The #1 Tip On How to Pick Travel Guidebooks

Posted on May 14, 2012 by Shelley C. Miller

We’re all used to checking loaves of bread and bags of lettuce for the “Best By” date. We crave quality. We want fresh, not stale. It’s important to keep this in mind when you purchase a new travel guidebook. Fresher is better. And in the world of travel guidebooks that means you want the most up-to-date edition available. At the very least, a book with a recent copyright date.

I caught up with Rick Steves at the Bay Area Travel & Adventure Show.

One of my favorite phases of travel is destination research. I want to know what the experts know. What should I see and where should I eat? Since my family usually schedules a home exchange, I don’t need to pay attention to hotels.

Call me old school but I like guidebooks; the kind you can hold in your hands while sitting in a comfortable chair in your living room. Flip pages, study photographs. Flip pages again and dog ear corners.

When we travel to Europe, our favorite literary tour guide has always been Rick Steves, America’s leading authority on European travel. http://www.ricksteves.com/

“Guidebooks are $25 tools for $4,000 experiences,” Steves says. “Many otherwise smart people base the trip of a lifetime on a borrowed copy of a three-year-old guidebook. The money they save in the bookstore is wasted the first day of their trip, searching for hotels and restaurants long since closed.”

Is The Travel Guidebook Fresh?

Although I like to shop at my local used bookstore for the classics, when searching for travel books I buy newly printed and up-to-date guidebooks. Just like with baked bread, you can sometimes tell the freshness of a guidebook by the smell.

Recently I purchased a new guidebook; it smelled fresh, but I forgot to check the expiration date. It wasn’t until I got home and was sitting in the aforementioned comfortable chair in the living room that I noticed some of the event information seemed out of date. This can happen with any travel guidebook, no matter how new. (That’s why we have the Internet.)

But when I looked on the front of the book, I suddenly realized there wasn’t a year on the cover! And although I’ve now looked everywhere for a copyright date, I can’t find one.

I had forgotten my own travel guidebook tenet.

Question – Which guidebook is updated annually and which is not? Read on for the answer.

While working on this blog post, I found another tip from Rick Steves; I only wish I’d read it sooner. “Most guidebooks get an update every two or three years, but a handful of titles are actually updated in person each year. The rule of thumb: If the year is not printed on the cover, the guidebook is not updated annually (and you’ll have to check the copyright information page— usually just inside the front or back cover— to see when it was most recently updated). When I’m choosing a travel guidebook for a trip, the publication date is usually the single most important factor in which one I buy.”

If you found this blog post helpful, please comment below or share it with your friends on social media. (I sure found it helpful!)

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How to Get What You Want This Mother’s Day

Posted on May 7, 2012 by Shelley C. Miller

“You can’t always get what you want, but if you try sometimes you just might find you get what you need.” When it comes to Mother’s Day, I have to disagree with Mick Jagger.

When my children were young, I would eagerly wait to see what exciting events my family would plan on Mother’s Day. The big day would arrive. My kids would cuddle beside me and deliver their cards. The homemade ones were always the most dear. Then someone would turn to me and say, “So, what do you want to do today?” Deflated, I would realize that no one had planned anything. Why? Because, like most moms, I’m the planner of the family.

Despite what Mick says, I realized that if I didn’t plan the day, I didn’t get what I wanted. And darn it, I needed more than just cards on Mother’s Day.

Dream

Enjoying quality time with family is a gift in itself, but if your family is like mine, it’s challenging to corral everyone to be together for more than a few minutes. However, on Mother’s Day you’re the queen, the boss, the activity director! And my favorite gift is a unique family activity.

I learned early on that if I wanted the perfect Mother’s Day, I better ask for it. So that’s what I started to do. And guess what? I actually got what I wanted!

Some of my fondest Mother’s Day memories are of kayaking in the ocean, bicycle rides through the park and hikes to the top of a mountain.

To all you mothers out there, you still have time to dream before our big day. Starting today, dream about what it is that you want. What do you like to do? Where do you want to visit? What is your passion?

This year, make it happen.

Mother’s Day 2006 – Michele, Dillon and I riding home on the ferry from Coronado. I planned and we enjoyed an afternoon of bike riding plus a picnic in the park. It was just what I wanted. :)

Mother’s Day 2006 – Michele, Dillon and I riding home on the ferry from Coronado. I planned and we enjoyed an afternoon of bike riding plus a picnic in the park. It was just what I wanted. :)


Make a Plan AND Reservations

Then, a week or so before Mother’s Day, tell the most responsible person in your family about your plan. That person might be your husband or one of your children. Whoever it is, give them time to organize or purchase your gift.

According to the National Restaurant Association, Mother’s Day is the single most popular day for dining out. So, if a restaurant meal is part of your plan, remember to include the name of the restaurant!

Write It Down

OK, ladies, one final tip. Pick up a pen or fire up the computer and write down your perfect Mother’s Day plan. Just put it in a simple list format. Are you hoping for breakfast in bed? Write it down. Have you been dreaming of planting a family vegetable garden? Write it down. Maybe you’d like to visit a museum. Yep, write it down.

Dream, Plan, Write—Moms, if you follow these simple suggestions, you can get what you want this Mother’s Day.

