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In our group of loyalty program enthusiasts, reward credit cards, and low-cost travel, there are at least four members who are fans of points-based home exchanges: Pauline, Suzanne, Amélie, and Marion.
Only one site to our knowledge uses this system, which allows us to host people at our home without necessarily going to theirs, because we want to go elsewhere. It is HomeExchange, whose headquarters are in France and which has existed since 1992.
Although the first home exchanges took place within a community of American teachers in the 1950s, HomeExchange was a pioneer in its own way thanks to its “Guestpoints” system.
The company boasts of now having 400,000 homes listed on its site, in more than 180 countries.
The approach is so interesting that by posting a description and photos of your home, your surroundings, your availability calendar, and by becoming a verified member (ID and proof of address such as an electricity bill), you earn enough currency – the “Guestpoints” – for a stay elsewhere without anyone coming to your home.
This allows you to explore the system for the first time and decide whether you will subsequently accept requests from members interested in your offer in order to earn points again to travel.
Add to that a brief presentation of your family, couple, or yourself and you are ready to try the adventure. Recently, however, an annual subscription of $190 (or €130) is required when it comes time to finalize the exchange, even the first one.
This amount includes:
As well as 24/7 assistance service.
This means it is no longer free as before. However, know that you can make as many exchanges as desired per year.
This is how Marion, a Milesopedia member originally from France but living in Montreal, found for her family of three a large Parisian apartment for nine nights during the Christmas period of 2019. The exchange cost her 1,170 points that she had in her account thanks to those granted free by HomeExchange upon registration and the $190 subscription.
Marion was able to invite about twenty guests to her three-year-old daughter’s birthday tea party in the large apartment in the Nation neighborhood, near four Metro lines.
Great deal, $190 for 9 nights in Paris during the holiday season.
Here is how simultaneous reciprocal exchange works.
The Gagnons want to go to the Tremblays’ home. The Tremblays are also interested in the Gagnons’ offer, and what luck, we agree on the same dates.
This is a simultaneous reciprocal exchange. And as long as the point values of the homes are roughly equivalent, there may be no exchange of points.
If, however, one is worth much more than the other or if ultimately the nights are more numerous at one of the exchangers, a difference in points could be paid after agreement. The parties decide between themselves.
But what happens when both parties are interested but the dates are not the same?
Since it is possible for each exchanger to leave their home available on the other’s dates, this is a reciprocal but non-simultaneous exchange.
Particularly interesting for people who have cottages, for example. Again, if the homes are equivalent in points, no need to exchange them. Everyone keeps their nest egg.
Suzanne, a Milesopedia member, is a champion of non-simultaneous exchanges.
In three years, she has been hosted more than 80 nights in Paris, Rome, Kuala Lumpur, Rio de Janeiro, Buenos Aires, Mendoza, Bogotá, Medellín, Santa Marta, Cartagena, and Ottawa.
It must be said, as she told us, that she owns a second home in the Laurentians, which allows her to offer a lot of availability and thus earn many points. She has for her part received French people from the continent and Réunion Island, Americans, Australians, and Italians.
And finally, Quebecers.
The same is true for Pauline, also a Milesopedia member who has been doing home exchanges for several years.
She offers a free accommodation on the ground floor of her home in Saguenay. She has welcomed with the HomeExchange points system French, Martinican, Spanish, and Quebec guests.
She has in turn gone to Italy, Spain, California, and Quebec. Just last summer, about twenty French families asked her to exchange with her!
She obviously could not accept all these invitations from French cousins.
Finally, the Gagnons want to go to the Tremblays’ home, who have in mind a trip to a different country.
The Smith family’s home appeals to them greatly and they would agree to leave it to them but in 6 months. This is a non-reciprocal exchange.
The Gagnons therefore pay the Tremblays the points that the stay is worth, then the Tremblays use them in whole or in part to go to the Smiths’ home.
Or simply to put them in the bank.
Owners of a Safari condo RV, I have a retired couple of friends who leave for several weeks a year in North America, leaving their large Montreal home with a view of the Rivière-des-Prairies available.
They are fans of non-reciprocal exchange and have received several French families from the old continent and Guadeloupe without having gone to these destinations.
With their 8,000 points accumulated in two years, they went to Sicily, London, New York, and Quebec.
They are again targeting Europe when restrictions are lifted because they still have several currencies in the bank.
According to the description of your home (how many bedrooms, amenities), proximity to shops and services, places to visit, HomeExchange grants your offer a value in points per night that you can increase or decrease by 30% in case of disagreement.
It is surprising to see the variety of offers on the site.
We think of course of popular places like major capitals or seasides, but there are all kinds.
Do not underestimate the attraction power of your small town even if it is not next to Central Park, but be ready to be courted if you live in Old Montreal!
The site recommends it:
And no need to be the owner of the place.
As long as you have their consent and your home insurance covers the exchange (some companies limit them to 30 days, read the fine print carefully), which is common because there is no commerce here, you can exchange “your cabin in Canada.”
For a long weekend or several weeks.
Personally, I received a Belgian farmer couple in a non-simultaneous exchange, who were delighted to stop for a few hours at a market gardener in my corner of Lanaudière. To see how it works here.
Then to picnic at the falls in Ste-Béatrix.
Then to go to the Lanaudière Classical Music Festival.
