9. Make Friends With Your Exchange Partners
The uninitiated don’t realize that throughout the home exchange process you tend to develop a friendly bond with your fellow swappers. By the time you actually do the exchange, you don’t feel like random “strangers” anymore. There’s a lot of back and forth between both parties as you test the waters, see if there’s compatibility, work out the details and then come to an agreement. You get to know their families, their interests, their travel style and more. It can take weeks or months to build the level of familiarity, trust and gut instinct necessary to embark on this kind of journey, so close connections are often forged even through language and culture barriers. Many non-simultaneous exchangers actually meet face-to-face and build true friendships that extend beyond the time-frame of the swap. That being said, some exchanges are more business-like, so if you’re not out to make new pals around the world, that’s okay too.
10. Get Built In Pet Care
One of the biggest burdens of going on holiday is finding care for your beloved pets. Taking the dog or cat to a kennel can be expensive and stressful, and finding a friend who’ll take your fish, turtle or snake is not always easy. With home exchange, provided there’s a mutual agreement, pet care can be thrown into the bargain. Unless someone is allergic or adverse to animals, most people are happy to feed, water and play with a pet.