What are your plans for Mother’s Day?  Tell me in the Comments Box below.

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A Virtually Free Vacation Can Be Yours When You Home Swap and Use Air Miles

Posted on April 30, 2012 by Shelley C. Miller

Reprinted from The Huffington Post

Spring break is over. Kids are back in school. Routines return. But soon enough, your thoughts will turn to summer vacation. Where will you go? What will you do? You may look at your tiny tax refund and and think that you can’t afford a “real” vacation, what with hotel fees and the cost of eating out, not to mention air travel expenses.

But suppose I told you that you can afford a vacation? You can even travel abroad. Simply swap your home and enjoy free lodging almost anywhere in the world.

It’s called home exchange.

The Home Exchange Experience

Greece - This 4 bedroom/5 bath villa is available for home swap. Photo courtesy of www.HomeExchange.com

My family and I have completed 12 exchanges in 12 years. We’ve lived in homes across the globe, all the way from Hong Kong to Cape Cod. Our children, now in college, have grown up with this fabulous form of accommodation. It has allowed us to see the world.

What originally attracted us to the home swap concept was the undeniable financial benefit. But what keeps us coming back, year after year, is the chance to live in a new city authentically. We experience the region like residents: we eat in a kitchen, gather around the fireplace in the living room, and ride through the community on bicycles from the garage. We’re part of a neighborhood, not a business district.

Home exchanging has been around since the 1950s, and there are close to 70 home swap organizations throughout the world. A few of the top agencies include: www.homeexchange.com, www.homelink.org and www.lovehomeswap.com. Soon to launch is www.casahop.com.

The average annual fee to join a home exchange organization is about $100, although some are free. Most home swap websites permit you to look around their site at no charge. Please do. You’ll be amazed at the quality of the homes available: thatched cottages, seaside homes and modern flats. You could even live in a windmill!

I find that www.homeexchange.com is one of the easier sites to navigate, so I hopped on. By using the “Advanced Search” option, I discovered where a few of their 42,000 members from 146 countries want to travel.

Ireland – This 6 bedroom/4 bathroom home could be your next lodging location. Photo courtesy of www.LoveHomeSwap.com

Ireland – This 6 bedroom/4 bathroom home could be your next lodging location. Photo courtesy of www.LoveHomeSwap.com

  • 1,285 want to exchange in NYC
  • 848 want to exchange in London
  • 585 want to exchange in Paris
  • 414 want to exchange in Berlin
  • 133 want to exchange in Los Angeles
  • 94 want to exchange in Hong Kong
  • 82 want to exchange in Miami
  • 72 want to exchange in Chicago

Vehicle Exchange Option

When you home exchange, you also have the option of swapping cars. Home swap partners work out the details themselves. My family has exchanged our Volvo for a Volkswagen in Germany, a Fiat in Italy and a Mercedes in Hong Kong. Before each trip we checked with our insurance agent and made sure that our policy covered “visiting drivers.”

So, let’s see. No lodging expenses. No car rental fees. And since you’ll be living in a home, you can cook your own meals. No $15 pancakes! All that remains is the cost of transportation.

Airline Mile Tips From The Points Guy

Enter Brian Kelly, the airline point expert. Kelly, aka, The Points Guy says, “It amazes me how often only one adult in a family accrues the lion’s share of credit card points and the other is simply an additional cardholder. That’s a slow way to rack up points! Instead, tag team, so that both rake in huge sign-up bonuses.”

Australia – A 2 bedroom/2 bathroom apartment waits for you down under. Photo courtesy www.HomeLink.org

Australia – A 2 bedroom/2 bathroom apartment waits for you down under. Photo courtesy www.HomeLink.org

There are many credit card deals out there right now, with a variety of offers, so your best bet is to visit www.thepointsguy.comand check out the “Beginner’s Guide.” Additionally, Kelly describes the benefits of nine Airline Rewards Cards, including annual fees, APR and bonus miles.

A round trip coach seat from North America to Europe can be redeemed for about 50,000 frequent flyer miles. Some credit card companies offer a 30,000 sign-up bonus when you spend as little as $500 over the first three months. (With the price of gas right now, you could hit that amount in no time!) But remember, you’ll still need to pay taxes on each ticket, even if redeeming miles.

As with anything in life, planning ahead means better selection. So if you hope to exchange your home this summer and use airline miles, start today. Bon voyage!

 

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Catch a Fabulous Home Exchange With a Great Email: 9 Writing Tips

Posted on April 27, 2012 by Shelley C. Miller

Once you’ve joined a home exchange agency and completed your listing with photographs and information about you and your home, you are ready to send an email to home exchange prospects.

Writing that first home swap email can be daunting. You want to appear friendly, yet professional. You want the reader to look at the photos of your home and read the information you’ve posted. Ultimately, you want to get a positive response that yes, they’d love to home swap with you!

With that in mind I’ve compiled 9 Writing Tips to help you create that important and tempting home exchange email.

1.  Use their language in the greeting – You don’t need to speak Spanish to write the word Hola, yet it’s a courteous way to begin a message to someone who lives in Spain. If you plan to home swap in France, Bonjour would be the perfect salutation. Using their language gives a small nod to the country of the home exchange prospect. (Dr. Google can supply you with the spelling of whatever you need.)

