5 Ways to land your first House Swap!

Did y'all read my last post about how you can travel the world for a small fee of only $150?! If not, stop what you are doing and READ IT NOW!

If you did read it, then you know all about Home Exchange and the various ways it works. So now that I have sold you on the platform, you ask yourself "Who on earth would every want to come to (insert lacklustre city name here)"

The #1 concern with house swapping is just that. "I love the idea, but no one would want to stay here, therefore - it would never work for me."

I get it! I had those exact same reservations, but below I am going to show you the 5 steps I took for great success. I promise you (well like 99.9%) if you follow these steps, you will be well on your way to an airport for an unforgettable trip.

So you have decided to try out Home Exchange, Great! Before starting your 30 day trial period, here's a tip: get your house ready beforehand. Get your home relatively organized and take some well lit photos before starting the countdown. It will add some valuable days to your trial period.

I wanted to make sure that the platform worked before shelling out the $150 . Within the first week I was sold and 21 days later I was happily plugging in my credit card digits.

Here are a few ways that have helped me immensely to land our first of many home exchanges.

1. Professional Photos: I cannot stress how important this first tip is. It’s not just the real estate photographer in me, but the fellow traveler. When you are searching for a home on the other side of the country, photos sell the home.

If you don’t feel comfortable to take the plunge on a home based on the internet presence, chances are you will not choose to stay there.

2. Clean and Declutter: Once again, your internet presence is of the utmost importance. Not only will your photos show better online, but no one wants to stay in a cluttered, dirty home. Chances are you are going up against some real competition, you want your home to stand out. Don’t be shy, put out a nice fruit basket, some free travel size toiletries. One day of work will pay for itself a million times over, trust me!

3. Showcase your city/town: I knew that no one wanted to come to some little town in Southern Ontario, so I really had to sell it. We are home to one of the largest fresh water lakes in the world, and truly, one of the nicest beaches in Canada plus world renowned sunsets (seriously!). We are on the border of Michigan which is home to several stunning parks and very easy to travel to since you do not need to pay for a visa.

Our downtown core is home to new gastropubs, breweries and art galleries, plus the Bluewater Bridge (which connects us to Michigan) serves up the best fresh cut french fries you will ever taste; all while viewing the large freighters pass under the magnificent bridge while the kids play at the park and splash in the water.

See what I mean? My little town is looking better already, and becoming less and less of what us locals affectionately refer to as “Sarn-hole”

4. Showcase your country: When you have maxed out all the charm on your town, turn to your country. Thankfully for us, Canada is one magnificent country. If you still don’t want to come to Sarnia, you may want to visit Toronto, or Niagara Falls, or Tobermory, or the Bruce Peninsula or even take the 5 hour train ride to Chicago; it can be magical.

Don’t forget to include what you can drive to in your area. Remember, these people are travelling from another country and receiving free accommodation. They won’t be deterred by booking a night away to take in the sights of the country - we sure aren’t!

5. Use the “select all” Option: Now that your home is ready to showcase, log on to the Home Exchange platform (or whatever platform you are using) and start sending your emails.

You can filter the homes by those looking to come to your area (ie: Toronto) or narrow it down by country if you think you will have a higher success rate.

For some reason, the Irish love Canada, so I knew to start there. I emailed all of Ireland with a proposal. Come to Canada for a balloon or let’s exchange! Ireland gave me the best results with 8 balloon offers and numerous more who wanted to do a direct exchange.

Nothing comes easy, but with some elbow grease and that beautiful “select all” button, you will be well on your way to your first exchange! But please do not spam these kind families. Once you have written them once, do your best not to hassle them again.

Any further questions, please don’t hesitate to send me a message. Good luck!

#homeexchange