Home Swappers Newsletter is published bi-monthly to provide information on home exchange vacations for current and recent members of Home Base Holidays, enquirers and Newsletter subscribers. See links at bottom of page to change your email address or unsubscribe.

Would we do it again? You bet! The opportunity to live the UK winter in one of the world's most livable cities with a superb climate, unparalleled sport, music and culture and scenery to die for, all set in one of the world's best wine producing regions, takes some beating. We are in regular contact with Paul & Adele (our swappies) and apart from the cold weather (they will never complain about a Melbourne winter again!) they appear to be enjoying the UK experience so hopefully we have a win win. We are open to long term exchange offers for winter 2004/5 and hope that we can repeat our successful experience'. - Phil & Debbie Bland, HE13347 (photo above of the Blands' kitchen). Editor's Note: I really appreciate Phil's dedication, 'dragging myself away from the beach to write your article'. This newsletter is being compiled while looking out on snowy London!

View Phil & Debbie's Exchange Offer: HE13347

	Sample Member Home Exchange Agreement
Phil & Debbie (long-term exchange article above) kindly included a copy of their exchange agreement along with their article. Although there is a sample exchange agreement form in the Guidelines for Members on the Home Base Holidays website, that can be copied and adapted, having a sample of a 'real' agreement should be very useful to other members when compiling their own. As every home exchange is a unique arrangement between the two parties involved, no two exchange agreements will be exactly the same but there will be many aspects common to most. Phil & Debbie continue: 'As soon as we had arranged our home swap in April 2003 we exchanged a written agreement covering all the basic things covered by Carole and Maurice (article in Dec03 Home Swappers Newsletter). In addition we covered things such as subletting, Internet providers, what to do about breakages (inevitable over 6 months), what to do and who to tell in the event of a break in, and the issues concerning the car (we swapped our cars too). We are happy for our draft agreement to be used and adapted by others if it helps'. - Phil & Debbie Bland, HE13347 (photo of home above). It is always advisable to put a home exchange agreement in writing in good time before an exchange takes place, and have it approved by both parties to the exchange, to avoid the possibility of misunderstandings later. Before drawing up an agreement you will have discussed and agreed on all the most important issues that you both feel are relevant. Keep a record of your correspondence during the course of arranging your exchange. The agreement is just a summary of everything you have already agreed and gives both parties to the exchange the chance to check that all issues have been covered to their satisfaction. It doesn't matter who compiles the agreement but, if you feel you have reached the stage in your arrangements when all major points have been discussed and agreed between you, do offer to draft an agreement if your exchange partners haven't already done so. Although most of your arrangements are likely to be made by email (and a few phone calls), it is a good idea for each party in the exchange to sign two printed copies of the agreement and exchange by fax or post. You might also like to exchange copies of air tickets at this stage as, seeing that your exchange partners have already paid for their flights is another reassurance that all is in order before the exchange takes place. Of course, however careful you are in arranging your exchange, it is impossible to anticipate every eventuality but, if you have already decided that home exchange is a great idea, you are not likely to be the type of traveller who would let minor hitches get in the way of having a wonderful home swap experience. The Blands' Home Exchange Agreement »

