The Home Exchange Guide: How to Find Your Free Home Away from Home

Rating:
Summary: Terrific Concept To Save Travel Money
Review: HOME EXCHANGE GUIDE: HOW TO FIND YOUR FREE HOME AWAY FROM HOME! by M.T. Simon and T.T. Baker. The authors have compiled an extensive guidebook, the first of its kind, telling readers all they need to know about how to find a wonderful, free place to stay almost anywhere in the world, by offering their own home in a holiday exchange. The book details how to go about finding the homes in the place you desire to go, what questions to ask, how to make all the arrangements and set up your own home for the safe exchange. You'll learn about perks you can offer or expect, such as car exchange, etc. Authors also cover how to handle disappointments, what to do in emergencies, and how to leave the home as you hope they will leave yours. Such a home exchange frees up your money to be spent on nice extras instead of lodging, for a super vacation almost anywhere you dream of. Although the book does not list the homes for exchange, you will find a great listing of websites and places to find the homes listed and to list your own. For travelers who find the idea of a home exchange appealing, this book is an indispensable guide which covers almost any aspect you could think of

Rating:
Summary: A Mediocre Book on Home Exchange
Review: This is a mediocre book on Home Exchange. The authors are well informed and experienced on most aspects of the subject but not on all. For example, they have little to say about the distinctive aspects of home exchanges with children. They often express wishy-washy opinions when a strong suggestion is required. They over emphasize the economic benefits of home exchange while not saying enough about its other advantages. They make a few suggestions that are generally wrong. Examples are their recommendation to subscribe to more than one home exchange service and write scores of potential exchange partners at one time. They also suggest you can have a home exchange anywhere you want which is untrue. One's ability to find a home exchange in a particular place is dependent upon supply and demand and the quality of your offer. They have useful ideas on computer security but little to say on using the Internet for detailed research. The book is boring with only one or two amusing comments. Our family has exchanged six times in five different countries and has had many interesting and wonderful adventures. This book fails to illustrate and discuss the adventurous, exciting, and humorous aspects of home exchange.