Home Swaps - Advantages and Disadvantages - And Alternatives

Home swaps. Best done when you have a new almost empty home with nothing to be broken.

 I did this with my family when we were newly married with a small child and an au pair (like a maid or cheap nanny). We swapped our home in London for a week in the Channel Islands. 

Want something short term?  If you can't be around to hand over the keys, and no agent does it, you can ask a neighbour or a family memer who lives nearby. Best not to leave keys under a flowerpot. 

Cars

You can even swap cars. You need to given the right insurance for both vehicles, which includes lots of details, correct names and so on for the insurance documentation.  In fact, if you are dealing with people who say, just call me John, or have nicknames, it's good to have an official reason for demanding documentation well in advance.

What could go wrong?

Crockery

To avoid problems with breakages, some people put away their own crockery, and 12 person sets, because that would risk the visitors breaking one of a set of 12, or something no longer replaceceable, or leaving 12 sets of everything needing washing.

If you  buy a brand new matching set of crockery for four, that can easily be replaced by you or them. They have a small number of plates and cups and bowls and have to wash up after each meal and can't leave a huge amount of washing up deliverately or accidentally if they have to rush to get the taxi to the airport or catch a train or bus. 

We also rented out our home in the UK when we went to live and rent a home in the USA for a year. 

I found it very awkward to come back to the UK to see my family and not be able to live in my own home.

If you don't want to leave the place empty whilst you are away, consider a house sitter.

Pets

You could choose a family with the same pets.

Angela, and neighbour with dog.

You can also book a pet sitter. Compare the cost wwith the cost of putting your pet in a cattery or dog home. All sorts of options are available. 

You can join a Facebook page for English speakers, French speakers and Spanish speakers.

How do you check out the place? You could try Streetview, but check the date to see how recent the picture is.

Useful Websites

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Home_exchange#

https://www.homeexchange.com/p/facebook-groups-homeexchange

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Home_exchange#Home_Exchange_for_Seniors

https://www.homeexchange.com/p/risk-free-home-swaps?

How The Hotel Hair Dryer Can help you on holiday and in longstay quarantine

If you are stuck in a hotel on quarantine for two weeks of more you might be looking at what use you can make of what is supplied in your room.

Hair

A hotel hair dryer has many uses. It can dry your hair after a shower. You can plait your hair and dry it with a dryer to end up with waves and curls.

You can cool yourself by taking a cold shower and using a cold hair dryer. Or warm yourself with a hot shower and hot hair dryer.

Swimsuit

Or dry a swimsuit. Or swimming hat. Or a shower cap. Or a bathrobe. If you think the swimming cap material is sensitive to heat, run on cold. Or dry off off with paper towels. Or with a bathroom towel, then dry the towel with the hairdryer.

Clothes 

It can dry your underclothes and socks. It can dry your wet shoes and rained on outer clothes and even an umbrella. If you think the heat might cause damage, you could try running it on cold or half heat. You can also dry a wet bath towel, hand towel, or face flannel.

You can dry off plates, cups and other crockery. You can dry off cutlery. 

You can dry up spills on the table before you put down your laptop. 

Leftover take away - how to remember to put it in the fridge

If I ask for leftovers at a restaurant/pub/cafe to be wrapped up to go (in the UK we say take away) I usually remember to put them in the fridge when I get home if the food is carried separately. Unfortunately, if it's inside a bag such as a tote bag, often I forget for an hour or so, or even overnight?

How can I - and you - and everybody else - remember? Let's devise some systems.

1 Cross your fingers.

2 Keep a ribbon in your bag and tie it to the handle whenever you have purchases or leftovers which need to be removed.

3 Set a timer on your phone to go off when you reach home.

4 Send yourself a text message or email reminder.

5 Place a note on your fridge door before going out to dinner in case you bring anything back.

7 Have a ribbon on your door key so that whenever you reach home you think: Do I have anything to put in the fridge.

8 Wear a pendant or charm bracelet featuring a piece of fruit or tea cup or some kind of food or drink or cutlery or crockery as a reminder.

9 Stick a bookmark in your diary with the words LOOK FOR LEFTOVER FOOD.

Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker.
Author of How To Get Out Of The Mess You're In.