JewettStreet Blog
Everything Beta here! This is a first atempt to create JewettStreet.com`s very own Blog. At the moment the Blog's functions are very rudimentary. Keep with us, we plan to gear it up soon!
As always, your comments are very welcome. Please mail them to Ursula.
Enjoy!
From Russia with Love
- Alexander's Living Room
April 28, 2008
Last week a spammer in disguise tried to contact fellow JewettStreet members with the use of a robot. Thanks to our excellent alert system, we stopped his attempt right at the outset. Unfortunately, the spammer got through to a few of our members.
To my big surprise and my great pleasure, the feedback from the affected members to this originally so unpleasant message I had to send to them was very positive. As a result, I started a correspondence with a new member from Moscow, our first listing in Russia. It was exciting to find out who’s behind Home-ID 1779 (no, not 007).
It is Alexander's and his wife’s first attempt to try out home exchange. They offer a beautiful 3-room apartment in the heart of Moscow. What is unusual, the apartment comes with a personal driver! (Now, this information does remind me a little bit of James Bond, after all.) Alexander's likeable comment about his apartment: "Our flat is typical of the Soviet period. But we make up for our hospitality."
The Muscovite’s preferred home exchange destinations are Australia, USA and Canada, but they are open to your suggestions. They are also open to hospitality exchanges.
Off to Moscow!
Peace of Mind for the Home Exchanger
March 26, 2008
Home exchange traveling has reached a new level. For the first time, home exchange experts and clubs have come together to form an independent professional organization - CHECtravel - for the benefit of the individual home exchanger, the clubs and home exchange as a way of traveling.
By selecting JewettStreet as your home exchange club you have proven excellent judgement. Since its launch in late 2006, JewettStreet has steadily built on its reputation as a trustworthy and reliable home exchange organization. Our nomination as a CHEC certified home exchange club simply confirms our commitment to high quality and standards in relationship to our members.
JewettStreet has also helped formulating CHECtravel standards and practises as a council member.
Who are CHEC members?
Members of CHEC are individuals and home exchange clubs who:
- meet strong standards of conduct within the home exchange community
- agree to follow the highest principles of ethics and voluntary self-regulation
- either have a proven track record of honesty and integrity in their home exchange activities or promise to abide by the CHEC code of conduct
- endeavor to make home exchange a safe, secure and reliable way to travel
Why we recommend you become a CHEC member
- CHEC members enjoy peace of mind when exchanging with a fellow CHEC member who adheres to the same ethical standards
- Individual CHEC exchangers benefit from the safety and security provided by a CHEC member club
- CHEC mediation service
- Rebate package including home exchange travel insurance, car rentals, luggage and other travel accessories (Ten plus Ten Plan), books, maps and tours (Ten plus Ten Plan)
- And other services
CHEC membership discount for JewettStreet members
The CHEC membership introductory price is US$ 25 for the first 500 members (regular price 49,95). In addition, JewettStreet members receive a 20% discount. In order to get your discount when signing up, simply type in the following code: chc
We will be happy to add information about your CHEC membership to your JewettStreet listing so that other JewettStreet members will recognize you as a CHEC member. Please simply reply to info(at)jewettstreet.com. In the subject field type: CHEC.
More information on CHECtravel
Serendipity Home Exchange
- Upper Italian Lakes Region on the Swiss border
March 5, 2008
My family and I had plans to make a step visit to Lago Maggiore this coming weekend. We wanted to have a look at a romantic cottage that was for sale. It came with a private setting, a large garden with fig and palm trees and a breathtaking view over the lake and the mountains. (In the back of my mind I could already picture numerous new and exotic home exchange offers coming our way with such a spectacular second home in sight.)
A month ago, in the course of my annual search for a summer swap I contacted the owner of a JewettStreet listing in the Upper Italian Lakes region. I was a bit disappointed when I got no response. Meanwhile, I had all forgotten about this particular home exchange request, when suddenly a few days ago I received a friendly reply from the listing holder. His answer came late; however, the timing couldn’t have been better! A summer swap was not possible for him, but he was interested in an exchange at a later date. I looked up the location of his listing. It was only 10 km (6 miles) from the place we planed to visit! Would he be interested in a swap this weekend? Yes, he would!
