Hello. This is my first year on Home Exchange. I have been very successful in requests and stays at our home and have already accumulated over 8000 points in a little more than 6 months. But I am having a very difficult time using those points to secure a home for our travel. I have tried booking with several months notice and have not been successful. In some cases I don’t even get a response.
First we tried booking a place at Lake Tahoe back in March for a long weekend this July for friends participating in a swim competition. I think with there being 8 people it limited the options and summer is very busy for Tahoe, many HE members choosing paid services. Second we wanted to use our points to get a house for our family visiting us at Thanksgiving. Only need a place for 4 adults. Tried several homes but none were available. We even searched places that were a second home in case holidays people stay home. Now looking for a place in Paris for the French Open next year. Again 4 adults (2 couples) and Gabe put out requests and only one has responded so far.
Any advice in successfully using points for travel would be greatly appreciated. Have tried joining the Facebook group but am waiting for approval.
Thanks!
1 Like
Hi bevbenson, I am sorry you are having such a hard time finding a location to stay.
Firstly, a tip: don’t talk about booking! HomeExchange is very different from booking sites like AirBNB. People are not renting out homes they only have for renting out, they are lending their home, the place they actually live in (well, mostly, there are also holiday home owners), out to other members. They have to be sure that those people are trustworthy. The more positive reviews a member has, the more trustworthy (s)he becomes. So the more positive reviews you get, the easier it gets. In your case, getting your first review as a guest will help, too.
HomeExchange is not about booking places. A blue calendar doesn’t mean one has to accept you as a guest. There are many reasons they can say no: you want to come for a shorter period; they haven’t updated their calendar; they like to swap with experienced members; they … HE is like a dating site, you have to like the people you are swapping with.
Now there are a couple of things you can do to get into swapping:
- Try a short local swap first. Approach members that are not too far from your location. Tell them you’ll treat their home as if it were your own or better and that you’ll leave the place in the same order as you found it. If you make requests for a reciprocal swap or for a stay for points, make them personal. Say why you want to come to this home specifically, find something in common with the home owner and/or tell them something about their home that you like.. Tell them with whom you are coming and what for. And if you want a mutual swap, let them know why your home would be attractive for them.
- Post in Facebook groups and/or on the forum and tell members you’re looking for guests and/or mutual swaps. Specify what you are looking for. As a host and as a guest, the more flexible you are on data and the duration of the stay (and of where you want to go), the higher the chance you will succeed.
Thank you Trenke for your feedback. I understand HE is different than AirBnB and that these are people’s homes as I have already had 3 exchanges having people stay at my home. Point taken I will no longer use the word booking.
1 Like
I’m sorry to hear you are struggling to find homes to exchange with. It sounds like you have been looking for homes in desirable locations during peak travel times - this will always be tricky. Even tricker if you do not have any reviews yet as a guest. I would recommend planning a few trips that are in less popular areas and not in peak times for your first few trips. This will help build up your reviews. I should also point out that by less popular areas this does not mean not very nice areas - rather areas that most people would not know about. The more flexible you can be about the location and the dates, the easier it is to find somewhere.
1 Like
Good point Melissa about popular places during busy times. Thanks for your feedback.
1 Like
A couple of things:
- fixed dates and locations are always hard. When it’s a popular location, and a popular time/for a specific event, it’s even harder.
- Perhaps try doing a swap without extra guests/friends. I may have misinterpreted but it sounded like you were trying to find places for you + friends. As a host, this is very off putting for me, especially when the members are newbies.
Be flexible on where you go and when, and you’ll have much more luck. Exchanging isn’t really designed for finding hotel alternatives for peak holidays and events. If it works out, amazing, but it’s not typical.
2 Likes
The other thing is when you are contacted for points maybe simultaneous will work. We put in our description the weekend locations we would consider on short notice. for italy we found a place much farther from our target area but it was a very nice host.
1 Like
Thanks for your feedback. Good to know people don’t like to host more than immediate family. I guess that wasn’t my experience in exchanges with my home since 2 of 3 times I have hosted it has been HE members and 2 friends. So good to know this is not the normal exchange.
Thanks cafrobose for your suggestions.
Also while a first swap yes that might be off-putting that it is with friends we have traveled with another couple and accepted HE travelers traveling with another family so it is by no means universal that traveling with others outside your family won’t be accepted. You are responsible for anyone you bring of course and you must be coming too. It is with a 1st exchange I think people are especially cautious although some might always be that way, I don’t know.
If I were you, I would also review the message you send, and try to adapt it as much as possible to what the family offers and the points you have in common with them, to make it easier for them to empathise with you. In the FAQ section of HE, you’ll find some tips on how to write it. Personally, I’ve travelled with both family and friends, and it’s never been an issue, although I always explained the purpose of the trip and clarified that I wasn’t organising any kind of party at the house. Good luck with your search and happy exchanges.
1 Like