2.  Include the first name of the member – Dale Carnegie said it best, “A person’s name is to that person the sweetest and most important sound in any language.” Look on the home swap member’s listing and note exactly how they spell their name. If two names are listed, then include both.

3.  Offer honest appreciation of their home – The best way to begin your email is with an honest compliment about the member’s home. Let them know you value the beauty in their home. If you’re writing to people who speak a different language from you, always use simple and clear words.

4.  Explain who is in your travel party – Home exchangers want to know who and how many people will be sleeping in their home, and if they are children or adults. If you are traveling with kids, list their ages. Also, it’s wise to state how well-behaved and respectful the children are. (Because my readers only have well-behaved and respectful children.)

5.  Outline your travel dates – Include a window of opportunity for travel times. For example: “We would like to visit your beautiful city for two weeks sometime during July 2012.” This allows the prospect a bit of wiggle room and the chance to adjust their own travel schedule. Of course, if you are attending a wedding/meeting/reunion you should include those specific dates.

6. Describe a few benefits of your home – OK, so you’ve greeted them, appreciated them, given them your travel details, now you get to entice them. First thing, state how many bedrooms and bathrooms you have. Then explain one or two of the benefits of your home: “We have a view of Empress Lake from our deck.” or “Our family room is full of toys, games and a drum set.” If you have trouble coming up with something special, think about what your friend’s have commented on when they visit your home.

7.  Sell your city – Most towns, even small ones, usually have a Chamber of Commerce or Town Council. These organizations can supply a treasure trove of information to help you describe the highlights of your community. Read their brochures, visit their website, find out how they promote your city and then borrow their ideas. If the family you hope to home exchange with has children, be sure to mention activities that the entire family will enjoy. For example, “An award-winning children’s museum is located in Kingston, a town about 20 minutes away.” Home exchangers LOVE day trips.

8.  Conclusion – Invite the home swap prospect to look at your listing on the home exchange website for additional details. Then, ladies and gentlemen, ask for the order: “Are you ready to visit Denver this summer?” or “Would you like to home exchange with us?”

9. Include a PS – Studies have shown that everyone reads the PS, even if they only skim the letter. Use this opportunity to end your email on a high note. For example: “There’s a live concert in our neighborhood park the second week in July!”

With these tips you’re now ready to begin cutting and pasting your way through your favorite country. Happy home exchange; hope you catch a big one!

PS If you like what you read, please share on your favorite social media site. :)

Categories: Home Exchange, Home Swap, How To Home Exchange, How To Home Exchange | Comments Off

You’ll Need This Guide, If You Home Exchange in Paris

Posted on April 18, 2012 by Shelley C. Miller

A 1/1 on the top floor in the center of Paris – Located near Rue des Martyrs, one of the best gourmet food streets in Paris. (Photo courtesy of Homelink.org)

When I received my first e-mail about a home exchange in Paris,I had no idea what an arrondissement was; let alone how to pronounce it.

The e-mail was from a French family of five. The wife, Julie, wrote, “We have decided to exchange our home in the 5th arrondissement because we like to travel and we think that this way of visiting a country is a good one.”

I phoned a well-traveled girlfriend for a definition of arrondissement and asked if a 5th of it was a good thing. She told me it was a very good thing.

French Entree

Oh, how I wish I had first seen this blog post from French Entrée; I would have felt much more informed:

http://www.frenchentree.com/paris/DisplayArticle.asp?ID=46558


Ellie Cobbe explains on her website, “Paris is divided into 20 administrative districts, or arrondissements, each with very distinctive atmospheres and attractions. Arranged in a spiral shape which

A 3/2 flat, 5 min. walk to Musee du Louvre – Flat is located on the 2nd & 3rd floors of a 17th century building. (Photo courtesy of Homelink.org)

begins in Paris’ historical centre and works outwards to the more modern areas of the city, we hope to draw out the best that each of these mini communities has to offer.”

The French Entrée website includes a Paris business directory, a list of concerts and shows, and details about cookery schools. All great information if you book a home exchange in the City of Light.

French Home Exchange

One of the top home swap websites is: www.homelink.org. Their site lists 1,799 home exchange members who have a home in France; 587 of them own homes in or around Paris. These members are looking for exchanges in a wide variety of countries including: the U.S., Ireland, Spain, Italy, Canada, Germany, Sweden. You name it, the members want to visit it.

My family did, in fact, home exchange with Julie and her family in the 5th arrondissement.The first week we were there we took a walking tour of our neighborhood, also known as the Latin Quarter. I was thrilled to learn from the tour guide that our 3-bedroom home exchange flat was only three doors down from where Ernest Hemingway lived when he wrote “The

A 3/1 home exchange in Paris – Located in Marais, a lovely character-filled neighborhood. (Photo courtesy of www.homelink.org)

Sun Also Rises.”

Oh, and get this, James Joyce lived about half a block away from our home exchange when he wrote “Ulysses.”

Wow.

I felt honored to live, even if only for a few weeks, in the neighborhood of greatness. And I was reminded of, once again, why home exchange is a very good thing.

Where do you want to home exchange?

