Home Exchange e-guide

1. Put away treasured valuables and jewelry. It is better to be safe than sorry.

2. You don't have to empty everything out but it would be wise to make space in your wardrobe, bathroom and kitchen cupboards for your guests.

3. Replace anything that you use in the host family's house.

4. Leave a gift for your hosts. Whether it be a good bottle of wine, a bunch of flowers or a card - it is the polite thing to do.

1. De-personalize your house unless you really want to. A lot of home exchangers say that it is the personal touches that make it really homey.

2. Bring your own sheets and towels unless you are squeamish about using someone elses or the host family requests it.

3. Do go into pre-determined "off-limits" areas such as home offices or try on clothing.

My family and I are the "survivors", if you like, of more than 40 wonderful home exchanges, taken over the past 25 years, and because I'm continually responding to the negativity of those nay-sayers and defending what to my family and me has become an innate part of our lives, I decided to write an e-book dedicated to taking these skeptics by the hand and walking them step by step through the entire Home Exchange process, following exactly the same methods I use myself.

"Home Exchange Academy"

Home Exchange Academy starts at the beginning, detailing and explaining the differences between the surfeit of clubs currently clamoring for your membership dollars / pounds / euros. Which of their features should be viewed positively, which should be seen instantly as red flags.

My e-book then walks you through setting up your listing, with tips on how to expand the information they provide beyond the confines of your chosen club's web site; recommendations for corresponding with fellow members, how to initiate contacts and how to respond to inquiries you receive; car exchange - the do's and the don't's - with a sample Car Exchange Agreement; a Sample Home Exchange Agreement and Sample Home Exchange Book.

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There are 2 types of exchanges:

1. Home exchanges

Home exchangers trade their homes, condominiums or apartments at a time that is convenient to both parties, but these are not the only types of accommodations that one gets to choose from. For example, one exchanger traded his home for a 40-foot yacht. Another couple swapped their villa in Italy for a RV in Oregon because they had always wanted to tour the US in true nomadic style. Quite often, home exchangers will include their automobiles as part of the package.

2. Hospitality exchanges

Hospitality exchangers, on the other hand, host each other in their homes at selected times. Your home exchange partners stay with you as guests and then you go and stay with them as their guests. There is a social aspect to this kind of exchange that some exchangers particularly enjoy. Better still, you also get a built-in tour guide with this mode of exchange.