4 things to do before a home exchange

If you know someone interested in doing a home exchange with you, there are some important things to remember before you hand over your keys.

Doing a home exchange can be a great way to take a long trip without having to worry about renting a hotel. Keep these tips in mind when planning your housing swap.

If you're exchanging houses for a long period of time, it's a good idea to forward your mail to your new address. This ensures you don't miss important notifications and deadlines and it prevents your mail from piling up at home.

• Remind the people you're exchanging with to also forward their mail so that you don't have two households' worth of letters being delivered. Switching to online bills delivered directly to your email inbox is another option.

It's a good idea to hold onto your own set of keys and leave a separate set with the people who will be staying over.

• It's also helpful to have a set made to give to a trusted friend or family member who lives in the area. That way if there are any issues, or the tenants lose their keys, they can contact your friend for help.

Whether you live in a house or an apartment building, you may want to let your neighbours know you're exchanging your home with someone else for a little while. That way they can keep an eye on your house and offer assistance to your guests if necessary. It also ensures they won't be concerned about seeing unfamiliar people coming and going from your home.

Make sure to leave out enough clean linens for your new tenants as many people will be staying in the house. Let them know where they can wash their sheets and towels and agree upon what condition you'd like the house to be in upon your arrival.

• The more you discuss beforehand, the less chance there will be of any misunderstandings between the two parties.

Doing a home exchange is a great way to be able to visit or stay in another place while resting assured that your house is being looked after. Just be sure to remember these tips and follow the rules of house exchanging etiquette when you do the swap.