Q: I've been browsing offers on the Home Base Holidays website and am very interested in the idea of arranging a home Swap Holiday. It looks such a good idea but, as this would be my first swap, I am a little bit unsure of what people will be expecting of my home. My home is a 2-bedroom apartment in North London, it's not overly fancy or anything but I think it's a very nice comfortable space and has excellent public transport options nearby making it ideal for getting around London. However, it's where I live and so has all my clothes and personal belongings, etc - am I meant to remove these items / hide them away prior to a swap?
- Alan (London, England)
A: It's great that you’re interested in home swapping! Although Home Base Holidays does have quite a few second/holiday homes available for swapping, the vast majority of properties are just like yours - homes that are lived in full time. Therefore, being real lived-in homes, they will be fully furnished and contain personal items, kitchen stuff and in some cases things such as kids toys, cots, etc. Home swappers will expect to be staying in a real home rather than a holiday rental or hotel room. Therefore, there's absolutely no need to remove your personal belongings, just make sure that your home is clean, tidy and welcoming for your guest's arrival.
| House insurance: it’s very rare that we hear of problems during an exchange but it’s important to contact your house insurers to confirm your policy will cover the period your guests will be staying (we can also point you in the direction of reasonably price top up insurance for home swappers). |
Understandably, it can be quite a daunting planning your first home swap holiday but we're always here to help in any way we can! Contact us with any questions
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Budget friendly break? By swapping homes you can cut the cost of your holiday by over 90%. View the latest home exchange holiday offers and sign up to Home Base Holidays |
