After contacting the Manigold family we communicated by email to find out if a swap was going to be possible.  We discussed potential dates and made sure that our properties were compatible with each others needs.

We checked with our home insurance provider that we were covered for a home exchange who turned out to be happier that our house was occupied during the holiday and that no extra cover was necessary.  Once we were agreed on the particulars of the exchange we bought our flights and arranged holiday insurance.  We also booked three nights accommodation in Toronto to experience the city life.

Arriving at the Manigolds home felt a little strange but after picking up the keys from a neighbour (as arranged) and sharing a glass of bubbly left by our absent hosts we soon settled in.

Despite the house being everything we hoped for we didn't end up spending a great deal of time there.  Most days were spent exploring the area, taking walks and visiting local attractions.  Having the freedom to come and go as we pleased made for a very relaxing holiday and allowed us to blend into the local community for a more cultural stay. Our home exchange was a fantastic experience saving us hundreds of pounds on what would otherwise have been an expensive trip.

As a family we had always wanted to visit England but it wasn't a financial reality until we considered a Home Exchange, and swapping with a member of the emergency services gave us that little bit of extra security to take the plunge.

One thing that we had some small concerns about before we arrived was the location of the house. Whilst it was in a picturesque English village we also wanted to be able to access London easily. This didn't turn out to be a problem as we had over estimated the distances between places in Britain. It really was quick and easy to get around so we had some great day trips to London and the south coast. We even took a day trip to France.

It was a real bonus to have Europe on our doorstep and when we exchange to Britain again we will certainly explore it some more. We planned our trip well, by researching what we wanted to do and using our exchange partners (the Elson's) to make the necessary arrangements.

I can't express enough how that little bit of extra work in arranging the holiday by far made up for the freedom we experienced on our trip to England. If I was going to offer one piece of advice it would be to be open and honest with your exchange partner. If your experience is anything like ours you'll find that they are more than willing to help you out if you need advice planning your trip. After all, they've got the local knowledge.

This was our first home exchange and to be able to swap with the Cook family made the whole process a little easier as they are experienced 'home swappers'. They guided us by explaining exactly what they were looking for and after a few emails we found that our situations were compatible.

It was a good feeling getting on the aircraft to fly to England. We had arranged to swap our cars and as we were flying into the same airport that they flew out of we simply picked up the keys from airport information and drove to our holiday home. It couldn't have been simpler.

The Cook family were kind enough to leave a 'Guest Information Pack' for us. It made the vacation run that much smoother. We used it to get ideas for days out and for the simple things like the operation of the spa bath. We are hoping to do another exchange in the future and thoroughly recommend it as an inexpensive alternative to going on vacation.

There is a bit of organising to do but if you are prepared to put in a bit of effort the rewards will speak for themselves.

We have now exchanged our home three times with different families in Canada and the U.S. Our latest exchange was with a family from Seattle.

As a firefighter I liked the idea of using an exchange service run by and designed for other emergency service workers. I felt that it offered that little bit more security to leave our home in the hands of others.

Each exchange has been a complete success. The beauty of swapping is that apart from your spending money, you only need to pay for your flights. The accommodation has always been what we expected and I put this down to good communications when arranging the exchange.

I enjoy living more like a local and find it more relaxing than staying in a relatively sterile hotel. Because we travel with our two young children swapping with another family has afforded some obvious advantages. Not least that there tends to be bikes, skates, toys etc to make them feel at home and to keep them occupied.

The Guest Information sheet that is left by the 'absent host' is a fantastic source of knowledge, giving information on local amenities, days out and restaurants etc.