We had finalized the details of the home exchange arrangement, when I learned from the real estate broker, that the extraordinary cottage we had laid eyes on was sold yesterday. Suddenly, the purpose of our visit was gone, but not so the desire to explore Lago Maggiore and the possibility of purchasing a second home there. Again, we hit a stroke of luck. Instead of a rush weekend now, we have agreed on a 10-day swap in May, when the camilias are in bloom…
Serendipity home exchanges are a rare gift. They happen when you least expect them.
Increasing Your Chances to Find a Home Exchange
- Brittany Home Exchange Offer now at JewettStreet
February 25, 2008
Today, I received an email from a despaired home exchanger. She addressed a problem inexperienced home swappers often face.
Her home exchange offer included a beautiful large house in an attractive French tourist area. Her travel destination was a particular spot in Scotland this summer.
She was surprised that nobody had responded to her offer even though she had put her listing up with a large home exchange club. I wrote to her what I have learned myself from very experienced home exchangers:
"If you plan a home exchange to a particular place (especially, if it is not in a typical tourist area) and you have a restricted travel schedule, try to arrange your home exchange way in advance (like a year). To find and arrange a home exchange just takes time, unless you live in a luxury apartment in Paris.
Your home is lovely and your area a popular tourist destination. It makes for an attractive vacation spot for Europeans and overseas travellers alike. Therefore, it should not be too difficult for you to find an interesting home swap as long as you are not bound to a specific destination.
- I suggest postponing your travel plans to Scotland until that perfect match comes along.
- In the meantime you could try out home exchanges in other areas.
- Most home exchange clubs have a section where you can indicate your preferred travel destinations. I would suggest using that service, typing in your favourite vacation spot in Scotland and “open to offers”. Other home exchangers can then find your home exchange offer more easily.
One word to home exchange clubs. A club with many listings does increase your changes of finding a good match. Check out their listings in your favourite area as well. Have also a good look at how current a listing is. A good club shows member details on the listing (like date of last update, member since etc.).”
So, dear JewettStreet members and visitors don’t despair if you can’t find that perfect home exchange right away. Try to be open to several travel destinations. Evoke the adventurer in you! With some flexibility and an open mind you can find yourself in places you never dreamed of.
When You Can't Do a Home Exchange
- Impressive Hunt Retirement Community
November 30, 2007
Sometimes a situation demands, that you have to travel on the spur of the moment. Unless you have already previous (home exchange) contacts at your travel destination, it is almost impossible to set up a home swap on such a short notice. Building your very own home exchange network in a particular geographical area can help you broadening your opportunities for that next home exchange.
With my older daughter, I stayed at a guest suite of a retirement community in New England last week, where my former mother-in-law recently had moved. What a great place! It had the atmosphere of an elegant large hotel but with a much more personal touch and with very happy inhabitants. In addition, a whole scope of household services was offered to the residents and guests. In their comfortable communal dinning room, Nora’s grandmother introduced us to some of her new friends. When I directed the conversation toward home exchange, it turned out that one of them had a son who was an enthusiastic home exchanger and he lived nearby! It comes at no surprise that we exchanged addresses.
When you know you will return to a particular area repeatedly, you could do even more to increase your chances of finding a local home exchange. Before your trip, get in touch with regional organizations and communities whose activities interest you naturally. A garden lover could contact the local garden society, the passionate golfer the nearest 18-hole golf course and ask them to post your flyer with your home exchange offer. You might not only find some interesting new contacts but with some luck, also your next home exchange!
