Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
When we lived in Mesa, we did six home exchanges. Two in Ajijic, Mexico, one in CA, one in NC, one in Lanzarote, The Canary Islands, and one that was for 3 months in Florida. Our home was 3100 square feet, only a few years old and worth over $500K. Our exchanges were for homes that were smaller, larger, cheaper and more expensive.
In two cases, we exchanged cars AND pets. (We do not do international car exchanges anymore.) In two other cases, we were allowed to bring our dog with us. Interestingly, in two cases, the people that were supposed to use our house cancelled, but still welcomed us to use their homes (both were second homes for them).
We have recently listed our new home in Raleigh, NC back onto the home exchange site, and are receiving inquiries.
Obviously, we're enthusiastic fans. We could have done MANY more exchanges when we lived in Mesa if we had been interested in going to cold climates (we received many inquiries from Canada and BC for winter exchanges).
Advice:
* Take great pictures of your home. Get a professional photographer if necessary (call your realtor for recommendations)
* Be flexible with dates and locations
* Go with your gut. If it doesn't feel right, let it go. (I also have telephone conversations with potential exchangers)
* Recognize and accept that people may change their minds at the last minute. If you need to buy plane tickets to do an exchange, have a Plan B that is acceptable to and within your budget.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
