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FAQs
There are 2 levels of membership -
what do they include?
1. Basic
membership (free)
2. Full membership (small
subscription)
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Ability to contact all other members
(send emails to all members, receive all emails, reply to all
emails).
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Update your property details at any time 24/7 from anywhere
in the world.
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Automatic new listing updates to your RSS Reader (e.g.
'Google Reader') for your chosen destinations.
How much does full
membership cost?
How can I contact the owner of a
property?
If you have registered as a full
member you can contact other members by clicking on 'Send email to
member' which appears to the right hand side of all property
details.
After emailing a member, how does the
recipient know which house I am offering for exchange?
A link
to your exchange house is automatically inserted into your email sent to the
other member. They can click on this link and go straight to your house details.
You do not need to know your property ID no. or insert this into your email - it
is done for you.
Why can't I find my
house?
Log in and go to 'My account', then click on 'Check or
modify your properties' - you will see your property. If not, go back
and please register your property. Also please use Quick Search or the World Map
to find your listing – not Advanced Search or Who wants to visit my
country?. Advanced Search works on the basis that it returns only
those houses where members have said they want to visit your location. For
example if Jack lives in France, and has selected USA, UK, Spain and Italy as
his preferred destinations, the results returned to him within Advanced Search
will not include his house in France – because Jack doesn’t want to visit France
– it would appear if France was one of Jack’s listed destination
preferences.
How can I keep a record of the
houses I have emailed?
Please save the houses you have
emailed in your wish list. There is a link called 'Add property to wish
list' next to every house.
What should I write in my email
offers to other members?
Draft your email in Word and
save it so you can copy and paste this text into your emails any time
you need to - please don't re-write your email from scratch every time you
contact another member (you will soon lose all your enthusiasm for the process
if you do!). Make your email as descriptive and appealing as possible - the more
personality the better since other members are attracted to lively and
interesting offers.
Will my name, address and email address be
exposed on the Internet?
No. Home Xchange Vacation does not
reveal your name, address or email address in property details. Your personal
contact information is confidential. Members can make first contact with other
members by emailing with the 'Send email to member' facility.
How can I improve the number of
replies I receive to the emails I send?
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Please enter a good description of your home and area plus a
selection of clear photos. Allow plenty of time to find and arrange an exchange
before the dates you want to travel.
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Prepare an appealing message to send, offering to be as
flexible as you can on dates and length of exchange. Save your message in Word
and then copy and paste the message into the message form which appears after
you click on ‘Send email to member’. Try to personalise each message before
sending – e.g. say what attracts you to their home and area. Also everyone
responds well to messages which indicate you have read their listing
carefully.
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Target your messages using the ‘Who wants to visit your
country’ search feature. This shows the members who want to visit your
location.
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It would be unrealistic to expect everyone to reply to every
exchange offer. But by contacting other members who want to visit your location,
and sending your exchange request to a good selection of members, you will find
a good match.
Is it safe to swap my house on
vacation?
Yes, home exchanging works because members
establish trust and get to know their fellow exchanger by email
and telephone. Exchanging extra photographs and videos of family will
help enormously to build this trust. Both sides want to make the exchange a
success, their concerns are similar to yours. A home exchange is built on
getting to know people and realising they are genuine and honest - the
world is full of generous and honest people - we are all very good at
'seeing' others so your judgement here is important. This is of course also
true in all other aspects of life.
What are the benefits of a home exchange,
in addition to a fantastic low cost adventure vacation?
Exchanging is fun and is often the beginning of lasting
friendships.
Will anyone be interested in my "average"
home?
Yes, everyone has different needs for their vacation
home; a small apartment in a city centre can be very attractive to anyone
wanting to explore that city. Your "average" home may be perfect for
someone wanting to exchange with you.
Can I see a list of new and newly updated
listings?
It is possible to receive automatic updates of new
property listings to your newsreader (e.g. Google Reader) for your chosen
destinations. |
