IT PAYS TO READ THE SWAP LISTING

Taking the time to read a swap listing pays off. We get dozens of offers each month from people who have just cut and pasted the same general offer to everyone in our town. In my experience the follow up to this approach is often to ignore my response and not even bother thank me for my interest if someone else answers the email more quickly or with a better offer.


The kind of offer that gets me excited to swap with someone arrived this morning and is included below, with the permission of the swappers. From the first sentence it is clear that the exchangers are considering our interests as well as their own. When I clicked through to their listing I found a very tempting and well-writen description of their home and town.


The only suggestion I would have is offering more lead time for this trans-continental exchange. My winter home exchange plans are already set. If they were not, these exchangers would definitely be strong contenders, just because their approach showed they think about our needs as well as their own.

"Hey there ,

You write that you have to be within a drive from NYC, but you ALSO write that you enjoy the PNW. So here goes...

My wife and I live in Bellingham, Washington State, at the foot of the Cascade Mountains. We are about one hour\'s drive to Mt. Baker, world-record snow accumulation and supposed first home of snowboarding (http://www.mtbaker.us/ AND the same distance to Vancouver, B.C. There is skiing right around Van, or Whistler is another 1.5 hours north.

We\'ll be in NYC from Feb. 11-15 to visit my grandmother who lives on the Lower East Side. This, by the way, is opening weekend for the Olypics in Vancouver. Our house will be open during this time and will probably be open from Dec. 21-30 when we should be on vacation in a sunny place.

Food for thought...let us know if you\'ve any interest.

Cheers,"

This exchanger could easily send exactly the same email to everyone he contacts, changing only the first sentence of the offer. That lets him highlight the best of his area while taking into account the unique preferences and concerns of this possible swap partners. This person is new to exchanging but he has made a good start. We can all learn from his approach.


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SHOULD YOU PAY TO REMODEL THE SWAP HOME?

Your hotel room had better be perfect. If it is dirty, or you want another pillow, just call the front desk. Unless you stay at the No-Tell Motel management is going to do what they can to satisfy you, the customer.


Based on your experience with paid lodging you may not expect to invest any money in the swappers' home.


Hey, it's your vacation. Why not enjoy the exchange more by assuming things at the swap will NOT be perfect.


DIFFERENT STROKES FOR DIFFERENT FOLKS

You get to the swap home and it's just not comfortable. That is not a slight against your exchange partners. They like their home just as it is. That does not mean you will have the same taste or preferences as the family who lives in that home. Chances are something will be lacking that you really need to be comfortable.


LITTLE THINGS MEAN A LOT

You only sleep on down-filled pillows. Your swap partners are allergic to them. Wire hangers damage your fine outfits. The swappers use the hangers they get from the cleaners'. Nothing is more pleasant for you than a breeze from an electric fan. The exchangers don't have any fans in their home.


CUSTOMIZE THE SWAP HOME

When we get to a swap home we plan to invest a reasonable sum to ensure our comfort. When our kids were young we bought a stair gate at one home and a port-a-crib at another.

It is reasonable to expect to spend some money just to make sure the swap home has the amenities you prefer.


WHAT DO I HAVE TO BUY?

Some items you may need, but not find at the swap home, based on my experience over 40+ swaps, include

* reading lamp
* fan
* cooking gear like a decent chef's knife
* extra blanket
* radio
* 100% cotton bedding
* down pillow
* bath mat
* mattress pad
* vase

The possibilities are endless. Mind you, no exchange home needed all of these items. It is likely that you might have to spend the equivalent of one night's hotel cost to buy things you need to be truly comfortable.


STRANGE BED, FELLOW

One common theme to the list of equipment I have bought for the swap home is "bedding".

There is nothing more individual than sleeping preferences. If the exchangers like a hard mattress you may need to buy a foam mattress topper. If the bed is too soft a bed board could be needed.

Don't sacrifice your comfort because the swap home doesn't have every item you prefer. It will not be your home, and that is the point. Assuming you will need to buy those things will ensure you are happier with your home exchange experience.


LEAVE IT OR CHUCK IT?

Now that you know you will have to buy a few things to really enjoy your swap, be careful about leaving them for the exchangers. They may see the presence of these items as a rebuke.

Swappers once left us a home exchange gift of generic dishtowels. I couldn't help but inspect our stack of 20 or so dishtowels. Did our home exchange partners fail to find them? Were they stained?

Most likely the message being sent was "perhaps you would enjoy these dish towels".

Leaving items you considered "missing" from the swap home could imply that you were uncomfortable there. While it might be wasteful to throw out that foam mattress pad you only used for one week, don't leave it for the swappers.


SO WHAT SHOULD I DO WITH IT?

Every community has some sort of charity organization that would love your donation of lightly-used home goods. Donate it to a thrift shop, shelter, etc. Just don't risk offending or inconveniencing the exchangers by leaving them a pile of things you needed to be comfortable in their home.


THE SWAP HOME MIGHT BE COMFIER THAN YOURS

There is a flip side to spending a little of the vacation budget to outfit the swap home. You may find a wonderful item there that you can't live without.

Actually, that's another benefit to home exchange. People elsewhere live differently than you do. Whether you find your way or their way superior you are sure to learn something from your home exchange. Even if you need to buy some nicer bedding to do so.