Be open and flexible, not obstinate, with respect to dates and destinations. To quote Cat Stevens, if it doesnât come naturally, leave it (or rather, move on).
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Ătienne, what is Italy jubilating about??
Câest bon, jâai vĂ©rifiĂ© 
les 4 portes saintes seront ouvertes, et indulgence plĂ©niĂšre des pĂ©chĂ©s, une bulle papale avec cela?! Donc Rome Ă Ă©viter en ce qui me concerne âŠ
Oui câest surtout Ă Rome en fait, mais jâimagine que ça va amener du monde aussi dans dâautres rĂ©gions avec des pĂšlerins qui feront plusieurs rĂ©gions dans le mĂȘme voyage etc
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So many secondary residences are rental properties with no available or booked dates showing on their calendar and as Iâve recently found are not available for HE of any description and really shouldnât be on this site. As a member for almost 10 years Iâm finding this increasing practice disappointing and extremely time wasting. There are more appropriate platforms for these properties.
I think you should avoid gross over generalizations of this nature. All homes on HE fall into one of two categories: either primary or secondary. Given that there are 200 000 members, there is a very large number of secondary homes; you cannot throw them all into one basket. Further, your own experience, as one member out of 200 000 members, may not be statistically very indicative of the overall realities and opportunities that exist. Have you only searched secondary homes in very touristic destinations?
For example, a beach town is a beach town, it may have few real all-year homes. The issues youâve encountered might be attributable to your choices of destinations, rather than the type of home. I have found there is great variety and variability among secondary homes. I often prioritize secondary homes in searches, given their often very open calendars. In Canada, as in scandinavian countries, it is quite common to have a cottage, country-house, lake house or weekend home. Some of these on HE are real jewels with a lot of hygge, character and often family history over multiple generations (i.e., they are not all purchased for the sole purpose of being short-term rentals). In fact, my own secondary home on HE is an urban condo, it is our pied-a-terre when we spend time in the city. I think the nature of secondary homes you will encounter on HE is very variable, depending on the destination. Some destinations have very few primary homes, rather than a mix of both types. This can be a sign that you are dealing with a very touristic destination; look for a secondary home in a different type of location and you may see a different story unfold.
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Hi Renn!
Iâm sorry to read this⊠If there are any homes that are explicitly publicising their rentals on HomeExchange, please report them to our member support team so that they can reach out to these members.
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Leave a gift and note to thank the owners for sharing their home with you. It doesnât have to be a lot, but be thoughtful.
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Show pictures outside of your home, its location, views and outside amenities. Travelers are coming to visit your area, not your home. We all know what a bathroom and bedroom look like. Show what people are traveling to see.
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Interesting advice! For me, itâs all about the home. I can use google etc to get an idea about where Iâm going, but I would like to know the specifics of the home. For me, a good and spacious kitchen is one of the selection criteria. Another one is âno shower curtainsâ - I know, very specific. But therefor, the more details I know a bout your home, the more likely I am to select it. And yes, I do understand the trepidation in sharing too many details about your home on a platform like this. As you can see - different people, different needs/wishes!
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I think it would be good if homes like this might go offline or block it in their rental season if they wonât take home exchange. We have a beach house we donât rent but we still wonât likely leave for two weeks in July so it isnât all rentals that turn people down.
I agree but the problem with that is HE doesnât provide a means to add a caption to your photos. What is it? Where is it? Nearby or 1 hr train ride away?
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I am a newbie and would suggest all new HEs hosts add lots of high quality photographs especially of the surrounding areas and things for HE guests to do i.e. beaches , zoos, .museums, parks etcâŠ
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Be humble. Be kind.
Just because you love someoneâs home doesnât mean theyâre automatically dreaming of yours â and thatâs totally okay! 
Always take time to read the listing and host profile carefully before sending a message. Mention what you genuinely like about their home, and try to find common interests or values. People love being acknowledged â and weâre naturally drawn to those who like the same things we do. 
Be patient.
It can take a lot of messages before you find the right match, especially in the beginning. But trust me â after 10 years and nearly 40 swaps, it really does get easier (and much faster!). Now we often find great exchanges with just a few messages. Hang in there â your dream swap is out there!
Bonus tips?
Keep your own profile updated and personal. Add warm, welcoming photos and share a bit about who you are â it really helps build trust. Be open and flexible. Sometimes the best adventures happen in places you hadnât planned to go! And finally⊠enjoy the ride. Home exchanging is not just about free accommodation â itâs about connection, community, and stories youâll be telling for years to come.
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Totally agree! 
And donât even get me started on the automatic translator â it kicks in just when youâre trying to reply in your native language! Which, letâs be honest, makes perfect sense when youâre talking to someone from the same country. 
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Make sure your home is very clean. Very clean. Many of the houses Iâve stayed in are not and Iâm now very careful.
It takes 3 to ten hours to properly clean a home depending on how many rooms there are and how much outside furniture etc.
These days I tend to prefer houses that charge a cleaning fee as I know that the chances are itâs going to be thoroughly cleaned.
Yes I know cleaning fees can be high but you get what you pay for and leaving my home for my guests to clean doesnât work for me. After all what guest is really going to âleave a place as they found itâ - by cleaning the inside of the kitchen bin, or emptying the crumbs from the toaster etc.
Thatâs not going to happen.
Iâve been a member for fifteen years and the thing Iâve had the biggest problem with is cleanliness.
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Understand that sending personal messages, means including a personal detail about each listing, not a personal essay about yourself which you send to 100s of people.
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Avoid top destinations and look for hidden gems off the beaten track. Many of them might actually be popular among domeatic tourists, but unknown to people from other countries. Weâve had the most amazing vacations close to great beaches in the Netherlands and Ireland, and in small, charming villages in Germany and Scotland, to mention a few.
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Be proactive and reach out to others. Offer reciprocal exchanges; personally, I find them more satisfying, and when you start, in my opinion, they are the best because your partners will guide you through the process. Fill in the 20 possible destinations so that those looking for a house in your area can find you. And be open to considering destinations you may not have even thought of; itâs one of the things I love most about house exchanging because it allows you to get off the beaten path and visit authentic places that simply arenât on the tourist circuits because they lack the infrastructure to support it.
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I very much agree. Secondary homes can be very different. We have four homes, and obviously three of them are secondsry homes. But with one exception they are all currently used as primary homes for family members. And even the fourth is frequently used by us. All those three secondary homes are open for exchange at times, but none of them are rentals.
We prefer homes that are either primary homes or much loved and used secondary homes like ours. Weâve had some wonderful exchanges to secondary homes.
However, we try to avoid homes that seem to be rental objects, as thet are mostly too impersonal for our taste.
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