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Learn
how to travel... differently and discover this new
way of spending your holidays.
Comments,
letters and thanks from visitors and former
exchangers expressing their satisfaction with this
web site.
Free
consultation of hundred of offers for all seasons.
Only members have access to the co-ordinates of the
exchangers.
Becoming
a member: fees and services. In only a few minutes
you can have access to daily updated listings.
First
steps in Home Exchange ? Here are some practical
advice from a former exchanger.
.....
Frequently
asked questions. All about us and all you ever
wanted to know about home exchanges.
 
Members
entrance
info@Another-Home.com
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More
information on exchanging
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A
step-by-step guide to
exchanging
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On
this site you will find detailed descriptions of
the homes, services and facilities in the
various regions you wish to visit. Also take
note of the dates you would like to
exchange.
 January
to March are the best dates to make your first
contacts for a summer exchange: two years ago, we
had 14 offers -- one for Tahiti and another for
Reunion Island. The other 12 were for France:
Alsace, Poitou, Normadnie, Provence, Landes, Centre
Paris, etc. We made our first selection among these
offers, and we answered all of them whether we
liked them or not!
After
that, we corresponded with two or three people:
checked dates, exchanged photos and details about
the house, the car and the region. Then we had to
make our final choice: where do we go this year?
The south of France is usually our first choice;
after a cold Canadian winter, we want a warm and
sunny region, even if it means swealtering heat!
However, we are open to other areas of
France.
After
we've decided on the main points, we make our
flight reservations and contact our exchangers with
more questions: Can we camp there? Do you have
bicycles? Which restaurants do you recommend? We
keep in touch with our exchangers up until the
actual exchange takes place.
Ready
to experience making an exchange for yourself? Take
a good look at the offers, then subscribe.
Contact many people, send them photos via the
Internet. Check flight dates and airfare with your
travel agent. Take your time before committing
yourself to an offer, but don't wait too long: you
could miss out on a nice occasion. Revisit the
site: there are new listings daily! Don't look for
too many homes with pools in Provence if you can't
offer something similar in quality.
If
you don't find anything one year, it's ok -- you're
allowed to dream! At least you saw how
Another-Home.com works and there's always
next year!
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Fair
exchanges
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Studio
in Paris for a big, lakeside house in northern
New-York...
Lower
duplex two steps from the metro in Montreal.
Exchange for a "mas" in
Provence...
Suburban
home in San Francisco for an apartment in a small
village in the Alps...
Westfalia
1990 motorhome in Washington for similar in
Europe.
Everything
is exchangeable, but don't expect to exchange
your 3-room apartment for a mas in
southern France, or to get a huge apartment with
a terrace and garden in the middle of Paris --
the owners of these apartments don't need to
exchange their homes! Country houses have more
greenery around them and are usually larger than
city homes and apartments, and this goes for
Europe as well as Canada.
However,
city homes and apartments have their advantages:
they are close to metros or buses, cultural
attractions, sporting events, restaurants and other
services. Country houses will better suit nature
lovers who prefer wide open spaces, being next to a
lake or river, fishing, hiking along trails, or
just enjoying the peacefulness and isolation of the
countryside and discovering small hidden
villages.
We
belong to the second category.
The
size of the house is also an important factor in
exchanging: a couple with one bedroom cannot
exchange their apartment with a family of five. For
example, French exchangers usually travel in
families or groups of more than 4 people, so you
have to have at least two bedrooms to be able to
exchange.
Ideally,
you should correspond with 2 or 3 potential
exchangers and trade pictures of your homes.
Find something reasonalbe off the beaten track
-- don't go beyond your budget and rent a
seaside villa in Cannes! For Americans or
Canadians, I would recommend that they choose
any small village in France, even if it is in
the middle of nowhere! I encourage Europeans to
do the opposite and choose a home on a lake in
Canada or USA!
