Holiday swap
Since the recession hit many families have to rethink whether or not they can afford to go on holiday. As the costs of holidays are increasing so is the cost of inflation, wages are not going up to cover these costs. Holidays are seen by most families as a luxury they just cannot afford, even holiday in the UK are more expensive than going abroad.
For years there have been small companies that offer ‘holiday swaps’ these allow people who own homes all over the world to travel to a ‘home away from home’. Holiday house swaps are becoming increasingly popular nowadays as couples who have children save the most. You only need to sort out and pay for flights and a little bit of money for food and entertainment. For many people the thought of letting a stranger into your home is very uneasy as you don’t know who they are and what damage can be done to your property whilst you are away. After extensive research there are not many complaints about this weird way to have a holiday.
Most people who swap homes do so via a well reputable company and in most cases they have to pay an annual membership for this service, so if you can get free accommodation at the end of it, it’s well worth it. The majority of people who house swap are upper middle class people who have big houses or houses/flats that are in well sought after areas. Although you may get a few that are just normal houses that are nowhere near anything of interest.
What to look out for when holiday swapping
- Some holiday swappers are leaving behind pets or plants that need looking after so if you are allergic or would prefer not to research as much as possible
- Some holiday swappers also would like the use of your car so you must check your insurance policy to make sure that it is legal and safe to do so
- Not all holiday swaps allow children; this is because they do not have adequate safety such as a crib or carpeted floors instead of tiles or laminate
- Make sure that there will be no building works carried out whilst you are there as there have been previous holiday swappers that have been left disrupted by works being carried out to the home
There are things like bedding, towels and general housekeeping to consider as there will be a house manual left by the owners. This can be cause problems if one family is fussier than the other, also if you choose to swap your home you will need to include a list of what can be found in your area for the new family that will live there temporarily. Things like supermarkets, sights, babysitters and restaurants.
Do some thorough research before you choose and make sure you have insurance for both your own home and the holiday home you plan to visit.