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Dave Hounddriver
Posted
Posted

I've noticed a few online sites where people offer to swap houses for a mutually agreed length of time.  Has anyone had any experience doing that.  When I inquired with one such site I was told they don't allow money to change hands, the idea is to find a like minded person who will do a straight swap with you.

In theory, this means I could go stay in a condo in (for example) Victoria BC which may rent for US$1000 a month and the owner of that condo would stay in my house which would only rent for about US$250 a month.

OR, I could find someone in Hong Kong who wanted to do a similar swap and bring a filipina date with me for a cheap (no hotel cost) vacation.

I cannot see why the owner of the higher property value would want to do a swap for a few months but the reviews say its done all the time.  So who here has heard of it, tried it, knows about it, or knows anyone who has done it?

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robert k
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Sounds interesting Dave. Maybe the higher cost dweller things of it as sunk cost for their place and saving to be able to live in your more modest place for a limited time?

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Jollygoodfellow
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4 hours ago, Dave Hounddriver said:

I've noticed a few online sites where people offer to swap houses for a mutually agreed length of time.  Has anyone had any experience doing that.  When I inquired with one such site I was told they don't allow money to change hands, the idea is to find a like minded person who will do a straight swap with you.

In theory, this means I could go stay in a condo in (for example) Victoria BC which may rent for US$1000 a month and the owner of that condo would stay in my house which would only rent for about US$250 a month.

OR, I could find someone in Hong Kong who wanted to do a similar swap and bring a filipina date with me for a cheap (no hotel cost) vacation.

I cannot see why the owner of the higher property value would want to do a swap for a few months but the reviews say its done all the time.  So who here has heard of it, tried it, knows about it, or knows anyone who has done it?

Nothing to do with costs, it's about allowing others to experiences an overseas adventure in a home and take care of it for you. Both get the rewards. 

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Gratefuled
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Isn't this called "Time Share"?  It used to be popular in the states. I had one and now one of my sons has taken it over.

I bought into a condo time share near Disneyland in Anaheim. Whenever a relative or a friend came to visit, I would let them use it. I never exchanged with another time share owner but my son has. There are conditions attached to it. 

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mogo51
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4 hours ago, Jollygoodfellow said:

Nothing to do with costs, it's about allowing others to experiences an overseas adventure in a home and take care of it for you. Both get the rewards. 

Exactly JGF, agree 100%.  I have heard of these sights and thought regularly about trying to join one (after we move).  As I see it, both parties don't have excessive hotel costs, so its a win/win.

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Dave Hounddriver
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34 minutes ago, mogo51 said:

 As I see it, both parties don't have excessive hotel costs, so its a win/win.

I was looking on one site where a guy with a filipina wife who lives in Byron Bay wants to do a swap for a couple months with someone in Philippines.  There is no way on earth I could afford a hotel in Byron Bay but I have a brother who lives there and it would be great to go visit.  Hmmmm.

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scott h
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Posted
10 minutes ago, Dave Hounddriver said:

I was looking on one site where a guy with a filipina wife who lives in Byron Bay wants to do a swap for a couple months with someone in Philippines.  There is no way on earth I could afford a hotel in Byron Bay but I have a brother who lives there and it would be great to go visit.  Hmmmm.

I am guessing that the parties would have to make close coordination on swap dates and such?

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Dave Hounddriver
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3 minutes ago, scott h said:

I am guessing that the parties would have to make close coordination on swap dates and such?

It seems that way and I'm still figuring it out.  It seems that there are some who want a straight swap and some who are open to a "You stay here with us and then when we come we stay there with you" arrangement.  There are also some who keep a "second home" that they swap and I have not yet figured out what their benefit is.  That may be more like the Time Share that was mentioned.  Keep a cheap home in Philippines if you have a high end home in the US.  Then you can swap you Philippine home with little financial risk.

Again, I'm trying to figure this out so keep the questions and comments and answers coming.

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Jack Peterson
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5 minutes ago, Dave Hounddriver said:

Again, I'm trying to figure this out so keep the questions and comments and answers coming.

 I had a small village House in Cadiz Spain some years ago. Twice I did it, I advertised in some magazine about a house swap on certain dates. I got a reply from a Factory Worker in Willenhall, Staffordshire (England) Whose Holiday dates coincided with my dates, So as the Area he lived was fairly close to my Folks I said OK let's do a swap for the 2 weeks They arranged as I did, our Flights, His Keys I picked up from his Sister Mine I left with the Manager of my Bar. Great, happily it all went well. The next year we did the Same. We all left things as we found them even Token Gifts for our Return Home.

Unfortunately the Guy Died and the wife and 2 kids did not want to do this again as they felt Bad that Dad/Husband was not going to be around to enjoy what they said was like a Holiday but Home from Home.

Success for me But Others may feel it would not be for them.

 

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mogo51
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2 hours ago, Dave Hounddriver said:

I was looking on one site where a guy with a filipina wife who lives in Byron Bay wants to do a swap for a couple months with someone in Philippines.  There is no way on earth I could afford a hotel in Byron Bay but I have a brother who lives there and it would be great to go visit.  Hmmmm.

Exactly Dave, of course they will decide whether you are is suitable to them, their location is a 'no brainer'.  But would be good for you.

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