Angela is a HomeExchange member who loves welcoming guests from around the world into her home. However, before hosting she found herself worrying about taking the plunge and inviting unknown people to stay in her home. She shared with us how home exchanging has quashed those worries, and how she now enjoys welcoming strangers who are a part of the HomeExchange community into her house.
Discover HomeExchangeWhat were some of your biggest fears when hosting another member?
We had been a member of home exchange for about 6 months but hadn’t taken the plunge into exchanging. We were worried about having strangers in our home.
How did you overcome this fear?
We were going away for Christmas and our usual house sitter was unable to house sit. So we thought maybe this is the time to do our first home exchange. We are Australian expats living in the UK and the first people to contact us once we had our available dates in HomeExchange were an Australian family. We had a video call with them and instantly felt reassured.
Have you hosted members from different countries?
Australia twice and the USA.
Tell us about a memorable experience with a guest…
All our guests have offered to look after our dog during our exchanges and we have some great photos of the guests out enjoying life with our dog happily beside them.
What do you like most about hosting other members?
We feel part of a global community.
How do you prepare your home for your guests?
We left milk, bread and wine and cheese along with a guide to all our favorite places in our city.
Did you encounter any unexpected cultural differences?
No.
What tips and tricks would you give to others who are hosting guests?
Video calls are great for getting to know your guests and making the whole experience feel more like a friend is coming to stay.
What did you realize after you hosted for the first time?
It felt a little strange coming back home. But everything was just as we left it and our guests had left a lovely note and we were pleased that they had enjoyed our home (and had a lovely family Christmas) Instead of it sitting empty.
