But that is the marketā¦. If a place is more lucrative, then they should be able to set more GPs. Plenty of members have plenty of points to use.
Iām being slightly blase, I know thatās against the so called āspiritā of things, but I would argue that the mystery algorithm and having points in the first place is already against that spirit - so why not just make it fully transparent and up to each member to decide what works for them?
Or do away with points altogether, and have no arbitrary values, selling of points, free stays given to new members who havenāt hostedā¦ that would arguably be best. But not for HE, as they would lose out in terms of dollars. So it will never happen.
Hi, you are so right Bluehorse ! 87 GP for the entirety of my house 20 minutes from the beach and 15 minutes from the highway. I donāt have WIFI but I have a secure parking, a garage, and finally 2 real bedrooms. (I donāt use WIFI but you can have by your own). Like you, how many days should I leave my house to afford the luxury of leaving for 5 days (160-170 ā¬ gp per day). Iāll let you do the mathā¦ I would no pay 100 euro or 100 GP too. No comment
If looking for something that fluctuates in value in line with seasonal / temporary demand & supply in the market, then HE I reckon is not the right place. Thatās really the terrain of AirBnB and similar. And every HO can choose to go the AirBnB route for such events if they prefer that over HE.
Iām looking for a fair GP value, both for what I can get and what I have to āpayā, but that doesnāt mean Iām looking to optimize the lucrative value. Then we get back into the same cycle of e.g. summer holidays often being unaffordable for accommodation due to high demand & thus inflated prices, while the whole point of HE is to create an affordable alternative for paid accommodation, thereby allowing more people to enjoy travel without breaking the bank.
I do hear what youāre saying and your arguments are sound. I can see both sides.
Most people who use HE would never consider Airbnb, so I donāt agree that itās a viable option for anyone who wants to take advantage of seasonal fluctuations. Iām in NYC - Airbnb is not an option here, and I would never allow paying guests in my home. But Iām glad to be able to save fellow exchangers thousands and thousand of dollars when they want to come here for Xmas, or other popular periods. And I do think thatās worth much much more than 200 points a night.
Off topic, but if Iām not mistaken, AirBnB is allowed in NYC up to 30 days a year and you have to register the property. Which is the same in in the European city where I live. 30 days is not much, but would allow for covering a few key moments like Xmas etc if someone would want to maximise their income from having others staying in their home when theyāre away.
Iām very glad that HE does NOT use fluctuating GPs pending the time of year, but keeps them at the same level year round. Because although GP is not money, I do have to earn them. And maybe itās easy for some to earn GPs, esp. if they have a holiday home etc, but I donāt have a holiday/second home and for me itās certainly not that easy to earn them. GPs are a replacement for reciprocal, allowing non-reciprocal exchanges, but still in the same spirit. If Iād directly swap homes with someone, I donāt care what my or their property is worth on the market in that particular time of year (this very week for example my property would be worth a lot). I care whether we agree to swap and stay in each otherās place, and look after it well. Hence when going non-reciprocal, the main thing for me is that an X bedroom home in a Y sized/type city in Z part of the world should roughly have similar GP values in terms of whatās being offered.
What constitutes value beyond the home differs a lot for people. I would absolutely have no greater interest in staying in NYC over Xmas, then I would in spring for example. Rather the opposite. Give me April-May anytime over December.
Youāre mistaken - it can be used for stays of 30 days or more - not for any stays of less than 30 days. Basically, itās for long term only.
There are exceptions to that, but it means living in the same shared space as the owner (while they are also there). No locks on doors, max 2 people. Itās nuts.
It sounds like you share similar thoughts to me in terms of a swap being a swap, and that values and points shouldnāt really come into it. But on this platform, they do.
I agree. I have lowered my gp amount greatly to the entire house and the bedroom stays. If some of you can have a look and see if Iāve gone too low in gp listing or still too high. Thx.
Hi, you are so right Bluehorse ! 87 GP for the entirety of my house 20 minutes from the beach and 15 minutes from the highway. I donāt have WIFI but I have a secure parking, a garage, and finally 2 real bedrooms. (I donāt use WIFI but you can have by your own). Like you, how many days should I leave my house to afford the luxury of leaving for 5 days (160-170 ā¬ gp per day). Iāll let you do the mathā¦ I would no pay 100 euro or 100 GP too. No comment 