In this section we have gathered the answers to the frequently asked questions. But if after reviewing the answers below you can't find an answer to your question, just drop us a line.
To start
What is a home exchange?
Home exchange is a vacation alternative whereby two parties agree to swap houses for their stay.
What advantages does home exchange offer?
Home exchange offers many great benefits. 1) Free accommodation on your world travels. Our modest membership fee will save you a substantial amount of money in hotel and restaurant costs. 2) Staying at a native home offers a unique and more authentic experience then staying at a hotel. 3) The comfort of a real home with kitchen and additional amenities you usually can't find in hotels 4) Home exchange is an eco-friendly solution to travel
Who exchanges homes and what types of houses are suitable for exchange?
Many people across all classes trade homes. Whether you have a country house in Tuscany, a penthouse with a view over Central Park in New York, or a beach front home in California, you are likely to get interest in house exchange. Home exchangers are well-traveled individuals and value the opportunity to visit exciting locations regardless whether they stay in the most luxurious place or not.
A busy family from Paris might just love the peace and quiet of a New England country home. Or somebody might come to your area for business reasons, or to visit family and friends. Your listing provides you with plenty of possibilities to let other members know what’s special about your home and town.
How do I arrange for an exchange?
It’s easy. Once you become a member you can:
- Search for a home listing in a desired location.
- Send a secured inquiry to the home owner to check availability.
- Agree on the exchange dates and other details.
- Book your flights.
- Enjoy your vacation ;-)
Is Home Exchange safe?
Home exchanging is astonishingly safe! Our experience of facilitating house swaps for many years has shown that even minor incidents are the exception. Your exchange partner is likely to have the same concerns regarding safety and upkeep as you do. Knowing that you are both entrusting your homes to one another provides a natural incentive to treat them with care. We encourage you to get to know your future house trade partner in advance and to explore information regarding your vacation home, mutual interests and the cultural highlights in your respective regions. Be friendly and share some information about who is traveling. You will feel more at ease, knowing you are entrusting your home to someone with whom you have established a rapport.
Familiarize yourself with your partner’s listing and don’t hesitate to ask detailed questions about the home amenities and your expectations. Our experience shows that most home traders are pleasantly surprised by the conditions and surroundings of the home they arrive at.
What should I do with my valuables?
Home exchanging is all about trust. Usually you can just leave things where they are. Years of experience and industry surveys show that you will find your valuables exactly as you left them. If you don’t feel comfortable with leaving your most valuable items behind, you can always lock away jewelry, rare collectables etc.
Do I need insurance?
Most homeowner’s insurance policies cover exchange partners as invited guests, but check with your home insurance company to be on the safe side and let them know about the swap. If you do want to have an additional insurance policy tailored for home exchangers, we can offer you one; Click Here
Can I exchange cars?
Yes! It is entirely up to you and your exchange partner. Many home swap partners like to trade cars as well as homes, instead of leaving your car park in a parking lot while you travel and incur cost. Exchanging cars is very practical and cost effective compared to renting cars overseas. Make sure you have written permission from the vehicle owner, especially in foreign countries. Also, it’s helpful to provide a copy of a valid international driver’s license. Most car insurances cover “permitted” drivers. But please check with your own insurance company.
What about pets?
Some people bring their pets along with them to pet-friendly homes after getting the owner’s approval. Check our listings using Advanced Search for members that allow pets.
Do both home owners need to travel at the same time?
Not necessarily. An exchange when both owners travel at the same time is called a simultaneous exchange. Many people swap their second homes, which provide more scheduling flexibility. Non-simultaneous exchange occurs when your exchange partners might be away from their primary home on a trip to a country other than yours, while you stay at their place. To return them the exchange favor, you might coordinate for them to stay at your home or secondary home when these are not occupied.
Use our Advanced Search and check ‘Non-simultaneous’ to increase your flexibility and find home owners with second homes.
What about house cleaning?
Some members keep the arrangement they have with their cleaner or maid service during the house swap period. You should discuss the issue of cleaning when finalizing your home exchange details. In any case, it is expected that you leave the house in the state you found it in. In general, home exchangers try to adhere to the following etiquette: “care for your exchange partner’s home as you would like to have yours cared for”.
We prefer not having children stay in our home
On your home description page you can specify this preference and only members traveling without children will be able to see your listing. Many seniors, singles and couples without children are frequent users of our site, and you will find multiple opportunities for home trades. As parents prefer to stay in a child-proof home, they can check our database for homes where children are welcome.
Working with the site
Why do I have to pay a membership fee to join?
RoofSwap’s members prefer to be contacted only by like-minded members who demonstrate a sincere interest in exchanging homes. Paying a small membership fee and including their own home description on the site means our network remains safe and secure to the benefit of our members.
How much does it cost to join?
A one year unlimited membership is $74.99 and 3 months membership costs only $19.99. The memberhip includes multiple listings (e.g. usually primary home, second home or, when relevant, RV.) You are entitled to unlimited number of contacts with Roofswap members and arrange as many exchanges as you like. Unlike other sites, there are no additional charges to arrange a swap – we are here to facilitate and help you have your dream vacation come true.
I receive many exchange inquiries. Should I respond to all of them?
As a courtesy to your fellow home exchangers, we encourage you to answer all inquiries, even if it is just a short note of regret that you cannot take up the offer at this time. This is just courteous and allows members to get on with pursuing other house swap possibilities. We made it simple to manage your communication by using the ‘Contact Manager’ in your ‘My Account’ page. Just click to accept or reject any inquiry.
How do I protect my privacy?
Our top priority is the protection of your privacy. We have developed a sophisticated system that allows members to communicate without exposing their contact information until they both agree to do so. Potential exchange partners may visit your public listing and contact you only if they are members (so we know who they are) and only through our secured email system. Your personal contact information is never visible or accessible.
How do I add photos to my listing?
It's pretty simple. Just go to ‘My Account’, then ‘My Home’, and choose ‘Photos’. You will be able to upload digital .jpg files directly from your hard drive. It's also worth adding a brief comment for each photo to complete the picture and enable members to understand which room of the house they are looking at. You can upload an unlimited number of photos to demonstrate your home. If all that seems a bit complicated, don't be concerned. Just e-mail your photos to support@roofswap.com with your Home ID in the subject line and we'll upload them for you.
How can I improve my listing to get more interest?
We recommend you write a fairly vivid description of the home and the neighborhood you live in so potential exchangers will get excited. Be truthful about the condition of the house. Our research shows that 5-8 photos, showing different aspects of the home, is the optimal number of images to create the necessary comfort level for most exchangers. In addition, the more amenities you can check, the more attractive your listing will be. In summary, the more information you provide, the more interest you will generate.