Preparing Your Home for a Home/Apartment Exchange

Allowing strangers into your home while you’re away on vacation is a leap of faith, most people would agree. But that’s the premise behind a home or apartment exchange, a program with a worldwide following that has a growing popularity with some Americans. If you’re interested in exchanging, then knowing how to prepare your home for your guests is beneficial to you and to them. Following some of the tips below can help your exchange to get off on the right foot.

The Welcoming Committee
Making arrangements for a trusted neighbor, friend, or relative to meet your guests, show them around your home, and give them the keys is important. In a pinch, you could always leave the keys in a safe, easy to find location, but it’s always a better idea to have someone there to meet them in person. Not only is it safer, it’s a human contact in what could be an unfamiliar land for your guest. Wouldn’t you prefer to be met by a person rather than having to search for a set of keys?

Just a Quick Note�
Once your guests have made it inside your home, make sure to welcome them by leaving behind a welcome note or letter. This letter is a nice hospitable touch and is a great way to communicate any other items of interest that you may not have covered in your dialogue when establishing the exchange. You can also use this opportunity to write out any instructions to home appliances, alarm systems, or lighting, as well as anything else you’d like to add about your home or local area. It’s always a good idea to leave a list of phone numbers in case of emergency for your guests’ use. This list should include both the police department and fire department emergency numbers, as well as anyone nearby who they could call on if needed.

As well as the basic information above, other types of local information you might want to leave for your guests include city transportation maps, dining guides, local hiking information, city and local area driving maps, or any other helpful local information that you can think of. Some people like to leave a typed list of favorite restaurants or bars. My last exchange left me a map of Paris with pins marking the locations of his favorite restaurants, as well as an accompanying typed page with a brief description of each restaurant. I tried several of his suggestions during my 10-day stay in Paris.

Do the Math
Know how many people are in your guest’s party and make appropriate preparations, including a sufficient supply of bed linens, pillows, and blankets. Do you need to bring out the air mattress? If so, bring it out of storage and make sure instructions for use are nearby. Usually air mattresses are fairly self-explanatory, but it’s always better to supply instructions than assume someone will figure it out. Make sure all bedrooms have linens and are ready for use (unless you have agreed that only certain rooms will be used during the exchange. If this is a requirement, then make it known up-front, during the early stages of arranging the exchange that only certain rooms will be available and others off-limits).

Lastly, make sure you have left an appropriate number of bath towels for your guests during their stay, as well as bathroom staples like toilet paper. No one wants to have to go toilet paper shopping on his or her first day of vacation.

Pedal to the Metal? I Think Not�
Some exchangers agree to the use of one another’s car while on vacation. This type of arrangement should only occur if both parties have the type of insurance that covers someone other than the car’s owner in the driver’s seat. Make sure that you provide proof of insurance, your car’s owner’s manual, and any other relevant documents in an easily located place in the car, and make sure to point out any nearby parking restrictions if you don’t have a garage (street cleaning on certain days, etc.).

The Final Sweep
This may seem obvious, but it’s a final check right before you leave. Make sure you clear out perishables from your kitchen. Got a week-old casserole in the refrigerator? A bunch of almost-brown bananas on the kitchen counter? It’s best to get rid of these items before your trip. After all, you don’t want to make your guests clean out your moldy leftovers while on their vacation.
However, there are some exceptions to this rule. Things like butter, eggs, cheese, and unopened dairy products are definitely okay, as are newly opened containers of milk, cheese, or still-fresh loaves of bread. Fresh fruit is a nice way to welcome your guests. Be sure and tell them to help themselves in your welcoming note.

Let the Vacation Begin!
Following the tips above can help to ensure your guests enjoy a safe and stress-free vacation in your home, while you enjoy a safe and stress-free vacation in theirs!