	'Home from Home': Take Part in the 3rd TV Series
A number of Home Base Holidays members took part in the 'Home from Home' programs broadcast over the last two years on Channel 4 TV in the UK. As far as we are aware, 'Home from Home' is the only TV series to date devoted entirely to home exchange. It is very exciting to know that the first two series proved so popular that Maverick Television has been commissioned to produce a third series. Like the first two series, 'Home from Home' Series 3 will be about people who home- swap between Great Britain and ANYWHERE else in the world! Each episode in the series is half an hour long and features people who exchange their homes for holidays. Both sides of one home exchange will be filmed, capturing a unique insight into what it's like staying in someone else's home in another country. Maverick is urgently seeking potential participants with home exchanges arranged between mid-February and early May. They welcome all types of contributors - families, couples, people going with friends or on their own. Maverick researcher, Tom Green, writes: 'For the filming, we have two man crews who use small cameras. The crew would be with both families for one day at their home before departing and for 2-3 days of their time away. But don't worry - we don't want to take up too much of your precious holiday time! We would NOT take over - our aim is to add to the fun and adventure of the holiday, and not to get in the way of it. We are only there in an observational capacity. Contributors that have previously taken part in the experience have expressed how much they enjoyed it. All taking part will receive a VHS of their home swap as a fantastic momento of their holiday. In the summer, Maverick will also be filming a series of prime time 'Home from Home' programs for Channel 4. This means we're looking to go bigger, grander and further afield for a truly inspirational look at the worldwide phenomenon of home exchanges. If you'd like to share a part of your exotic or far-away summer exchange with us contact Lois at Home Base Holidays (email link below) who will pass your messages on to me. I will be in touch with further information and will be pleased to answer your questions.' - Tom Green, Maverick Television The 'Home from Home' series is great publicity which encourages more people to try out home swapping (and the more exchange listings, the more choice for all members). We would be delighted to see more Home Base Holidays members in the new series. The most urgently needed are volunteers who have exchanges arranged any time between mid February and early May but please also contact me if you are interested in taking part in the summer programs. On a different note, we sometimes have enquirers interested in home exchange but who would like to talk to someone who has had an exchange before joining. If you are an experienced exchanger who might enjoy answering a few questions very occasionally please let us know. And finally, have you ever used home exchange for work or business travel (or combined work with pleasure on an exchange)? This is an increasingly viable option for many people and we would again be pleased to hear from you if you may be willing to talk to a journalist about such an exchange. Contact Lois re 'Home from Home' »

	Laid Back or Meticulous: What's Your Home Exchange Style?
First time home swapper, Connie Kain, whose home in Cape Cod is shown in the photos, contacted us with a question on how often she should send messages to an exchange partner during the run-up to the exchange. Connie writes: 'I am rather new to home exchange and I had three swaps planned for the coming year - in Scotland, Florida and France. I had been e-mailing all three people on a regular basis and had struck up quite a good rapport with the lady in Scotland. The Florida trip seems to be going well too. But it seems that I was overzealous in my emails to the French lady, and this was the trip we were most excited about. I frequently sent her good websites about Cape Cod and messages re the beautiful Fall that we've been having. Her emails were brief and infrequent lately and I felt that her enthusiasm might be waning. So, I expressed my concerns to her and let her know that I needed to know if she had misgivings. She answered to say she felt that I had been emailing her too often so far ahead of the exchange and that, as she had already sent all the necessary information, there was no need for such a high rate of contact. As I had expressed concern, she decided we were too incompatible and that it would be better for both if we sought other exchanges. I don't want to scare people away but I want to get to know them if they're going to live in my home. Can you help with your insight?' - Connie Kain, HE13988 (Connie is open to offers in Europe for Sept 2005). In the Dec03/Jan04 issue of Home Swappers the feature article was on finding exchange partners with similar lifestyles and attitudes to housework, etc. Connie's experience highlights the fact that it is not only these considerations that can influence a decision on whether a potential exchange is likely to suit both parties but also how important it is to find exchange partners with compatible personalities. Although, unlike with a hospitality exchange, you won't likely to be spending much time (if any) with your exchange partners when doing a direct swap, it can make all the difference to your experience if you find out early if your potential exchange partners have a similar attitude to your own both on the amount of contact expected and the degree of formality desired in the exchange arrangements. Like Connie and her exchange partner in Scotland, many members enjoy getting to know each other in a long run-up before the exchange and will feel much more comfortable that all issues have been addressed well ahead to ensure the swap goes without a hitch. For others, a hectic life will make receiving many messages from an exchange partner feel like just another pressure and demand on their time that's not necessary. Still others will be somewhere in between, i.e. prepared to spend time to arrange the exchange but possibly more willing to trust that all will go well without going into minute detail. If you are a naturally meticulous type of person, do contact your exchange partners whenever you have a question or information to share but, if you feel you may be overwhelming them with messages, perhaps preface your non-urgent messages with a note to say you understand that they may be too busy to respond immediately but that you are contacting them as you think of something relevant and look forward to hearing from them when they have the time. Of course, if there are worryingly long periods of silence, it is certainly in order to ask them to confirm that they are still happy with your arrangements. You can always find an excuse for making contact - perhaps that you are finding some good flight deals and want to make sure all is well before making a firm booking. You do have to be extra careful when writing to members in a language other than their first language - an overload of information in another language could really be overwhelming. In such cases, it would help a lot if you can translate your messages, have someone do this for you or use a specialist translation service (see information on one such service in the Dec03 issue of Home Swappers). View Connie's Listing in Cape Cod, Massachusetts: HE13988 »