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In Less Than 60 Seconds Find Out Who Wants to Home Swap in Your City

Posted on April 11, 2012 by Shelley C. Miller

There are people all over the world who want to vacation in your home—and yes—that means you get to vacation in their home. For free.

Home exchange in France – 3-bedroom/3-bath restored shepherd’s hut. From early summer all meals can be taken on the “mulberry tree-shaded main terrace.” (photo courtesy of HomeExchange.com)

Home exchange in France – 3-bedroom/3-bath restored shepherd’s hut. From early summer all meals can be taken on the “mulberry tree-shaded main terrace.” (photo courtesy of HomeExchange.com)

I recently discovered a tantalizing way to find a home exchange. It’s called reverse search. If you try it, just be sure to have tissue ready. You will salivate.

With most home exchange organizations the member usually types in a destination city, like London or Florence. My family has home exchanged 12 times in 12 years and this is how we’ve always searched for our next home swap. But with reverse search, you type in the name of your city to find out who wants to visit you.

Not all home exchange companies offer this service. One that does is: www.homeexchange.com.

 

Here’s how I did it: 

  1. First, I clicked the link on the homeexchange.com website that says “Advanced.”
  2. I went to a box that says “Listings who want to exchange to:” I typed in United States.
  3. From a dropdown menu of all 50 states, I clicked California
  4. A box appeared that said “City:” and I typed San Diego.
  5. Elsewhere on the site, I did not complete the box that requested “Preferred Dates.” I also didn’t fill in the number of bedrooms or bathrooms because I just wanted to know how many people registered with this home swap company want to visit my city.
  6. Then I clicked Search. The Reverse Search procedure took less than 60 seconds.

In my head, a drumroll tapped.

Victorian timber home in Australia – 3-bedroom/1-bath with a gym. Oh, and a little bonus, their apartment in Brisbane is also available. (OMG!)

Victorian timber home in Australia – 3-bedroom/1-bath with a gym. Oh, and a little bonus, their apartment in Brisbane is also available. (OMG!)(photo courtesy of HomeExchange.com)

76 members!  They all want to visit San Diego! I laughed. Out loud.

The first time I did a Reverse Search I called out to my husband, Stan, “Come ‘ere!”

I heard his newspaper crunch closed and his footsteps move towards my office.

“Look,” I cried. “All these people want to come here!” I pointed to the computer monitor, just in case he didn’t know what I was talking about.

He stood behind me and peered over my shoulder.

“How’d you do that?” he asked.

He hates it when I figure out some new way to do something on the computer. Actually, he loves it. What he hates is that he didn’t figure it out first.

Together we perused the list of 76 exciting prospects: Canada, France, Italy, U.S., England, Australia, Holland, Ireland, Norway. Page after page of glorious home photos: thatched cottages, seaside homes, modern flats. It was like gazing into a candy counter. We couldn’t decide which one we wanted.

Stan departed to feed our dog Shadow, who always lets us know when it’s dinnertime by making pathetic hunger noises. (Shadow does this, not Stan.)

And I returned to the home page on my monitor to narrow my search by inserting additional information: we needed a minimum of 2 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms, accommodations for 4 people. Oh, I also clicked the Non-smokers box. Then I clicked Search again.

The number dropped from 76 down to 54. But, hey, I’m totally good with 54.

Southwest corner of Heaven, I mean Ireland – 5-bedroom/5 bath with a deck that overlooks a wooded glen and stream.

Southwest corner of Heaven, I mean Ireland – 5-bedroom/5 bath with a deck that overlooks a wooded glen and stream. (photo courtesy of HomeExchange.com)

Then I thought about you, the people who would be reading this. I wondered what city you live in and what you’d like to know. So here are a few tasty morsels for you to chew on:

  • 850 people want to home swap in London.
  • 331 members want to home exchange in Colorado; one is on the Florida Intracoastal Waterway.
  • 133 families hope to exchange with someone in Oregon, how about a 3-bedroom Swiss chalet replete with red geraniums and green shutters? (Yes, in Switzerland.)
  • 75 travelers hope to home swap in Madrid.
  • 68 folks have listed Wyoming as an exchange location; a family in Paris wants to visit your home.
  • 67 want to home exchange in Texas, I spotted a fully-staffed colonial home in Mexico
  • 42 members want an exchange vacation in Connecticut, one member with a 2-bedroom/2-bath in Hawaii.
  • 13 members noted Tennessee as a destination; one is a 3/1 in New York City

I hope I’ve whet your appetite for a home exchange vacation. If I didn’t mention your state or country, ask me on my comments box. I’ll let you know.

Now I’ve got to go look over my 54 prospects and start e-mailing these folks. I think a holiday home swap is in order.

Categories: Home Swap, How To Home Exchange, How To Home Exchange | Comments Off

Packing Confession of a World Traveler

Posted on April 4, 2012 by Shelley C. Miller

Regardless of how many countries I’ve visited, or trains I’ve ridden, or steps I’ve negotiated, I always think I will need more clothes when I travel. Packing light remains my Achilles’ Heel.

I’m going to want that flowered blouse. Those yellow shoes look so cute with that skirt! Who am I trying to impress anyway? Certainly not my kids; my husband could care less if I look pulled together.

