, from young professionals to retirees. To join the legions of home-swappers, or to find out more about this emerging trend, check out the following Web sites:

• Trading Homes.com
• VHU (Vacation Homes Unlimited) Home Exchange
• Holi-Swaps Vacation Homes & Rentals
• Home Link International

In tomorrow's article, we'll discuss proper home-swapping etiquette - in other words, how to prepare your short-term guests for their stay in your home.

For more articles by Courtney Ronan, please press here.

Published: February 7, 2001

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