Recommended E-Book: Home Exchange Academy
October 29, 2007
Athena Ricky, a senior Home Exchanger with 40+ home swaps, has written an excellent guide called Home Exchange Academy - Blue Print to Swap Homes for Your Next Vacation. This step-by-step, down-to-earth e-book offers sound and very detailed advice for the novice Home Exchanger. The e-book covers every imaginable aspect of Home Exchange from how to choose a club (your good judgement in selecting JewettStreet will of course be confirmed in the book!) to how to set up your listing and prepare your home for the exchange. The book includes more than 65 pages. Here is the complete list of content:
Introduction - What Is A Home Exchange - Who Exchanges Homes - Bonus Features - My Own Experiences - How Home Exchanging Began - Selecting Your Home Exchange Club - The Major Differences - How their members are contacted - Paid Memberships or Free - Directory Based Clubs - Points System / Full Service Clubs - How Do You Find A List of These Clubs - How On Earth Do You Decide - Clubs' Home Pages - Membership Fees - Clubs' Published Contact Information - Listings' Published Start and End Dates - Some Clubs' Inflated Membership Figures - Hiding Your Contact Information - Privacy Policy - Listing Demographics - Additional Customer Support - Guarantees - Evaluate Your Selections - Test Them! - Call their Customer Service - Send questions to their email address - The Adventure Begins - A few tips - How should you set up your listing - Illustrate your listing with good photographs - Children and pets - Your location - Your own Home Exchange Web Site Contact Between Members - Receiving Inquiries and Replies - Declining Inquiries - Your listed email address - Developing likely inquiries - References - A Written Agreement - Car Exchange - Sample Car Exchange Agreement - Payments - Pets - Watering Plants - Clarification - It's A Matter of Trust - Perfection rarely happens - Sample Home Exchange Agreement - The Next Step - Preparing Your Home - Family Treasures and Irreplaceable Items - Your Insurance - Pets - Your Home Exchange Book -
Sample Home Exchange Book - Warning - My Ten Golden Home Exchange Rules - General Tips and Advice - In Conclusion
I highly recommend this useful e-book to novice Home Exchangers!
Member Response to Irish Consumer TV Show
October 8, 2007
We have had a nice response from members wanting to participate in the RTÉ TV Show Highly Recommended. Thank you all for your reply.
Let's keep our fingers crossed that our candidates will get into the show and, with some luck, will walk away with € 2,000!
Call for Irish Home Exchangers or Home Exchangers with Home Swap Experience in Ireland
October 5, 2007
Niamh, a researcher for the Irish RTÉ TV Show Highly Recommended, has asked JewettStreet for help in finding Home Exchangers from Ireland or Home Exchangers with Home Swap experience in Ireland who would like to participate in the show.
Would you like to share your experiences in how you saved a considerable amount of money while having a grand time on your home exchange vacation?
With the help of the studio audience, consumer experts Ben Dunne, Conor Pope and Barbara McCarthy will challenge your deal. If it stands up throughout the investigation and the panel are convinced it should be Highly Recommended, you will win €2000.
It won't be difficult to convince the jury that Home Exchange is a great vacation saver, don't you think?
Highly Recommended will look at a range of issues that impact on all our lives ranging from property, cars, health insurance, weddings and childcare. A fun way to encourage us all to shop around, Highly Recommended puts the everyday under the spotlight, imparting valuable consumer advice along the way."
If you like to participate in Highly Recommended, please contact Ursula at JewettStreet as soon as possible, or contact RTÉ directly at highly.rec(at)gmail.com or phone: ++353 (0)818 270 941 for more details.
Leaving Paradise
- Departure from the tower
June 10, 2007
Sadly we left the tower and our Tuscan paradise today – just now, that the hot summer weather arrived. Patrik and I got up very early this morning to greet the new day on the observation platform for the last time. Miasma was hanging over the small valleys below while the sun was just rising, gently melting away the fog. We admired the swallows below catching insects with much grace and high speed.
On our various excursions throughout the region, we have met some wonderful people. A few of them were intrigued about home exchange and offered to list their homes with JewettStreet. In the weeks to come I would like to introduce them and their homes to you on the JewettStreet Blog.
You might have wondered why you couldn’t find the tower in our listings. The tower owner simply was so overwhelmed with home exchange offers when he first tested the concept that he decided to try another approach. He is now a member of JewettStreet. At present, his parents would like to find a home exchange in California. So, you Californians out there, if you get a request from a tower owner in Tuscany, don’t be surprised!
