You’ve finalized your exchange and you’re now getting ready to welcome guests in your home with enthusiasm. But what do you need to prepare? What should you do with your keys? How will your guests find your home? And how can you be sure that your guests will take care of what you have at home? Do you have any pets or plants that need a little love in your absence?
Here is a list of tips and good practices from our members that can help you prepare for your exchange!
Want to know the key to successful exchanges? It’s all about communication: talking about your expectations with your exchange partner, asking all your questions, and clearly discussing the logistics of it all.
How to get to your home
Before their arrival, let your guests know how to get to your home if there are some specificities to know (dead-end street, at the end of the yard on the right…), and agree on the approximate arrival and departure times, and of course, an important detail, inform them how they will be able to collect the keys.
How to retrieve the keys
Some of our members have shared with us their favorite tips for sending their house keys to their guests when they are not there to greet them.
- Leave them in a locker (there are dedicated lockers available in some stores for example).
- Pass them on to a relative, friend or nearby neighbor
- Hide them in a discreet and safe place in your garden
- Send them by mail before the exchange
Don’t forget to tell your guests how to return the keys to you at the end of their stay!
Getting around your home
Create a “home manual” for your guests can be useful to summarize all the important information: where to find certain objects, where to store suitcases, emergency contact numbers, etc.
To facilitate the access and use of your various appliances and equipment, indicate which appliances remotes, switches, etc. are for (such as labels on the remote controls of the garage, TV, gate) or to indicate the specifics of some of your equipment (wifi code, coffee machine quirks, how washing machine or other appliances work if they have a particularity).
Member tip: If you have time, record short videos showing how some of your devices work and send them directly via WhatsApp!
Details Matter
In addition to these basics, don’t hesitate to inform your guests if you would like them to take care of certain tasks during their stay, such as watering plants, picking up the mail or taking care of a pet. The advantage is that your guests will take care of your home as if it were their own!
It is also necessary to know what will be available in your kitchen (salt, sugar, oil…) and bathroom (hygiene products, toilet paper). Many of our members follow the rule “Use what you need but replace it if you finish it or if you consume a large quantity”.
You can also specify which equipment can be available for them: bicycles, scooters, cars, etc.
Key to Success
Don’t hesitate to communicate with your exchange partner as soon as you feel the need, whether it’s to keep them informed, if you are missing information, or if something unexpected happens during the exchange.
A complete checklist for hosts
We’ve also prepared a checklist for you to make sure you don’t forget anything 