The good news is, I’m getting better. I’m actually beginning to follow my own packing advice. In May, we’ve scheduled our 13th home exchange in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. My goal: one carry-on, nothing checked. If I can do it, so can you.

10 Packing Tips from the Home Exchange Expert

A rolling suitcase becomes a dragging suitcase when negotiating stairs (or cobblestone streets) – Consider a backpack for your next adventure.

1.Luggage –You want high quality luggage that’s easy to transport. For air travel the current luggage size limit is: no taller than 22”, no wider than 14”, no deeper than 9”. Depending on the type of travel you enjoy, adventure or luxury, choose either a backpack or 360°spinner suitcase.

In many countries there are more steps than elevators; sometimes the streets are ancient and rocky. That’s why I encourage backpacks. Even if you’re not strong-like-bull, a backpack might be easier, because a “rolling” suitcase becomes a “dragging” suitcase when trying to pull it up some of those aforementioned steps.

Backpacks free up your hands and you’ll never have to worry about somebody putting down their suitcase to buy a train ticket or a pack of gum. Most importantly, you’ll have a free hand for a loved one. Check out: www.luggageonline.com

2.Dress like the locals - Research the local standards of dress for your destination. If you’ll be visiting churches, wear a long sleeve top or bring a scarf to cover your shoulders. Years ago, I made the mistake of wearing a sundress in Jakarta. As I walked down the street, I felt a bit exposed. Doris, at www.babyboomerstraveling.com says, “Wearing shorts and sleeveless blouses in Morocco will result in uncomfortable stares by the locals.” Yup.

3.Season determines your attire – Research the weather for your destination and pack accordingly. A great site is: www.weather.com. But always be ready for surprises. Two years ago my daughter and I flew to Germany in July for a hospitality home exchange. It rained the entire trip. (OK, we had two days of sunshine over a 14-day visit.) Additionally, it was unseasonably cold. I wore my one pair of long pants most of the time. Thank goodness they were black and made of a quick-dry fabric.

4.What clothing to choose - Select clothing in basic colors. For example, choose bottoms in black or khaki; this leads to fewer clothes. Tops are generally lighter than pants, so you’ll be able to pack more without adding extra weight. For a two-week trip, I suggest the following packing list: 3 bottoms (casual pants, dress pants, jeans or skirt), 3 long sleeved shirts, 1-2 sweaters, a rain jacket, a few t-shirts/tank tops to layer under clothing, 2 pair shoes, 1 scarf, pajamas, underwear and socks. Remember, outside of the U.S., shorts are considered beachwear.

If you’re unsure about bringing something, travel pro Rick Steves says, “Don’t ask yourself, ‘Will I use them?’ but ‘Will I use them enough to feel good about carrying them over the Swiss Alps?’”

If you’re traveling with little ones, checkout the great packing lists here: www.travelmamas.com

5.Fitting it all in - Clothing that is rolled takes up less space than folded clothing. Try the “bundling” technique. I like Eagle Creek packing cubes, they maximize space and help keep me organized. Or pack items in zip-top bags; press to remove excess air. Always, always, always, pack liquids in a plastic bag, even if you check your baggage. www.eaglecreek.com

6. Safety clothes – This is a security tip, not a fashion tip. Dress like the locals. In general, shorts are not a good idea. (I know I’m repeating myself, but this is important.) When you wear shorts, you look like a tourist; tourists carry money and expensive devices. Pack long pants and/or skirts.

In Der Tube – Purchase toiletries in your travel location. It’s fun to read labels in a different language.

7.Buy personal care products there – If toiletries are available at your destination, buy them there, and only pack a few days supply with you. If you’re flying and only bringing carry on, you’re limited to 3 oz. or smaller supplies anyway. My husband’s favorite soap in Germany was Rei; he liked it because a German phrase on the container made him laugh. We brought a tube of it back with us and it’s still in our laundry closet. Look at the photo and see what’s so funny. This is one of the reasons why it’s more fun to buy your necessities over there.

8. Read your labels – Add identification tags to the outside of your luggage and inside too, tape a business card or label to your electronic devices, include the phone number of the phone you will carry with you on the trip.

9. Purchase guidebook in your home country – When my family traveled to Italy a couple years ago, I decided to wait and buy the guidebook there. Never again! The English language options were dismal; the books included dated photographs and a paragraph of history. I longed for insider tips, museum hours of operation, a few popular Italian phrases and restaurant suggestions. We tried to check the Internet but Wi-Fi was not plentiful. Learn from my mistake and purchase your guidebook at home.

10. Carry on – Bring these items onto the flight with you: medications, lightweight blanket, one change of clothes, reading material, pen, deck of cards, journal, healthy protein snacks, extra pair of glasses. Questions about larger liquids? Check with Transportation Security Administration http://www.tsa.gov/311/index.shtm

Those are my top 10 packing tips for when you do your next home swap or home exchange!

Do you have any tips you’d like to add?  Leave it in a comment below!

