The Newest Travel Trend In London

House exchange

The capital of the United Kingdom is one of the most visited cities in Europe. It is therefore no surprise the city holds a wide variety of accommodation facilities. Visitors can stay in themed hotels, eclectic B&B’s and historic guest houses. But why stay in a room when you can inhabit an entire house?

House exchange is not a completely new concept but its popularity is on the rise, especially in and around London. With the Olympics just around the corner Londoners are clearly looking to get away from the city. What better way than swapping your home for someone else’s? It is the ideal way to escape the hustle and bustle of the Games whilst having someone to look after your house at the same time.

Swapping homes

The concept is fairly straight forward. There are several websites that offer negotiation, advice and guidance for house exchange such as Love Home Swap. These websites offer a platform for people that are willing to swap their home with somebody for a few weeks. On these platforms people can upload images of their house and the surroundings. Descriptions of the interior, the exterior and local facilities can be added as well. This way, other people can easily find accommodation based on their personal requirements.

Advantages

There are many advantages to exchanging your house opposed to renting a hotel room. There is more space and there are no other guests. Most importantly it makes you feel at home in a strange city. You can enjoy your surroundings like a local, cook your own food and invite friends over. This saves you a lot of money on breakfast and eating out. And if you are really lucky the house includes usage of the owner’s bike or car.

Before you start

Make sure you know what you are looking for. If you want to work, make sure there is a WIFI connection in the house. If you want to relax, make sure the house you are swapping with is situated in a quiet neighbourhood or near the countryside. Make use of Google maps to locate the area of the city that is most convenient for you. When you have determined what you are exactly looking for: start your search for your perfect exchange house London.

Keep in mind

It is very important to trust the person you exchange your house with, especially once they moved in. Make sure you let them know where the electricity cupboards are for instance. Nothing is more hazardous than being without power and not knowing where to switch it on again. Leave a short list with emergency numbers and alarm codes. You can always change them afterwards. The better you treat the person you are exchanging your house with, the more likely they are inclined to look after it well. A house exchange has to stay beneficial for both parties. So before you jump on to the latest trend in town, do your homework.

Published in Stories, Tourism