An Uninvited Guest Inside the Tower
June 9, 2007
It was in the deep of the night when I woke up suddenly. Our two daughters dressed in their night gowns stood silently at my bedside in the top room of the tower. You must understand that to do the trip from the lower floor to the upper part of the tower was quit an undertaking in the dark. Even though we had left the light on in the long, steep staircase it must have been scary for the children to come up all this way. “Mama, we can’t sleep any more”, said my older daughter calmly. “There is a bat flying around in our room making a lot of noise.” With that said my husband got up and went downstairs with the children. I fell back to sleep immediately. The next morning at the breakfast table there was much discussion about the bat, especially, how to get it out of the tower safely.
The next night, we all sat on the children’s king size bed with dimmed lights. We had just finished the bedtime story, when the bat woke up and started to fly around frantically near the ceiling of the room. Isabel Thalia, our younger daughter, sat up in her bed with a “this-is- better-than-any-good-night-time-story” look in her eyes.
With a double-long broomstick my husband tried to guide the bat to one of the open windows. But because of the very tall room the broomstick was not long enough to help the bat find its way out. Meanwhile, Isabel Thalia so mesmerized by the play but very tired, had fallen asleep while still sitting up. Nora, our older daughter, got very worried. How long could a bat survive without any food?
The next day we found a spoon net in the cellar of the tower. That came in very handy when my husband found the bat in the evening. It had flown up through the narrow staircase to the top room. There it clung against a side wall within easy reach. We caught it with the spoon net and let it free on the top of the tower. Long after we could hear her shrieking sound through the fog high above the medieval town.
Medieval Manhattan
- Skyline of San Gimignano
June 8th, 2007
There are many towers in Tuscany. Most belong to the state, some can be visited. Others are just ruins.
“Ours” was built in the 11th century and was part of a medieval defensive system. The tower is made of black ashlars arranged in strips. The lower portion is made up of alternating black and white stripes. It belonged to various powerful families of the region and was residence of Florentine captains. A sign that the tower belonged to Florentine at one time is still to be seen on the third floor where a white lily was carved into a niche of the large room that is now the living room.
On one of our excursions, we visited San Gimignano which is situated between Florence and Siena. Tall, slender towers dominate the city on the hill. The reason for the strange architecture: the ruling families competed grimly over the tallest and therefore most prestigious building in town. The result is fantastic! From a far, the skyline looks like a medieval Manhattan. It comes to show that the Donald Trumps of our era are not a new phenomena.
Why Home Exchange Is Special
- Entrance to the tower
June 5th, 2007
The tower owner’s response to my question – obviously pointing to the fact, that I could not offer him the same kind of propriety in exchange – is not uncommon in the home exchange scene. Fortunately, most people who are doing home exchange are looking for much more than swapping an equally valued propriety. They want an attractive location. Places near cultural centres are very popular for obvious reasons. But many seek just another type of vacation than what main stream tourism has to offer. Discovering new places off the beaten path and meeting interesting new people from all over the world are much more important to them than to just exchange equally valued proprieties.
Making an effort to meet your home exchange partner in person can make a huge difference. My family has gotten to know outstanding people through home exchange; very knowledgeable and warm hearted individuals from all walks of life. Would it have been possible to meet them under different circumstances considering the geographical distances, the occupational and age differences between the home exchangers? It is most unlikely!
There is a sense of adventure involved and many unexpected surprises when connecting with people through home exchange. Just like with the tower owner.
We have been invited to meet him and his family in Rome this week. However, the distance from the tower to Rome is too far as to make it a comfortable trip for our younger child. With much regret we had to postpone the get-together to a later date in Germany when the Italian family will stay at our home.
“Well”, said the tower owner at the end of our phone conversation, “if we can’t meet in person, you can still watch me on television.” As it it turned out, he is an anchor man for an Italian TV station.
Never to Give Up
June 4th, 2007
At this point, most people in my situation would have probably quit. But I must confess I like these kinds of challenges. Would I find more pieces to the puzzle to lead me forward or was this a dead end road?