 

Categories: Home Exchange, Home Swap, Packing | Comments Off

Staging Diva Shares 7 Photo Tips to Promote Your Home Exchange Property

Posted on March 28, 2012 by Shelley C. Miller

Guest Post by Debra Gould, The Staging Diva®

If you hope to travel the world by participating in a home exchange, it’s critical that the photos of your home generate interest from home swap prospects. When you attract the right partner, you’ll have a higher quality home exchange for yourself too!

Here are 7 Staging Diva photo tips that I use when staging properties for the real estate market. As a home stager, I use these techniques to attract home buyers (and renters), but they’ll work equally well for you when marketing your home for a home swap!

Guest room staged by Debra Gould, The Staging Diva

Guest room staged by Debra Gould, The Staging Diva

1. Photograph your rooms with a digital camera with a wide-angle lens. You’ll be amazed at how much more of the room you can capture in a single shot, and it will make your home appear larger.

2. Ensure each room is well lit so that your home doesn’t look dark and depressing. Turn on all the lights and open all window coverings. Avoid shooting towards a window as this makes everything else in the photo too dark. When photographing a room with a large mirror or art with reflective glass, avoid capturing your own reflection.

3. Photograph each room from different angles; hold your camera high above and also at eye level. Also shoot it from different corners of each room. Then review all your photos to pick the ones that show each room at its best. While this may add an hour to your photography time, it’s well worth the effort!

Bathroom staged by Debra Gould, The Staging Diva

Bathroom staged by Debra Gould, The Staging Diva

4. Minimize clutter and distractions before photographing any room. You may love your collection of teddy bears or decorative plates, but these may not appeal to others.

5. Be obsessive about details in every shot. Consider each photograph a key marketing piece for your home. Even simple things like a dishrag hanging from the kitchen faucet, crooked lampshades and artwork, or a sloppily made bed will detract from your home’s appeal. The more perfect everything looks, the more people will believe your home is clean and well maintained.

6. Use props to enhance the emotional appeal of each room. For example, fresh flowers on the bathroom counter and dining room table, a bowl of fruit in the kitchen, or decorative pillows and a throw blanket in the living room.

Garden staged by Debra Gould, The Staging Diva

Garden staged by Debra Gould, The Staging Diva

7. Photograph the major rooms in your home and don’t forget the outside too. Curb appeal is important, as well as decks, yard or view, if you have one. Ensure the grounds are neat, and arrange any outdoor furniture or plants to show the property at its best.

Your goal is to market your property as your home swap partner’s home away from home. With the right photos, you’ll increase the perceived value of your home and attract a superior home exchange. If you’re finding it hard to be objective about your home, or you want to make it more enticing using the furniture and accessories you already have, consider the services of a professional home stager. Many stagers will also provide web-ready photographs as part of their service.

———–

Internationally recognized home staging expert Debra Gould is President of Voice of Possibility Group Inc. which operates Six Elements Home Staging and the Staging Diva Home Staging Business Training Program. An entrepreneur for almost 25 years and author of several guides, Debra has staged millions of dollars worth of real estate and trained over 7,000 home stagers worldwide. Visit StagingDiva.com for additional tips or to find a home stager in your area.

Categories: Staging Homes | 1 Comment

Family Travel Has a Big Secret: Home Swap

Posted on March 22, 2012 by Shelley C. Miller

Interview with Shelley Miller
As seen on www.Momaboard.com

Our First Home Exchange in Windsor, England - This five bedroom/3 bath Tudor built in 1485 was where my family lived for two weeks. We agreed to care for their two dogs, three geese and five sheep. Oh, and seven fish.


1. How do home exchanges work?

My 20-year-old daughter, Michele, recently said to me, “Mom, how come everybody doesn’t home exchange?”  This is from a young woman who was 8 years old on our family’s first home swap. It’s how she and her brother have seen the world. My family has exchanged our San Diego home 12 times in 12 years. We’re about to do lucky number 13 in May.

The home swap concept is simple: You live in someone’s home, while they live in yours. No money is exchanged, only your home. You choose the city and the home or apartment. The location could be across the state or across the Pacific.

You can enjoy your vacations in far more spacious and comfortable surroundings than you would otherwise. You’ll have fully stocked kitchens where you can cook your own meals. This is especially important if it’s cherry season.

A few years ago, my family exchanged our home with a family in Germany. During our June visit, the Schramm’s garden was bursting with juicy strawberries and ripe raspberries. Cherries dangled from tree branches like ruby earrings. I decided to whip up a batch of my mom’s famous cherry crisp for a Father’s Day dessert. Our kids, Dillon and Michele, used a ladder to harvest a bowlful of the fruit and then the three of us sat at the patio table pitting the cherries with what my dad used to call the “dead end” of a safety pin. By the time we were finished our arms were coated in sticky juice, our stomachs hurt from laughing so much and the fruit looked slaughtered. But after dinner, that cherry crisp was devoured.

Our home exchange in Germany lasted about three weeks. I’ve discovered that when we home exchange, we take longer vacations. Why? Because we can afford the price of home swap accommodations: FREE! 

There are about 70 home exchange companies throughout around the globe. The largest agency registered 70,000 home exchanges within the past 12 months. One family did 10 home swaps just last year! These people are saving a fortune by home exchanging. You can even exchange cars. Just imagine how much money you could save on accommodations and car rental.

