Around the World on Home Exchange

Or at least half-way!! Who would have thought it possible?

But when I think back, years ago, former GTI member Arthur Benbow, a widower, cycled the length of Australia visiting six states consecutively interspersed with home exchanges for his home in Wales. The last I heard of Arthur was that he was planning a charity cycle ride across America. Unfortunately I haven’t heard from Arthur for some years now, so I doubt that he is still on his travels.

Heather, who featured in my last blog item, achieved 9 consecutive exchanges, visiting Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland, Scotland (2), England, France (2), Italy and Malta, and people were so amazed that she was able to arrange so many exchanges that she decided to write a ‘how to’ book..

Even a half-way round the world trip is not beyond Charles it seems, who sent us the following notes: “We planned half world trip, usually (ie Melbourne) based in one place, then travelling on exchange friendships, exchange hospitality, and rarely (Bali) low rental: we covered the entire east coast of oz in 04...up and back, sailed the barrier reef, etc...


Exchanges serve us best as a base for about one month...thereafter cheap travel. Not all our exchanges originate on the web site, sometimes from conversations with others when we travel.

Our quietest was in Devon, River Dart, and our most exhilarating was Venice...








HE14404 An apartment in Venice currently on the GTI Web-site

Second homes serve best for us: people should know they exchange home for home, (to be respected) not like for like. We get about six enquiries a month for our city centre (Granada) house...

We would, maybe, go back to Australia for a fifth time...but it’s a pity the exchange idea hasn’t caught on yet in South America! When we go off for several months, we would like our time to be about fifty /fifty on exchange bases, or cheap travel. I reply to every enquiry (many are polite "no" s!) as a matter of principle. We place a high value on both our homes, and have so far not rented them out, which seems to me to be a very different proposition. In future our exchanges may be more precisely directed towards waterside exchanges... for our boating activities.
I applaud the exchange principle,

Regards.........Charles

I feel obliged to add that it is probably almost essential to enlist the help of friends or family when proposing to undertake consecutive exchanges, so that there is always someone on hand to deal with the handover and any problems that may arise during a long absence, and also to ensure that housekeeping standards are being maintained, sometimes perhaps requiring professional cleaning services to be employed. Apart from these provisos, with time, initiative and energy on your side, the world’s your oyster!