HomeLink's 10 Principles
For a successful Home Exchange
For a successful Home Exchange
Describe your home honestly in your listing and in all correspondence.
Describe your home authentically to avoid surprises. Let your exchange partners be pleasantly surprised, not disappointed. Transparency is key!
Leave your home clean
Standards of cleanliness vary, so make sure that floors are cleaned, refrigerator emptied, oven and stove grease-free, bath and shower free of mould and grime, windows clean and surfaces dust-free. No need to redecorate! And be sure to do the same, when leaving your exchange partner’s home at the end of your stay.
Make space for your guests
Create space for your guests on shelves and in wardrobes, allowing your exchange partners to unpack and settle in comfortably.
Bedding and Towels
Leave at least two sets of clean sheets per bed and two sets of towels per person.
Create your personal ‘Guide to your Home and Surroundings’
Include details about nearby tourist attractions and local hotspots.
Provide clear instructions for operating household and electrical appliances.
Provide guidelines for taking care of any pets or plants in your home.
Outline information about garbage collection schedules and procedures.
Include important phone numbers such as doctors, dentists, babysitters, recommended restaurants and helpful friends.
Ensure a balance between the quality and quantity of information in your Home Guide. Try and offer valuable information without overwhelming your exchange partners.
Confirm the terms of your home exchange agreement
Use the Home Exchange Agreement Form to avoid misunderstandings.Clarify who pays what for telephone, electricy, gas, insurance deductible / excess in case of accidents and staple foods such as flour, sugar, oil, etc.
Ensure a warm welcome for your guests
If you are unable to personally greet your exchange partners upon their arrival, arrange for a family member, neighbour or friend to welcome them. They will probably have questions and such a welcome will be much appreciated.
Leave the makings of a first meal
Nothing fancy, but your guests may be tired and hungry and grateful not to have to go out shopping as soon as they arrive.
Leave them a welcome gift!
It has become a HomeLink tradition to leave a small gift of welcome: a bottle of wine of a local specialty. Always a special surprise!
Close the door, turn the key, and go off on holiday!
You may rest assured, knowing that your home is in the good hands of another HomeLink member like you.
