

                  Swap your home and travel free

               You want to spend a few months or more
          somewhere exotic, beautiful, and culturally
          different, but you don't think you can handle the
          cost.
               What if you could arrange it free?
               The answer is a home exchange. Exchange your
          home for a comparable residence in a foreign
          country. It's free, except for the minimal cost of
          finding someone who wants to trade.
               William G. Thomas and his wife exchanged their
          home in California for a 500-year-old rectory in
          English farm country, a small, austere, Gothic
          church situated on a knolled horizon. It stood
          alongside a moss-covered cemetery and was
          surrounded by ancient, thick-trunked trees and
          ringed by six handsome and rustic English houses.
               This tiny English community about 40 miles
          north of London has a population of 17. The
          residents are hard-working farmers and the families
          of three business executives who chose country life
          over the rigors of urban living. One of these
          executives, John Morris, and his wife Mary decided
          they wanted to venture for a while beyond their
          English village. They wanted to see the United
          States.
               So the two couples arranged a home exchange.
          The three-week swap was total. The Thomas' and the
          Morris' exchanged homes, pets, and cars.
               William and his wife had visited London on
          several occasions before investigating the idea of
          a home exchange. They wanted to return to the
          London area, but not simply as tourists running
          hurriedly from site to site. So they wrote to
          English friends, applied for home-exchange
          brochures, and reviewed ads in the London Times.
               Their inquiries yielded several alternatives:
          a house at Wimbledon; an apartment near Kensington
          Gardens; and a bedroom in the home of a friend in
          Whitchurch, Hants. Then the letter came asking if
          they would be interested in a home exchange with a
          family living in an old rectory near the ancient
          town of Hitchin. They jumped at the chance.
               The swap was arranged over the telephone. The
          couples discussed departure times, instructions on
          how to operate household appliances, trash
          collection, and what to feed each other's pets. It
          took several months to make all of the
          arrangements.

          How to arrange a swap
               You can begin your search for a home exchange
          partner by asking around or by placing an
          advertisement in an international publication, such
          as International Living, 824 E. Baltimore St.,
          Baltimore, MD 21202, or the International Herald
          Tribune, 850 Third Ave., 10th Floor, New York, NY
          10022; (212) 752-3890.
               The alternative is to contact a home exchange
          organization. These companies publish directories
          several times a year listing people interested in
          trading homes, when they want to travel, and  where
          they would like to go.
               Agencies to contact include Better Homes &
          Travel, 185 Park Row, P.O. Box 268, Suite 14D, New
          York, NY 10038; (212) 349-5340. This is the only
          home exchange organization that screens
          participants and negotiates arrangements for you.
          The registration fee for first-time participants is
          $50. The closing fee ranges from $150 to $600.

               Also try Loan-A-Home, 2 Park Lane, 6E, Mt.
          Vernon, NY 10552; (914) 664-7640. This group deals
          primarily with members of the international
          academic and business communities. You can list
          your home in Loan-A-Home's directory free.

               Intervac, P.O. Box 3975, San Francisco, CA
          94119; (415) 435-3497, is part of an international
          network of 22 home exchange companies representing
          30 countries. For $35, you can list your home and
          receive a copy of the club's directory.

               Vacation Exchange Club, in Honolulu,
          Hawaii,(800) 638-3841, is affiliated with 22 other
          exchange companies and represents 42 countries. For
          $24.70, you can list your home and receive a copy
          of the directory.

               The more people you contact, the more likely
          you are to find a successful match. Send out as
          many as 50 letters, telling prospects about your
          home, your community, and the local attractions.
          Give references. And be flexible. It can  take as
          long as a year to arrange a successful exchange.
               Once you have found a partner, clearly define
          all terms. It is best to do this in writing.
          Details to clarify include:

               * Gas and electric bills. You can trade bills
          or settle up later.
               * Telephone bills. It is best to exchange
          bills, so that everyone pays for his own calls.
               * Cars. If you exchange use of vehicles, make
          sure insurance, licenses, and permits are in order.
               * Dates. Make sure of the exact dates of
          arrival and departure.
               Most home exchange companies do not screen
          participants. That's up to you. Ask potential
          partners for references and photographs of their
          homes.
               * Potential damages. Who is responsible for
          paying for repairs?
               * Yard work. Do you expect your guests to mow
          the grass or weed your rose beds?
               Contact your home insurance agent and tell him
          you will have visitors living in your home. For
          your own peace of mind, put away valuables and
          fragile ornaments.
               If you don't plan to meet your guests when
          they arrive in the United States, have a friend or
          family member meet them and give them the keys. Ask
          your neighbors to welcome your guests, perhaps
          inviting them over for dinner or drinks.
               Leave a note explaining where essentials can
          be found, a schedule for trash collection, and a
          list of important telephone numbers (police, fire,
          and hospitals).


          For more information...
                    For more details on home exchange how-
               to's, read Your Place and Mine by Cindy Gum.
               It is available from Gum Publications, 15195
               El Camino Grande, Suite 100, Saratoga, CA
               95070. The cost is US$5.95.


          Let your tenant pay for your trip
               If you're unable to arrange the home exchange
          of your dreams, take a new tack. Put your house up
          for rent for the week (or weeks) that you want to
          travel. If you're able to get US$700 or US$800 a
          week for your home in rent, you surely can afford
          to spend two weeks sunning yourself in Montserrat.
               It's not as foolhardy as it may sound. Ask for
          references -- and check them carefully -- before
          you accept a tenant. Also request a security
          deposit, which you can keep in case there are any
          damages.
               Some home exchange organizations will also
          list houses or apartments for rent (refer to the
          list given above). Another good contact is
          Hideaways International, 15 Goldsmith St., P.O. Box
          1270, Littleton, MA 01460, which lists rentals in
          its annual directory.
               When writing the ad for your house, think like
          a salesman. List all the features and comforts of
          your home, as well as all the nearby attractions.