I did a Google search on the tower owner’s name and was lucky enough to find more information about him under his work address. After some trial and error, I figured out an email address that worked. To my amazement, not only did the tower owner respond to my message, but he also showed a continued interest in a home exchange with my family. It is then, when he told me that he had removed his listing from the home exchange site because of excessive requests.
From here on, our email conversation took a typical course. We planned our home exchange vacation in detail and clarified open questions. There was one particular question on my mind. Had he studied our listing well and had he looked at the pictures of our home? I wrote to him: "Our apartment is beautiful and the location – situated just outside of Munich on a beautiful lake with the Bavarian Alps as a back drop - is fantastic, but it is NOT A TOWER!" He responded: "Your apartment looks very attractive to me." That’s when I decided to take this home exchange opportunity seriously.
Tempest on the Tower
- On top of the tower
June 1st, 2007
Since our arrival at the tower, we have experienced more than one medieval moment. Even though the tower is furnished with all the amenities of a modern house, living in it is not the same as inhabiting a 21st century home. The exposure to the elements is considerable even though the walls of the tower are 1,5 m (almost 5 feet) thick and the windows well sealed. Towering atop of a hill overlooking the region in every direction for miles, you know what kind of weather to expect before even opening the shatters in the morning after waking up.
Tuscany has shown us her stormy face for the most part of our stay. There are some positive sides to this fact. How else would we be able to experience the hauling wind whirling around the tower, the lashing rain crackling at the windows and where else could we find a staircase so long to turn it into an excellent base for a jogging run for stir crazy kids (and parents) without having to leave the protecting walls of our medieval cocoon? Besides, the tower’s interior design is so beautiful; it’s full of modern art and made of that proverbial timeless Italian elegance, each room two stories high. It has a kitchen so large that the kids can easily play cops and robbers while we cook. Only too bad, we couldn’t make use of the large park with its olive and cypress trees that comes with the tower because of the rain.
How did we find such an unusual place for a home exchange?
I started corresponding with the owner of the tower over a year ago. I had found his listing in one of the larger home exchange clubs. (You must remember this was before I started JewettStreet.) He showed interest in our place but mentioned that his children were too small to travel any long distances at the time. We kept it open to try for a home exchange in 2007.
I usually keep a folder with the contact addresses of potential home exchange partners. When it was time to plan for our next summer swap this January, I remembered that spectacular picture of the tower and the nice correspondence with the owner. However, his old email address no longer worked. His property was still listed with that one home exchange club, but, when I contacted him via the listing, his email address didn’t work either. (That reminded me how important it is for a home exchange network to keep its membership listings up to date.)
Later, the tower owner mentioned to me that he had received such an overwhelming amount of inquiries for his tower that he had to take the listing off. A very understandable reaction for a person who has never dealt with home exchange before.
So, there I was - without any email address and phone number to contact the owner. That would be the time to give up, right?
(With another thunder storm approaching and the family calling for my attention I must leave the peace and quiet of this wonderfully secluded room at the top of the tower.)
Towering over Tuscany
- View from the top room
May 31, 2007
The feeling was one of triumph. Finally, after endless driving hours and a planning stage of more than one year, our destination was within reach. With every serpentine the medieval town up on the hill came closer into sight. Our eyes where fixated on one object: the tower. A solitaire, he stood out strong and powerful. We still couldn’t quite believe we would be the residents of this unusual home exchange object for the next two weeks. Find out how we all arranged it, next.
Flood Lights at Night
May 30th, 2007
We had inspected the place from bottom to top - the children in amazement, my husband with an unusual look in his eyes. Where had his calm self gone?
Then, we put the kids to bed and were now in search of the ideal night light for them, when we noticed it. Our place got flood lighted! It made the perfect night light for the kids. Thanks to this installation, they spent a cosy first night. We were relieved, because Nora, our older daughter, has a vivid imagination and reads too many ghost stories, as it is. By now, I am sure you have a good idea in what kind of residence we are staying. Here is one more hint: there are 126 steps to reach the sky. Almost!
