Sometimes travelers passing through New York City want to use our home for just a night or two. I am always hesitant to accommodate this. Despite the fact that I think a one or two night swap makes no sense, I am actually doing one this summer. First I'll tell you what I don't like about one-night swaps. Tune in later to find out why I am making a rare exception.
WHAT'S WRONG WITH SWAPPING FOR JUST ONE NIGHT?
The interesting part of home exchange is "living like a local", falling into the patterns of daily life in a new place. You shop at the local market, see how neighbors greet each other, take in local events. It's like living someone else's life for a while.
Getting to know a new community cannot happen in twelve hours. When I get a request to use my apartment just overnight I know that the person asking is not really interested in home exchange. The chain of events goes something like this:
HOME EXCHANGE MATH FOR NON-SWAPPERS
Buy airline tickets to New York City en route to a nearby destination.
Not enough time to get from airport to destination in one day.
Search for a cheap hotel in Manhattan.
Find reviews for cheap hotels mentioning bedbugs, tiny/dirty rooms and shared bathrooms.
Realize that the only decent Manhattan hotels cost $200 per night or more and even these often have bedbugs.
Remember seeing that movie, "The Holiday", where two women instantly agree to give each other their homes, with a free side of sexy Jude Law.
Decide to "book" an over-night home exchange instead of a hotel.
PLUSES AND MINUSES OF ONE NIGHT SWAPS
From the perspective of the person requesting a one night swap nothing could be more convenient. They get a free place to stay and they only owe the swap partner one night at their own home.
The person receiving the one-night swap request is probably less enthusiastic. You have to make sure your home is spotless; have your home available on a single, inflexible day; and put the same energy into vetting, orienting and helping someone for one night as for a month. You are then entitled to a single night at the swapper's home, or more if they choose to be generous.
If your home is available because you were already planning to be out of town, the one-night swapper's presence prevents you from hosting exchangers for longer periods of time. Having a one-night swapper means plants go unwatered, pets unfed and you leave your home empty/vulnerable for a longer period than if someone were in your home for the entire length of your time away. This is true of your own home even if the one-night swapper makes her place available to you for a longer stay.
The attitude behind a one-night swap is "I only care about saving money". This is the wrong reason to do home exchange.
Despite my disinclination to do one-night swaps I am about to do two of them. What are the special circumstances?
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