Experience House-Swapping

[LittleHornChick]

Has anybody successfully house-swapped before or known someone who has or regularly does it?

I've been interested in it for a while, but never actually done it. Maybe you know of it by another name or heard someone describe it, but essentially the purpose is to find someone in another town, state, or even country that you'd vacation to and swap homes with them for that time period (i.e. a weekend, week, even retirees that do swap for a month or more). It saves you on hotel bills and possibly dining (because you'd have access to a kitchen and save on going out to eat).

I've found several web-sites, but kind of leery of going that route.

Thoughts? Experiences (either positive or disasters)?

 

[idigTexas]

I've never done this, and I can't imagine that I would do so with my home. Invite a bunch of strangers to stay in my house while I'm not there so they can rifle through all my stuff and do who knows what? No thanks.

If I had a vacation home, I might consider swapping that.

I might be more agreeable if I had a bunch of survelance equipment.

 

[LittleHornChick]

Well, no, I guess I wouldn't consider it with total strangers either, but if my brother told me his parents-in-law from Japan wanted to come to the US and see the Grand Canyon, Sedona, Flagstaff, etc., I'd very likely consider that with them. If a long-time friend said her parents now live in Hawaii, I would love to offer or at least broach the topic with them....lots more connections of people I wouldn't worry about riffling through or stealing my stuff that I'd seriously consider or even pursue it with, but wanted to see if anybody on HornFans had some experience at it.

I consider you guys my friends.....

 

[UTinBigD]

my aunt is thinking about doing this with a couple in France, outside Paris.

My aunt lives on a ranch in central TX and they are talking aobut switching for 6 months to a year. This makes sense if you are swapping for so long because a hotel for that long would be rediculous.

Why anyone would want to spend 6-12 months in Richland Springs is beyond me.

 

[LittleHornChick]

how did she meet them?

 

[HornUSA]

my house is too precious to swap with strangers. i stick with wife swapping only.