Tired of a holiday in a hotel or in a tourist village, need to save money, desire to have more authentic holidays and need large spaces?
One of the way that brings all these needs together is the holiday homes exchange, often chosen by large families or even people who want to be more in touch with the place they are going to visit.
The home exchange allows you to make your home available to potential guests who in turn will make their home available. It is a widespread activity in European countries, especially in Northern Europe, which is also widely spreading in Italy. The exchange can take place simultaneously or deferred, if you own a second home, for example, or even by choosing to be present when the guests are at your home. This way allows you to continuously interact with the guests themselves and create, for a few days or some weeks, a sort of large family that shares the same roof, which will surely please your children.
On the web there are many sites that offer the home exchange management service. Usually you have to fill in a form in which all your data and references relating to your home, the period in which you want to make it available and where you are available to leave. You will be asked to insert photos of the house and often also of your family and to indicate all your requests. Then matching occurs with those who meet these characteristics. We often know each other virtually first to make the necessary agreements and to establish rules of good permanence. It is not uncommon to choose to make your own car available to your guests.
We advise you, once the exchange has been agreed, to prepare your home to welcome guests who will arrive flawlessly, writing a note with the useful numbers in case of emergency or other, a mini guide that allows guests to choose what to visit of the your territory, which also allows them to manage the house itself. It is useful to leave the instructions for cleaning, for the use of the washing machine and dishwasher, the addresses of the nearest supermarkets and shops. Important to prepare towels and sheets and make room in the closets. The same goes for the kitchen, better to leave the fridge and pantry empty. A gift for guests to leave on their arrival is very welcome, if you cannot meet them in person: it is a good way to make them feel truly at home.
Home exchange is a useful way to travel not only to save money but also an interesting way to make new friends, discover other cultures up close and establish contacts with new people to see in the future.