My home being located 30 km from Montreal, on the way to Quebec City, they took advantage of getaways on both sides by treating themselves to a night here and there in a hotel near Quebec City and Tadoussac.
Then they also stayed here to rest and have BBQs in my large shaded yard. Soak up the place. Get bread at the bakery. Take the pulse of the village.
A bit of slow travel, you know!
For parents, it seems to me that the formula is perfect, especially when you want to travel light.
You exchange with other families: you thereby allow children to discover a new world of games without having to bring their own.
Then there is the stroller, the high chair, the kitchen, the yard, the swings or the pool…and the car seat.
Did I tell you that we could also exchange cars? I have done it on a few occasions. The important thing is to have your insurance’s approval.
Like the game of reward program points, home exchange and its management of Guestpoints requires time.
First, you must keep our own availability calendar up to date as well as the posting of desired destinations.
Rather disappointing to be answered by a prospect whose table indicates that their home is available on the desired dates when in fact it is not. Or that they came to Quebec the previous year when it is written that it is a trip they hope to make.
Then you must write a personalized request. Include people’s names and certain particularities of their offer that demonstrate your interest. Avoid copy-paste.
And be patient, because it takes on average about fifteen requests for very touristy places before finding a taker.
But during this time, you will also receive some from places you had not thought of, which, upon reflection, would do the trick.
And then there are the offers received that you would have liked to respond to positively but which are impossible for you. I received one from a family from Cancun, Mexico who would have liked to tour the Christmas markets. But I am here during the holiday season.
Oh! I almost forgot. And you do it several months in advance. From six months to twelve months. Like for business class award tickets for a mini round-the-world trip 🙂
Home exchange is first and foremost welcoming others. It is the art of hospitality.
Depending on the arrival times and arrangements, I am at home waiting for my visitors, at the airport to pick them up, or have already left and we have agreed that they will find the key easily.
On both sides, we prepare our home.
Let’s admit it, I make the big cleaning and carpet washing coincide shortly before the visitors arrive. And I take the opportunity to buy new placemats and maybe scented candles. But no, I do not renew my cutlery.
We each leave a basket of “little pleasures” from the region. I go with a bottle of Quebec wine and maple products in various forms. Sometimes a good local cheese.
We also leave the necessities for a first meal in the fridge. So that visitors can do their grocery shopping.
Then, a binder with all the necessary information regarding the operation of the house and its appliances, emergency addresses and numbers, good restaurants, our favorites, etc. With a city map showing the locations of grocery stores, the bakery, the coffee roaster, etc.
The route to get to the City of Montreal’s park-and-ride, next to the Metro.
And booklets, brochures, maps of interesting things to do here and elsewhere in Quebec.
The internet being what it is, it is also easy to communicate as needed.
Like many Milesopedia members, our members who are also part of HomeExchange have seen their trips canceled by you know what.
Amélie, who lives in Quebec City, had received five families last year, sometimes on the family ground floor, sometimes in her rental unit in the basement: Spanish, Italians, a French father and son, and a Montreal couple.
Long weekends to six days in a row.
She had managed to accumulate enough points to build a beautiful trip to Portugal and Spain with her partner and their two young daughters: Lisbon, Porto, Seville, Faro.
21 nights out of 22, friends, paid in Guestpoints.
All the points were returned to her quickly after the cancellation, but she remembers how many requests she had to make before finding, for example for Seville, and wonders how much time such a trip will require to be planned again.
Especially since her maternity leave will be over. We all hope for some mobility in the coming weeks and months. Many would like to travel around Quebec.
After all, no need to go to the other end of the planet to get a breath of fresh air and HomeExchange offers several homes in our province.
As long as Quebecers from the regions will welcome those from greater Montreal.
I myself had the opportunity four years ago to rent a cottage with my guestpoints on the edge of a lake in Outaouais.
My young retired friends who have accumulated more than 8,000 Guestpoints in just two years had the good idea to exchange points in a home in the Montcalm neighborhood in Quebec City to be closer to family on New Year’s weekend 2018. They were able to toast champagne with them.
They also used the system in a Laurentians cottage last year to celebrate their fortieth wedding anniversary. Surrounded by a dozen of their loved ones.
Of the five people questioned on the subject, all agree on the wonderful experiences with points-based home exchange.
They found their home clean and intact as they had left it to their visitors, and some were able to enjoy the hospitality of hosts who remained nearby during their stay.
This was the case for Suzanne, who on two occasions was able to discover picturesque and lesser-known places in the presence of her exchangers. I had the same luck in Switzerland where we were directed by our hostess to an artisan cheese dairy in the Alps.
Home Exchange offers a referral system as we like them:
The referral system is limited to 10 registrations per account (i.e., 1,250 GP maximum).
You can use our referral link to sign up and get 100 GP!
Home exchange by Guestpoints is another excellent way to travel at lower cost.
Combined with reward program points aimed at reducing expenses for flights and car rentals, the combination becomes perfect.
However, you must want to travel this way because beyond the savings, there is the meeting with the stranger and the trust to leave them our belongings. It is the notion of hospitality that comes into play here. Personally, it is the kind of adventure that suits me so much. How about you?
For more information, they are ready to answer you in the Facebook group!
Pauline Pedneault, Suzanne Charbonneau, Amélie Soucy-Gauthier, and Marion Nash
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