Feel
free to call each other to make sure that you have
understood all the details. Also, concerning the
car exchange, determine how much mileage you will
both be doing in advance; try to agree on an equal
limit, or be sure to make up for it. In North
America, long distances separate the major towns
and cities, and Europeans will love going to
Niagara Falls or New York while you tour the
surroundings of the region you're staying
in.
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Practical
Information
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Well,
that's everything! You've decided to go for it and
spend 5 weeks in the French countryisde while your
European counterparts live in your bungalow in
Orillia, Ontario. Here are some tips
(non-exhaustive) to help you prepare for your
exchange. Get ready to take notes!
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Plane
Tickets and Money
Reserve
your tickets as early as possible. Don't wait
until it's too late: you have committed yourself
to the exchange and your exchangers cannot
cancel without any reason. Also, if you wait
until the last minute and you can only get a
flight to Marseilles but your exchaning in
Lille, you'll have to spend extra money to get
there.
Don't
take too much money with you. There are bank
machines throughout Europe. Take out a large
amount at once because it costs $3 each time you
use your bankcard to withdraw money in
Europe.
Exchanging
Keys and Documents
This
is done more often at the airport because both
exchangers usually plan the same arrival and
departure dates. Otherwise, leave a phone number
they can call to pick up the keys, or ask
someone to go to your house to meet them, give
them they keys, and help them get
settled.
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House
Make
sure your house is spotlessly clean before you
leave, and it should look the same way when you
return. Make a list of things your exchangers
should know like garbage and recycling days,
where the sheets and towels are, that the hot
and cold water taps are the reverse, how to open
the garage door, where you put your camping
equipment, how to use your appliances, how to
change the fuses, or how to clean the pool.
Either give this list to your exchangers, or
post little notes around the house; on the
fridge, for instance. If you have valuable
objects or documents, lock them in a safe,
closet or another piece of furniture.
Car
Make
sure your car is clean and the tank is full
before exchanging. Ask your exchangers to do the
same. Leave your registration papers in the car
and call your insurance company. Do an oil check
before leaving. Never park in front of the front
door, or you will get a ticket lest you
forget!
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Neighbours
Tell
at least one neighbour that you are exchanging
your home, and ask them to pick up your mail if
your guests leave for a couple of days. It would
also be nice if your neighbour checked every now
and then on how things are going. Our charming
neighbour, Mr. Boisclair, does all this for
us!
Maps and
Plans
Leave
maps of your area, city and Province for you
guests. Tell them where the restaurants and the
dry cleaner are located, or where to buy good
bread (very important for a French person!).
Show them where the closest markets,
supermarkets and department stores are located,
and explain to them what a
dépanneur is (if the exchange
takes place in Québec). Do everything to
make them have the most pleasant stay
possible.
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Telephone
Leave
a list of the most important numbers: your
neighbour, the police, fire department and
ambulance (911 in most communities throughout
North America), clinic, doctor,hospital,
plumber, electrician, garage, your family and
friends, etc. If your exchangers need to use
these services, in case of an emergency, for
example, exchange bills afterwards to determine
how much is owed and by whom.
Maintenance
You
are on vacation and so are your exchangers, so
don't expect them to tend your precious orchids!
Take them with you or give them to a friend or
neighbour until you return. Also ask your friend
or neighbour to water your lawn or garden, or
hire a company to do it. Plant less flowers so
people don't feel obligated to water or tend
them as you would.
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Animals
Do
you have a big cat (like us)? Ask your
exchangers if they have any allergies, or if
your pet would bother them. If they do mind,
find someone who will take care of your pet for
a month. A dog is more complicated than a cat.
You can also put your dog in a kennel or take it
with you.
Finally,
did you...
cancel
your newspaper subscription?
leave clear instructions on how to use your
VCR that never works?
give your exchangers a spare set of keys?
explain to your exchangers that to start your car
you have to keep the clutch down?
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Seems
like there are too many little details? Not if you want a
successful exchange and another one the next year!
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