Hi,

Thinking of doing a house swap for my next holiday. Seems to be a few sites which offer the service.

Anyone done this or can share there experience?

I have 3 kids who constantly wreck my house so not worried about another family doing the same:)

Do you get to leave the kids?

We’ve swapped houses – but only with colleague, friends and friends of friends.

I think with ‘strangers’ is a whole new ball game of what are thier standards and expectations.

Without a doubt damage to the property was my biggest concern. We ‘got away with it’, only a broken plate or glass. It also means a big clean the day before you leave, because there wasn’t a cleaner.

What about a STW house swap idea?

There’s a fair few on here I’d trust with my house.
I’m sure likewise….

DrP

I’d think that’s a good idea.

Some sites have insurance to cover damages. Still doesn’t make up for the emotional damage they could do to your home.

If you are staying in their home and Vice versa then there is a shared risk to the whole venture.

As nice as it would be to let an STW’er stay in my house I would like some sort of legal protection and deposit system in place.

We did it a few years back. 4 of us (inc 2 kids) went to Brussels and 4 ladies came to ours. Think it was arranged through a writer/journalist Facebook group my wife was part of.

It was pretty easy all things considered – and cheap, just took the Eurostar. We even looked after each other’s cats.

Hmmmm. Ok. Cool.

I’ve long been looking to swop my Glasgow tenement with a penthouse on the cote de’ jure.

No takers yet 🙁

Thinking of doing the pet sitting or wwoofing type thing.

GF and I are sodding off from the 9-5/60 hour week and jacking it in, favouring living in a van and odd jobbing our way around Europe for a few years.

I am let sitting at the mo. For a neighbour.

cote de’ jure.

Is that in Argyll?

😆 I didnt know how to spell it and googled how it sounded. All I got was French riviera.so it recognised it, but no correct spelling 😆

Swapped house and car with an Australian for a year, no major problems.

Problem is that certain people, such as scotroutes would be inundated with requests whereas others, such as those of us in suburban Manc would be left outundated. Or what ever the opposite is.

Just for the hell of it then who are the ten posters with the most enviable location?

Just for the hell of it then who are the ten posters with the most enviable location?

I live at the bottom of Mt Fromme on Vancouvers North Shore, epi-centre of free-riding but I’m sure that won’t appeal to the majority of minicing STW “mountain bikers” 😉

It’s an idea….