Holiday home from home
It can cut down on costs — and your pets will be taken care of
YOU may not find romance like Cameron Diaz and Kate Winslet did when they swapped homes in the film The Holiday, but you will love the money you’ll save on accommodation.
Home swapping is gaining popularity in South Africa as homeowners catch on to the concept and list their properties with local and international agencies.
Helen During of Rondebosch in Cape Town has swapped homes three times for holidays in the UK, Switzerland and France.
“It was amazing. Our first swap to Verbier in Switzerland was a fabulous two weeks in a Swiss family’s holiday cottage in the mountains.
“The Swiss family fetched us from the airport and dropped us at the cottage and then flew out to our home the next day. They loved our home, and our country, and spent a lot of time in Khayelitsha as they were passionate photographers,” said During.
“Holidays would not have been possible if we had had to pay for accommodation in pounds or euros.”
During recently had a family holiday in London after swapping with expats who wanted to come home for Christmas.
“We were based just outside London but on the commuter belt and had a fabulous time. We saved loads of money by eating at home,” she said.
Donald Curtis, who started HouseSwap two years ago with his wife, Sarah, said they had 58 homes listed on their site.
“Sarah, who is from Germany, asked me why people in South Africa don’t house swap as it was big in Europe and America,” he said.
Curtis, a lawyer based in Knysna, said they had a page on their website dedicated to safety and security, and steps in arranging a house swap.
He said there were three large, established international houseswapping websites which together had more than 1 500 South African homes listed.
“Benefits and savings accrue from being able to swap to a house that’s set up for your children, or having someone house-sit your house which would otherwise be empty and vulnerable while you’re away, or someone taking care of and feeding your pets instead of putting them in a kennel, or even agreeing to exchange cars during your trip,” said Curtis.
Freelance journalist Jane Flanagan, of Hout Bay in Cape Town, said more people were talking about house swapping.
“We swapped with friends from London. It made going on holiday more affordable. They had little children who our nanny helped out with and we left our car for them at the airport.”
The mother of two said her fourbedroom home with a pool, within walking distance from the beach, was listed on the Guardian Home Exchange website.
Flanagan said she was keen to do it again.
“But sometimes it is a seasonal problem because when we want to go to Europe in June or July no one wants to come to Cape Town then.”
Mark Sealey, of UK-based Home Base Holidays, said his company had home-swap offers in about 90 countries, with a large portion of offers in Europe.
“South Africa is a popular destination. The most common length of home swaps tends to be two to three weeks, with some going for over three months.
“Traditionally we have seen home swapping particularly pop- ular with families and senior travellers [but] we have seen an increasing number of younger couples and solo travellers arranging swaps.
“The biggest group tends to be members in the UK looking to visit South Africa. If you’re lucky enough to have a home in a popular travel destination such as Cape Town, then you will likely receive many offers,” said Sealey.
He said home swapping was a personal arrangement between the two sets of members.
“They discuss and agree to what works for their travel plans. However, it is important that your home is clean, tidy and prepared for your home-swap guests and that, when you leave their home, you leave it in as good a condition as when you arrived.”
Curtis said it was free to list a home, to search and view all the other homes on his website. But in order to swap you need to sign up for a membership — R425 for six months or R750 for 12 months. This will allow access to the website’s internal messaging system to connect with potential house-swap partners.
❛ The biggest group tends to be members in the UK looking to visit South Africa