	Home Exchange Request: New Zealand for Ireland
Gwen, a friend of mine, called on her return to England from visiting her daughter in New Zealand and mentioned that she had met Home Base Holidays members, Deryck and Caryl Watts, while in New Zealand. What a small world! Gwen reported that the Watts' were hoping to exchange to Ireland but, as other projects had got in the way, hadn't yet managed to arrange a swap. Deryck and Caryl's luxury home (photo above) is located in the small town of Kerikeri, Northland, and is in an elevated position with 360 degree views of sea, river, village, orchards and farmland. Caryl writes: 'We are open to offers anywhere in Ireland, probably any time in 2005 or late 2004, for a period of around 2 - 4 weeks. Whilst in Ireland we would like to also explore surrounding countries and are open to other exchange offers too.' - Caryl Watts, HE13994 View Deryck & Caryl's Offer in Kerikeri, New Zealand: HE13994 »

	The Good Web Guide: 5 Star Rating for Home Base Holidays
Travel is one of the most searched for topics on the internet today but the choice of so many different sites can make it very time consuming to find the websites you really need. The Good Web Guide has handpicked the sites which are essential for anyone planning a holiday using the internet. There are millions of websites dedicated to leisure travel and the Good Web Guide has reviewed the best, saving you precious time on your holiday travel arrangements. We are delighted that Home Base Holidays has recently been reviewed by The Good Web Guide and given a five star rating! Ratings are based on website readibility, content and how often content is updated, navigation and speed. Full reviews are available to members of The Good Web Guide's Travel Channel. Online membership to The Good Web Guide's Travel Channel costs just £10. This gives full access to the latest news and website reviews. An all channel subscription costs £30 or, alternatively, register a book purchase to access a designated channel. Visit The Good Web Guide website to subscribe, buy a book or to sign up for the bi-monthly newsletters.   The Good Web Guide (select Travel & Leisure Channel) »

	Swapping Lifestyles: New Zealand for England
Recent members, the Milnes' family, are looking to swap their very modern home (photo shown) in New Zealand for a complete lifestyle change for a year. Their preferred destination is Oxfordshire but they are open to offers from other areas of England too. The Milnes' would like their two primary school age children to go to a local school while on exchange and, in turn, their very pretty location of Havelock North offers excellent schools, sporting facilities and shopping for the exchange family. They write: 'If you are looking for a complete change and would like your family to experience the best of life in New Zealand, this is truely the exchange for you. We would love to hear from you'. - Amanda & Stewart Milne, HE14752 View the Milnes' Offer in Hawkes Bay, New Zealand: HE14752 »

	Newsletter Contributions
We are always pleased to receive contributions for the newsletter - short articles about your exchange experiences, tips for those new to the idea of swapping homes and questions from subscribers considering a home exchange holiday for the first time. Please feel free to forward Home Swappers to friends and colleagues who may be interested in home exchange (see Forward Email link below newsletter). *Note: if you are reading this newsletter on the website but believe you should be receiving copies as published by email, please check the following as there can be a number of reasons for non-delivery: 1. an incorrect or out-of-date email address on our mailing list. Contact us with your new/correct address. 2. ISPs and/or mailing programs with overly rigourous spam filters that block many legitimate messages from opt-in mailing lists along with the unsolicted spam. Some ISPs will now only deliver messages to addresses that the recipient has added to a 'white list' or 'buddy list'. All Home Swappers content is copyright and cannot be used in any form without written permission from Home Base Holidays. Home Base Holidays, London, UK 1985-2004: 19th year providing a home exchange service worldwide Contact Lois Sealey, Editor, Home Swappers Newsletter »