Years ago I took a two week vacation in the Smokey Mountains for free. It was awesome. We were just a few minutes drive from the National and state parks, a half hour from Gatlinburg and forty five minutes from a major city. The house was tucked away down a back road without a neighbor in sight. I was house sitting for a friend and all it cost me was the gas to drive there. I made sure that the house was safe and sound and got the mail every day. The rest of the time was mine to do anything that I wanted to do.
In the age of the internet many of us have friends in different states or even countries, some of whom we know fairly well. Have you ever thought about trading houses with them? It’s not really a novel idea and there are companies that will match you up with someone who wants to trade houses in your area. It works somewhat like an online dating service. If you saw the movie, “The Holiday” you have a pretty good idea of how it works.
One of the sites, Home Exchange (the one used in the movie) has a membership fee of $9.95 per month that is billed annually. They also have a 3 month membership for $15.95 per month. It’s not a bad buy if you decide that you are seriously considering a trade. Home Exchange also has some great advice on how to be successful at trading houses. They also publish many of their success stories and I enjoyed reading a few of them. They really make it seem possible and FUN!
If you aren’t sure that you are ready to spend money on this endeavor, another website Home Exchange Vacation has a free membership option. Just like Match.com, you can list your house for free and search for others but you can’t contact anyone without purchasing a full membership. Their full membership is under $30 for a 3 month membership.
Tips for making a Successful Trade
- Make sure that you are comfortable with the other person. Talk in email and on the phone before you commit to a trade. If you aren’t comfortable with anything, pass on it.
- Decide in advance how you are going to handle utility bills, cars, pets, etc.
- Whether you go through a service or not, have a written contract that specifies responsibilities of each party and liabilities.
- Check with your insurance company especially if you are trading cars to make sure that your insurance covers invited guests and permitted drivers.
- Make lists of emergency contacts, repair people and local attractions for your guests.
- Just for the fun of it, leave flowers and a chilled bottle of wine.
- Have a neighbor or friend check in with your guests the day after their arrival to make sure they are comfortable and don’t have any questions. It also puts a friendly face with the names on your list.
I think it could be a great way to see the country if not the world. Home Exchange also mentions that long weekends are their fastest growing segment so you don’t have to go around the world or even for a month. You can exchange houses with someone right down the road and just get away for a few days.
Have you tried exchanging homes? How did it work for you? I’d love to hear some of your personal experiences.
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Tags: frugal living, saving money, vacations
