Better way to Share Home Documents

English Forum Community 🗳️ Suggestions box
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We love using HomeExchange and have logged 34 exchanges so far. One thing that is frustrating is having multiple modes of communication once an exchange is finalized. We have found some people want to communicate via email (for example to send their Home Manual), some folks want to use WhatsApp or Text and other people sometimes communicate through HomeExchange. This has occasionally led to us missing important information during an exchange.

Ideally, it would be better if all communication was done through the HomeExchange site, including being able to share the Home Manaul with people after you have a confirmed exchange. My idea would to be to add an additional section to the “My Home” screen. This section would be hidden for anyone searching for the house. After an exchange is confirmed, the section would be revealed. It would be much easier to upload my Home Manual document once, rather than having to email it to everyone we have an exchange with. This hidden section could also include information about how to access the house (i.e. door codes) and any other information/documents that you don’t wish to share until after an exchange is finalized. This could also include information about ways to set up a pre-exchange meeting, such as via Zoom.

Acceptance Criteria:

  • Under My Account > My Home create a new heading below Home Description

Finalized Exchange Information
Home Documents
Access Information
Additional Contact Information

  • Home Documents Section allows user to upload documents
  • Access Information includes a text box
  • Acctional Contact Information includes a text box

Finalized Exchange Information is always visible for user creating a My Home profile but is not visible for users searching for a home. Finalized Exchange Information become visible to external user once an exchange is finalized.

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Hi Shawn, thanks for the suggestion. Personally I’d prefer not to have rhis kind of information on line, even if its hidden. I always find that the gradual sharing of information about my home is a good way to keep up the flow of pre-exchange communication. It also giives the message that the host is sharing information that is uniquely for the guest comingvto his home. I ask my guests to confirm that they’ve read the information , shared it with fellow travellers and ask for feed back. If the information was pisted on the site I’d be afraid of things being overlooked. In fact I send a shorter version of my home manual (without any personal details) before I finalise an exchange and ask for confirmation of agreement on the site message thread so that guests cant say they weren’t well informed before finalising. I then use whattsapp to keep up a regular form of contact before and during an exchange.

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This is a good suggestion however for us our instructions vary with the season. We have different beach access summer and aff season. We also vary instructions with the exchange partner. Recently we sent a link on HE and that works for an intro letter/manual. I also find people always want an off platform phone/text contact because a current exchange communication is time sensitive while other HE communication probably isnt so much so.

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I agree that it’s annoying not being able to attach a file via the in-website HomeExchange messenger and instead needing to switch to another platform. Allowing attachments to be sent by HomeExchange messenger would solve part of Shawn’s issue, without the drawbacks raised by Susan and cafrobose above. Seems a relatively simple and standard functionality that could be added.

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Great idea Shawn! For the people who don’t want to use this functionality, then they don’t need to use it, and can continue using the various other forms of communication such as email, messenger, etc. But for many members, including me, it would be great to be able to pass standard information such as Home Manuals and access instructions via the HE site.

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Thank you for sharing these suggestions Shawn, and also welcome to the Forum :slight_smile: Some really great ideas. I agree with some of the drawbacks, however provided this was a voluntary service it could certainly work. Personally I usually use Whatsapp and create a little group for myself, my husband and our exchange partners. I attach our house guide and little videos on how to use appliances etc. That way we can all chat together and the responsibility of the exchange isn’t all on me :slight_smile:

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