So if you dream of traveling but keep stumbling over the cost of an extended vacation or business trip, home exchange is your answer.

And if you travel during the month of June, bring a cherry crisp recipe with you!

2. Tell us about your own great experiences with home exchanges?

My family’s love of home exchange all began in 2000 when we lived in Europe for five months and exchanged homes with families in England, Ireland, Germany, France and Italy. At the time, our son, Dillon, was 12 and as I mentioned Michele, was 8.

They missed 10 weeks of school, but instead they marveled at Stonehenge in England, experienced the night sky at the only planetarium in Ireland, learned of the atrocities at Dachau Concentration in Germany, took an art class at a museum down the street from Claude Monet’s home in France and attended an opera—in Italian— in my grandmother’s hometown of Barga, Italy.

Our children matured in unexpected ways on that journey. These were two typical American kids who squirmed while munching chicken nuggets at Denny’s. But by the time we arrived in Italy five months later, they were sitting in a white tablecloth restaurant eating calamari.

3. Do they cost anything?

Most home exchange companies charge an annual membership fee; these fees range from free to over $500 U.S. Dollars. The average price is $100. Home swap agencies that offer more exclusive homes generally charge the higher fees, but there are plenty of terrific homes on the $100 sites too. Most exchange companies allow you to check out their website at no cost, before you join.

One night after you put the kids to bed and the house is quiet, take a trip around the world. You’ll be blown away by what you find. I will never forget my first peek at a home exchange website. It’s positively thrilling to imagine that your family can live for free in one of the wonderful homes like these:

Great Britain: “18th century thatched cottage in quiet Dorset countryside.”  You’ll be enchanted by the image of the home with gray straw on the roof, pink flowers in the garden and a green painted door.

Switzerland: “Our house is located in a beautiful village between vineyards and the lake and we have a private beach.”  You’ll see trees surrounding the lake and a rowboat bobbing in the foreground.

France: “Charming, quiet, historic district of Central Paris.”  The ivy covered 17th century stone building will captivate you. You’ll read that they have three bedrooms and two bathrooms. Their apartment is only five minutes from the Louvre Museum.

Once you see the amazing options, I’m certain you’ll call out to your travel partner, “Honey, come look what I found!”

4. What happens if things don’t work out right? The pictures are forged or someone ill-treats your home?

Let me give you an example of one of the e-mails we received from a home exchange prospect:

Dear Stan and Shelley,

We live in Windsor, England and are interested to exchange with you. We have a 5 bedroom and 2 bath Tudor home on 3 acres. Our 3 children are on school holiday in April so that is when we could schedule a visit.  Does this work for you?

We’d also like to exchange cars.  We have a Volvo wagon.

Paul and Katherine

When I clicked on a photo of their home, I thought the Queen herself could have lived there. It was a glorious old mansion built in 1485; we don’t have dirt that old in California!

I e-mailed them that very day, Paul e-mailed back the next and soon I felt like we were pen pals.

Your heart will flutter with excitement when you exchange e-mails with people on the other side of the world. During the getting-to-know-you phase you’ll ask your home exchange prospect if they like to hike or visit museums or fish. You’ll exchange photos of your families, perhaps talk on the phone or Skype. Until finally, they no longer seem like a stranger, they seem like a friend.

And that’s really what home exchange is all about: developing new friends and seeing the world in an authentic and affordable way.

If your still not convinced, just let me mention that the CEO of the largest home exchange company says that in over 20 years of business and thousands of home exchanges they’ve never had one report of a theft or malicious vandalism.

Our Flat in Florence, Italy - Dillon and Michele discover what they consider to be the best part about home swap: Toys!


5. Why are they a good fit for families?

Home exchange was made for families.

What happens when you go to a hotel room—after the kids jump on the bed and watch TV and play with the games on your phone or iPad—they get cabin fever, right? Well, when you home exchange there is s-p-a-c-e to move around! And if you exchange with families who have kids, there are TOYS! Often there are bicycles! There are board games! Doll houses! Drum sets! Puppets! (Did I mention toys?)

Aside from the fact that your accommodations are free, toys are the next best feature. Although having a fully stocked kitchen is pretty good too. Oh, and more than one bathroom is always a good thing.

When we exchanged with Paul and Katherine in England there were five pairs of Wellington boots by the door, the Brits call them Wellies. So there are even rain boots available. After all, it’s someone’s home, everything you need is right there.

You’ve heard the expression, “All the comforts of home.” Well, I think they were referring to a home exchange.

6. What advice would you offer travelers looking to engage in a home swap for the first time?

  • Join a home exchange company – There are several good ones out there. The largest company lists 40,000 homes from 147 countries. Another offers 2,000 homes in 70 countries. One home swap agency has a network of Christian members and yet another company has gathered together Jewish members. There is a home exchange company for seniors, teachers and those with disabilities too. The options are endless.
  • Create a webpage for your home – Observe what other home exchangers have done on their webpage and then borrow the best ideas. My family lives near the Pacific Ocean, so my husband scanned a postcard photograph that shows an aerial view of our region. He did this in 1999 and the photo remains on our webpage, attracting home exchange prospects like bees to honey.

