# house swap vacation



## Hawkdog (Oct 26, 2012)

not sure if there is another thread.

But I was wondering if anyone on this site had tried a house swap vacation? If so what was the experience like? Can you recommend a website you trust?

Thinking for next year's holiday - would like to find someone who wants to come to BC and ski while we take in some sunshine.

Comments anyone?


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## mind_business (Sep 24, 2011)

The only experience I have is through my parents. They exchanged houses (theirs in Saskatchewan) with someone in Germany. Here are some issues that happened:

House in Germany:
- my parents maintain a clean, organized house. When they arrived in Germany, the house was a mess and dirty. They ended up cleaning just about everything just so they would feel comfortable. 
- they had no idea before they arrived in Germany that they would have to look after the owners cats. They had left a note with the request. Parents weren't happy.
- they car that was left for their use was designated as the pet vehicle. Full of hair, and fleas. Again, parents had to deep clean the car.
- other than that, they had a good time. They were there for 6 weeks and managed to enjoy the rest of their vacation.

Home in Saskatchewan:
- approx one week before my parents arrived back in Sask, the people who swapped homes with them got into a very serious car accident ... with my parents car. The mother ended up in the hospital for months. The accident was their fault. They had just returned from a fishing trip in Northern Sask and were very tired. He made a left turn into oncoming traffic. My parents insurance company wrote the vehicle off, and paid out a fraction of a new vehicle replacement.
- other than that ... they left the home in relatively clean condition. I understand that they managed to get back to Germany, but she was in and out of hospital for a long time.

Overall, this was the first and last time they did a home exchange. Having said that, I've heard of people who have had positive experiences. You just need to be aware going into this that there are risks associated with house swaps.


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## Hawkdog (Oct 26, 2012)

Thanks for the information.
I have also heard a few stories, like "they drove the car across Canada"

Do you know if your parents checked references? asked for recent pics of the house? asked about pets?

Just curious. I guess they didn't save a whole lot if they had to replace their vehicle.


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## mind_business (Sep 24, 2011)

Not sure if they checked references. I should also mention that this occurred about 8 years ago. They definitely asked for house pics, not sure about pets.


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## kcowan (Jul 1, 2010)

We have done multiple swaps, with a home in San Diego and several homes in Ontario (from West Vancouver). The San Diego and one of the Toronto swaps included cars. No problems with cleanliness. It included cats and that was no problem. One Ontario swap was to a cottage on Balsam Lake that included use of the watercraft.

We found the swappers to be respectful and cooperative. They had a tendency to be collectors though so we had a problem finding cupboard space.

The fact is that every swap is a leap of faith, and the first time was the worst, until we established faith in the process. I would recommend it but be careful to do due diligence on the prospective swappers. This includes talking to other people they have swapped with. If it is there first time, ask for references (e.g. neighbours, employers).

Friends have swapped a beachfront condo in PV for an apartment in Nice and it was also very positive. Another friend swapped their home in North Vancouver for a home north of Sidney AU, including cars, for a month. They liked it. Not surprisingly, the car is more of a concern than the house.


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## Hawkdog (Oct 26, 2012)

Thank you for the feedback.

How long were your swaps for? I currently only get 4 weeks holidays, up to 5 next year so I am looking for a 3 week duration.

Cars are my biggest concern for sure, especially for people coming from a country where they drive on the other side of the road. 
I just spent 3 weeks in New Zealand and used my cousin's car for the whole trip. Takes a bit of getting used to, especially as it was a stick shift.

Are there any websites you could recommend that you trust?


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## Charlie (May 20, 2011)

A friend of mine has done this too, swapping Vancouver for various places in Europe. Usually for about a month. He speaks very favorably about it. I know there's lots of communication for months before they swap sorting out details and expectations.

My concern would be the cars too. His guests seem to end up doing big road trips plus the obvious potential for a crash or breakdown. My friend said you could agree not to exchange cars but that most people do include them so you could be limiting your options. I'd think you'd want to find someone in your area who has done this to meet with face to face and hammer out the process and potential pitfalls of how to organize it. I've no idea how you'd find them....


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## Ihatetaxes (May 5, 2010)

I would consider doing this and swapping our rental house in Florida for a place in Europe/Australia/BC ski condo. The only big red flag I see is the car swap. Seems too risky with liability issues and fixing a broken bedside lamp is one thing but a blown transmission or other major car repair is not worth the risk.


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## kcowan (Jul 1, 2010)

An advantage of the car swap is that we got a chance to try another vehicle for a month. If your level of trust does not allow a car swap, you should probably not do the home either. It is not a deal breaker but it does impact total costs.


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## RBull (Jan 20, 2013)

Interesting kcowan. I've looked at a couple of sites and thought about doing a home swap to get started. Obviously a lot of due diligence is required but ultimately as I think you said it's a leap of faith. I would definitely want to do a car swap.


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## Ihatetaxes (May 5, 2010)

kcowan said:


> An advantage of the car swap is that we got a chance to try another vehicle for a month. If your level of trust does not allow a car swap, you should probably not do the home either. It is not a deal breaker but it does impact total costs.


I've got my house booked for over 60% of 2013 and 35% of 2014 already. No problems with it as I'm getting between $170 and $200/ night plus pool heat and exit cleaning fees. Property Manager pays my bills, deals with any issues from renters while they are there and I just collect the funds and signed contracts. So far a pretty enjoyable experience. Most rentals are multiple weeks and it seems the Europeans like a month at a time. Raised my rates for next year and already booked January through April.

I'd be happy to trade the place for a similar vacation property just to experience someplace new once in a while but am also happy paying my way as my vacation home is bringing in good revenue. Just got back from Turks and Caicos since there are snowbirds in my house all winter and I wanted to get away.


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## Hawkdog (Oct 26, 2012)

Here is a link to some info on picking a "club"

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/shelley-miller/8-easy-ways-to-choose-a-h_b_2593116.html


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## Hawkdog (Oct 26, 2012)

Ihatetaxes said:


> I've got my house booked for over 60% of 2013 and 35% of 2014 already. No problems with it as I'm getting between $170 and $200/ night plus pool heat and exit cleaning fees. Property Manager pays my bills, deals with any issues from renters while they are there and I just collect the funds and signed contracts. So far a pretty enjoyable experience. Most rentals are multiple weeks and it seems the Europeans like a month at a time. Raised my rates for next year and already booked January through April.
> 
> I'd be happy to trade the place for a similar vacation property just to experience someplace new once in a while but am also happy paying my way as my vacation home is bringing in good revenue. Just got back from Turks and Caicos since there are snowbirds in my house all winter and I wanted to get away.


sounds like you have a good thing going there!


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## kcowan (Jul 1, 2010)

Ihatetaxes said:


> Just got back from Turks and Caicos since there are snowbirds in my house all winter and I wanted to get away.


We sublet our place in Vancouver for the winter largely because of our good success with home swaps.


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