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faqs
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"You stay in my home while I stay in yours." Or,
put another way, the swapping of personal residences by people in different
towns, cities or countries on a temporary basis as a strategy to increase
comfort and decrease costs related to vacation travel.
What is Campus Home Exchange?
Campus Home Exchange facilitates home exchanges, home rentals and hospitality exchanges by connecting (1) those who live near a campus with those who would like to visit that campus and (2) campus alumnae/alumni with others from their alma mater. The first step is to peruse our database of home listings for a home or area that you would like to visit. To do this, simply visit the browse section of this site and select your listing criteria: 1. Choose the school with which you are affiliated. 2. Select whether you: a. live near the campus, b. want to visit that campus, or c. are an alumnae/alumni of that campus and would like to peruse listings of others from your alma mater. Take a look at the listings--it's FREE! If you'd like to connect with one or more home owners, join Campus Home Exchange and connect via our internal secure messaging system. Your annual subscription lets you connect and exchange throughout the year. If there are not many listings that fit your exchange requirements, it means we have just recently launched your affiliated school. Go ahead and join (it will encourage others!) and check back often as new members will come on board as we get the word out.
An
annual subscription to Campus Home Exchange is only $48USD. There are
discounts available for a multi-year subscription. For example, a
2-year subscription is $87USD (a 10% savings!), a 3-year subscription is $122USD (a 15% savings!), and a 4-year subscription is $154USD (a 20% savings!).
The home exchange movement has been around since the 1950s;
the concept is tried and true. You may ask, "How do I trust complete strangers
to live in my home during a home exchange?" Consider this perspective: How do
your exchange partners know they can trust you in their home?
At Campus Home Exchange, we believe the main way to minimize potential risk is to make it a priority to get to know your exchange partner. Email often, speak via telephone, exchange family photos. Ask questions about their accommodations and set clear expectations about yours. Put expectations in writing before any airplane tickets are purchased or cars rented. You may even request a reference from previous exchange partners. That said, if after getting to know your potential exchange partner as much as possible, it doesn't feel right, by all means go with your gut-before any specific agreements or travel arrangements have been made. The basic rule of thumb is to leave your home the way you would like to find the home you will be occupying (and depending on your own expectations, you may even want to leave your home in better shape!). 1. Clean your home. Put away clutter, vacuum, mop, dust, etc. “Clean” is a relative concept, so it should be openly discussed up front and prior to any agreement. When in doubt, aim high when cleaning your home (the same is true when cleaning your exchange partner’s home prior to departure). 2. Mow the lawn, clean the barbeque pit, rake the leaves, etc. and make any small repairs or upgrades that you may be used to but could be a nuisance to a visitor. 3. Leave plenty of clean towels, bed linens, toilet paper and other bathroom necessities. 4. Clear out two dresser drawers and ample space in a closet. You should make enough space so there is no need to live out of a suitcase. 5. Identify one locked room that is “off limits” to store your valuables and important paperwork. Ask the post office to hold your mail while you are away. 6. Create a list of do’s and don’ts. You and your exchange partner will want to exchange these lists well before you make any formal agreements . And you should also make a copy of this list available in your home. 7. Leave a clear and firm yet polite and friendly list of instructions for your home. For example, “how to's” for household appliances, heating/cooling, and TV/stereo systems; when to water the plants; how much feed the fish; where to find the cleaning supplies (although don’t ask your exchanger to do any household chores you haven’t agreed to prior to their arrival). It’s also okay to leave friendly reminders posted on items you have already agreed are off limits or need to be handled in a particular way. 8. Leave a list of names and contact information for: a. Emergencies: Police, Fire Department, Hospital, etc. b. Neighbors (if they are agreeable) and a nearby friend or relative. c. Repair people. d. Yourselves! Cell phone number(s), flight information, travel itinerary, etc. 9. If you are also exchanging cars, leave the keys, insurance policy, and registration.
Some “extras”: 10. A welcome note with good wishes for a happy and comfortable stay. 11. A packet of information about your community, including local restaurants with menus noting who offers delivery and takeout, art galleries, local maps, what to avoid, etc. 12. A bouquet of flowers and/or a bottle of wine or champagne. 13. A basket of nice toiletries in the bathroom. 14. Anything that you would consider a lovely touch if found upon walking into your exchange partner’s home. [top]
1. Treat your exchange partner's home as you would your own. Or, treat your exchange partner's home the way you hope they are treating yours. 2. If you break it, you buy it. Seriously, life happens. If you clog the plumbing, call a plumber and pay the bill. If you break a glass or plate, buy a new one or at the very least find out it's worth and leave the money. Be honest about any incidents and it should be easily resolved. 3. Replace anything you have used such as food or charcoal. 4. Clean the home and do the laundry (towels, sheets, etc.) prior to departure. The home should be as clean as you found it upon arrival.
5. Leave a note about your stay. Your exchange partner will be pleased that you were happy and comfortable in their home.
6. You may want to leave a small token of appreciation. It goes a long way. In addition to home exchange, some members may be open to renting their homes for an agreed upon time frame. Each home listing will indicate whether the member is open to such an arrangement. If a member is open to renting and you are interested in renting, make a connection and start communicating to see if you are mutually agreeable to the rate and terms. [top] What is a hospitality exchange? “You stay in our home while we’re here to host you. At another time we’ll stay in your home while you are there to host us.” A hospitality exchange is where you stay with your host as a guest for an agreed upon time. Then, at a different agreed upon time, you reciprocate and your hospitality exchange partner stays with you. As the host, you would typically make dinner, show your guests around town, and/or provide the itinerary and guidance for them to explore your area themselves. [top] What does it mean to be "affiliated" with a school?
Throughout CampusHomeExchange.com you will see reference to
your "affiliated school." In this case, to be affiliated with a
school means you (1) live near that
school, (2) would like to visit that school and/or (3) are an alumnae/alumni of that school.
What if my affiliated school is not listed?
Campus Home Exchange will add to the list of campuses throughout
the year. If your affiliated campus is not yet listed, check back soon!
Or, if you are really excited about joining Campus Home Exchange and
your affiliated campus is not yet listed, let us know and we will do our best to scoot your affiliated campus toward the top of the launch list.
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