Why and how should I organize a reciprocal exchange?

What is a reciprocal exchange? On HomeExchange, you can organize two main types of exchange:

• reciprocal exchange: you come to my place and I come to yours (at the same time (simultaneous) or at different times (non-simultaneous)). This is the "traditional" way of doing a home exchange.
• non-reciprocal exchange: you can’t or don't want to come to my place, so I stay at your home in exchange for GuestPoints.

In this article, we take a look at reciprocal exchanges: why they’re great, how to organize them, what our members think and everything else you need to know on the subject!

Why organize a reciprocal exchange?

Reciprocal exchanges are highly valued by our community’s members, especially when they take place simultaneously.

They’re magical

There's something magical about staying in someone’s home when they’re staying at yours at the same time. Like the characters in the famous romantic comedy "The Holiday", it's a bit like swapping lives for the duration of your exchange. You get to discover another way of life, another way of seeing things, and disconnect from your daily life by borrowing someone else's. And they, in turn, are doing the same thing at your home!

Furthermore, it's not uncommon for exchange partners to meet up either before or after the exchange, so that they can share a moment together. This sometimes even leads to friendships being formed (which can of course also happen in non-reciprocal exchanges).

They’re reassuring

Reciprocal exchanges also have a reassuring side, especially when you're taking your first steps in home exchange. If you’re staying in someone’s home while they're staying at yours, it's a win-win situation, because you know they’ll respect your home and property, just as you’ll respect theirs.

GuestPoints exchanges benefit from the same values of respect and trust too, but this notion of reciprocity brings a sense of security and reassurance that often helps new members take the plunge.

How do you organize a reciprocal exchange?

It's as easy as 1-2-3, and we'll explain everything!

1. Indicate your availability in yellow (or green) on your calendar

You've probably already noticed that 3 colors are available on your calendar, including yellow, which is the color dedicated to reciprocal exchanges. By indicating your home’s availability in this color, you let other members know that your house or apartment is only available for reciprocal exchanges on these dates 

Green indicates that you are open to any type of exchange (reciprocal or GuestPoints). So you can also use green if you're not set in your ways, and could be tempted by any kind of proposal.

To find out more about the calendar, click here.

2. Search for a reciprocal exchange

1/ Start your search by entering your destination, dates and number of guests. Select the additional filters of your choice.

2/ On the results page, refine the results by selecting "Reciprocal exchange" or "Open to any type of exchange".

Now all that's left to do is to contact the members of your choice! As always, make sure you read their listing carefully  to make sure your request matches their expectations, and to be able to personalize your message.

Did you know?

For a reciprocal exchange, you can choose whether or not to use GuestPoints (if one home has a higher GuestPoints value). For more information about this, take a look at this helpful article.

Our unbeatable trick: use the reverse search to see who wants to come and stay with you

The “Reverse search” filter  allows you to search for members who have added your city or region to their favorite destinations. How handy is that?!

To launch a reverse search:

1/ Start your search by entering your destination, dates and number of guests. Select the additional filters of your choice.

2/. Then, on the results page, click on the "Reverse search" button, and enter your city or region (or even your country). Click on "Apply", and voilà! You'll get a list of all members in your desired destination who are looking for an exchange in your city or region.

3/ All that's left to do is browse the listings and contact the members you'd like to propose a reciprocal exchange with!

To find out more about reverse search, click here!

Our members share their experiences of reciprocal exchanges

"My first exchange was in 2009 and it was a reciprocal exchange (which was the only possibility at the time): I went for 3 weeks to a small seaside village near Valencia, Spain. It was great! My host picked me up at the airport (at the time, I was still flying) and dropped me off at home before going off to catch his own plane."

Katia

"I'm a big fan of reciprocal exchanges. In the coming year we're going to Alexandria Bay (USA), Montreal, Quebec City, Hawaii (for 2.5 weeks) and Oregon, all reciprocated with my Ottawa home. Since it's hard to find guests against GuestPoints in our area, reciprocals open up a lot more options and we like the human aspect of exchanging at the same time. I send 1-2 personalized messages at a time max and I'm flexible on dates/duration and it works well for us! I use reverse search to help my research."

Cassandra

"Our fondest memory remains our 5-week exchange in Quebec, on a reciprocal exchange with Quebecers who became friends. Without HomeExchange, the five of us would never have been able to spend so much time across the Atlantic."

Sophie

"Our favorite exchange was definitely our non-simultaneous reciprocal exchange with members from New Orleans. We had hosted them a year before in a private room, and the return was during the jazz festival in a private room too. A couple of strangers became a couple of friends."

Martine

"The hardest part of discovering HomeExchange is taking the plunge, accepting that strangers will live and, above all, sleep in your home, but as soon as you've concluded the 1st exchange and see that everything has gone well, you're already thinking about the next exchange. In fact, to try HomeExchange is to adopt it, to become addicted to a new way of traveling that's more authentic, friendly, responsible and economical. Reciprocal exchanges are based on mutual trust."

Lionel