Tomorrow I reveal our home exchange destination and how it felt when we first discovered it.
A Frog in the Pool
May 27th, 2007
Our younger daughter hates long car rides. That's why we try not to drive more than four, five hours a day when en route. With such a strict schedule, we can't always avoid overnight stays at hotels. Our low budget home exchange vacations allow us to splash a bit, when choosing a hotel.
Last night, we were reminded how comfortable a home exchange setting really is. Even though our hotel room was very large - imagine the scene of a young child - too excited to sleep while the other family members could barely keep their eyes open.
Ou restricted traveling schedule has its positive sides, too. During school vacations, when everybody else hits the road early to avoid traffic jams, we leave in the late afternoon with roads all cleared. This morning, after the other hotel guests had gone, we took the time to splash in the deserted pool. The girls helped a frog out off to savety.
We are at Lago di Garda in Italy, heading further South today to our final home exchange destination. Find out soon where that is.
Heading Out
May 26th, 2007
One of the advantages of a non-simultaneous home exchange is the fact that your place needn't be cleaned to perfection before leaving. Of course this also has a draw-back. Think of the day of your return.
We are all packed up, ready to hit the road. Do you have any idea which direction we are headed?
During our trip, we will try to answer your inquiries at the accustomed speed; however, depending on the Internet connections while traveling, our reply might be a bit slower than usual. We apologize for any inconvenience.
Unexpected Problems, or Aren't They?
May 22nd, 2007
An unexpected turn of events concerning our home exchange travel plans occurred today. I received news of a little schedule problem on the day of our arrival. The father of our host had offered the use of our home exchange object for a cultural event in town. We would still be able to use the place that day, but would have to share it with lots of other people. With much charm, the son lamented over the disorganization and apologized for the situation.
The whole scene reminded me of some of that beautiful country's stereotypical characteristics: creative chaos. That should give you a hint where we are headed to!
The reaction of my husband? "This home exchange sounds more and more like an adventure. Let's take part in the event!"
Which reminded me, flexibility and adaptability are key to a successful home exchange.
Getting a Little Nervous...
May 18th, 2007
OK, I admit it. I was getting a little nervous. After I hadn't heard from our home exchange partner in over a month, a short note arrived last Saturday with the question what day we would arrive. Relief! That was the kind of news I had been waiting for.
Our email correspondence had been sporadic since we had both agreed to a non-simultaneous home exchange a few months ago; however, a few important details of our swap puzzle were still missing. Like exchanging addresses and keys!
I mailed back right away, asking for these details. No answer. I knew our partner was very heavily engaged at work and he was about to head out on an overseas business trip. Also, he had never done a home exchange before. In all of my correspondence with him, I had gained the impression of a reliable and trustworthy person. Things would work out, I just knew.
But today, just 9 days before our trip I decided to call for action. Where to start without even having a phone number? Do you sometimes type in the name of a last friend on Google to find out what happened to him? That's what I did with his name and bingo!
It wasn't easy to get connected directly with him over the phone. First of all, I called from out of country and secondly, I do not speak the native language well at all. Once I got through to his office staff, they would not give me his mobile number. Of course not! But within a few hours my phone was ringing and my home exchange partner was on the line. It took but a few minutes to put together the final pieces of the missing home exchange puzzle.
Once again, like so many times before when I had organized a home exchange, my intuition had not misled me. I knew I could trust this stranger.
Time for a Home Exchange Vacation!
- Relaxing moment at Lake Starnberg
May 13th, 2007
In two weeks, my family and I are to set out on our biggest home exchange adventure ever. No agreement forms have changed hands. We barely have an address of the place, not to mention a key. And yet, we are totally convinced of the success of this unusual home exchange. How is this possible? The picture that I gained from our home exchange partner through our correspondence is of someone trustworthy and reliable. You remember home exchange is all about trust!
The object we are exchanging our home for is neither a house nor a boat. But what else could it be? Here is a hint: it is ancient and made out of stone. I'll keep you posted!