My Great Idea: Home Exchange Vacations
by Molly Smith

My family wanted a Temple Square vacation, but I knew we couldn’t afford it all—the hotel, airfare, car rental, eating out. There are just so many expenses. I’d heard of home exchanges, and when a friend of mine told me she’d used it, I decided to check it out. What I found has changed the way my family looks at vacation, probably forever.

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Three years ago, my family was pushing to go on a Church history vacation, and I loved the idea, but with hotel rates through the roof, I just couldn’t see how we were going to do it. Then I heard about home exchanges, a program where people actually swap houses for a set period of time, allowing each other to vacation without paying a cent for a hotel.

I was a little hesitant at first—I’d never dreamed of letting strangers have free-reign in my home before. But after checking around, reading a bunch of user reviews, and talking to the family with whom we would exchange, I decided this was the best option for us. We spent a week in a comfy home in Salt Lake City, just minutes from Temple Square, and the Larson family spent that week at our home in Montana. We got to cook our own food and see the sights like the locals. Plus, having a whole house to live in rather than being crammed into a hotel room made it a much more peaceful trip for our family.

There are a few things you should probably think about before deciding on a home exchange:

Use an agency. Ldshomeexchange.com and utahhomeexchange.com focus on home exchanges for LDS families, and they list detailed information for their listings, including everything from the owners’ housekeeping style to sights in the area. You can find other home exchange agencies in a quick Internet search.

Check your insurance policy. Be sure you know what coverage applies during an exchange. Many will cover exchangers as “friends of the insured.” Also keep in mind that police departments confirm that an occupied house is much safer than one left empty for a long period of time.

Put it in writing. Most agencies will provide sample contracts for you to use, and the peace of mind is worth the hassle. Make sure that both parties sign it before you leave.

There’s always a downside. While you are able to cook your own meals and avoid a lot of extra charges, you’ll also have to clean your house before you leave for vacation, and theirs before you go home.

A home exchange was the perfect solution for my family’s vacation problem. Since our trip to Salt Lake City, we’ve done an exchange every summer, and it has always been a great experience. It may not be for everyone, but for us, it has been a dream come true.

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Do you have a great idea? Share it with us! Send your ideas to editor@ldsliving.com.

LDS Living Magazine, Mar/Apr Issue

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