What’s the best feature of your home? Is it a dreamy master bedroom, a fabulous family room, perhaps a cool swimming pool? Whatever it is, highlight it on your webpage with some photographs and descriptions.

  • Cut and paste your way throughout the world – Create an introductory e-mail and save it in a “Home For Exchange” document file in your computer, because you’ll be using this letter several times.

After you and your travel partner/family members decide where you want to exchange, you’ll begin e-mailing your prospects. Some people will respond in 2 days, some in 2 weeks, some never. Don’t give up. If you found a home that is perfect for you, e-mail them again in a week. Then maybe once more. If you don’t hear back after three tries, let it go.

My husband and I wanted to visit the colonial village of San Miguel de Allende, Mexico this year. I used my standard introductory e-mail message and sent it to nine prospects. Over the next couple weeks I heard “No,” from five of them, nothing from three of them and “Yes,” from one of them. The one who responded positively happens to be the owner of the home with the saltwater infinity pool. Oh yeah.

Remember, it only takes one.

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What Else Can You Do on St. Patrick’s Day Other Than Drink Green Beer? Bake Irish Soda Bread

Posted on March 14, 2012 by Shelley C. Miller

Welcome U-T San Diego readers! Glad you stopped by. This is the place to learn more about how you can save a bundle on your next vacation when you home swap. And live in a real neighborhood too! With a kitchen, and extra bedrooms and sometimes toys, even boats… OK, I’ll stop now. It’s just that the benefits of home swap are so great that I can get carried away.

Anyway, have a look around my website. Check out the FAQs or read a couple of my blog posts. If you want to know more about how my family began home exchanging, click on my About page.

Please leave a comment, I love hearing from you!

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According to the Society for the Preservation of Irish Soda Bread, the best flour to use is pastry flour or cake flour. I bake the loaf in a lightly greased and floured cast iron pan, but a cake pan will also work.

Buttermilk, I thought to myself, how will that taste in a bread recipe? I turned the postcard over and looked at the photograph on the front. A round domed loaf rested alongside a pot of jam and a few daffodils. I flipped the postcard over again and re-read the recipe.

There were four basic ingredients: flour, bicarbonate of soda, salt and that unique one, buttermilk. Basic ingredients were important because Brosnan’s Supermarket carried limited foodstuffs.

My husband, two children and I were living for three weeks in the village of Schull, Ireland, population 689. We had home exchanged with an Irish family who owned a holiday home there, on the southwest coast of Ireland. That family was living in our home in San Diego.

I loved everything about Schull (pronounced Skull) the rosy-cheeked residents, the colorful Main Street storefronts, the tomato red geraniums that hung from a window box at Hurley’s Tool Hire and the small fishing boats that bobbed nearby in Schull Harbor.

I purchased the postcard from the general store and marched straight to Brosnan’s. They had buttermilk.

A few days later, on Easter Sunday, my 8-year-old daughter, Michele, and I baked our first loaf of Irish Soda Bread. Dense and delicious, mildly nutty, all encased in a golden crust. We’ve baked one almost every Easter since. Michele is now 20.

Here’s the recipe from the postcard:

  • Irish Soda Bread
  • 4 cups plain flour
  • 1 tspn bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
  • ½ tspn salt
  • 2 cups buttermilk
  • Sift the dry ingredients together.
  • Make a well in the centre and add enough buttermilk to make a soft dough.
  • Knead lightly and flatten into a round. Cut a cross on top and bake at 425° for about 40 mins.

When I come across Irish Soda Bread recipes now, I’ve noticed additional ingredients are often included: sugar, baking powder, raisins. Confused, I turned to the Internet for answers and was thrilled to find the Society for the Preservation of Irish Soda Bread (SPISB).

Enter Ed O’Dwyer.

In 2001 O’Dwyer overheard the winner of an Irish Soda Bread competition bragging that her soda bread secret was to soak raisins in whiskey overnight. “That really annoyed me,” O’Dwyer said. “Many people think adding whiskey to something makes it an Irish dish. That’s both insulting and stereotyping,” he added.

Shelley and Michele Miller bake their first loaf of traditional Irish Soda Bread while on a home exchange in Schull, Ireland. Four easy ingredients make for an ideal recipe to make with children.

O’Dwyer felt that the traditional Irish Soda Bread he grew up with was disappearing under gobs of green icing and sugar. So in 2003 he launched the SPISB.

On the Society’s website, O’Dwyer writes emphatically, “If your soda bread has raisins, it’s not soda bread! It’s called Spotted Dog or Railway Cake! If it contains raisins, eggs, baking powder, sugar or shortening, it’s called cake, not bread. All are tasty, but not traditional Irish Soda Bread!”

My daughter and I have been doing it right, after all.

O’Dwyer’s website, www.sodabread.info, states that SPISB is, “one of those Societies where there are no dues, no meetings, and the only requirement for joining is to bake traditional Irish Soda Bread from time to time and teach a child about soda bread and how to make it.”

Good news for me; I’ve been a member for 12 years and didn’t even know it.

Shelley Miller is a Home Exchange Expert who offers home swap tips to people who want to travel the world and stay for free. Miller and her family have exchanged their home 12 times in 12 years. Learn more at www.homeexchangeexpert.com  and follow her on Twitter @homeexchangekey.

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