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Voices pro and con the home-exchange




Follow-up

I. Say whether the statements are true, false, or the information of the sentence is not stated in the text.

1. Although the home-exchange has a lot of followers, it is not very renowned for ordinary public.

2. More and more people all over the world are eager to join the community of home-exchange practitioners.

3. Home-exchange is an economical holiday that started as a vacation idea for retirees.

4. The function of a travel company in home-exchange is restricted to facilitating the arrangements for those who are willing to experience it via websites or printed directories.

5. About half of clients are clerks and middle managers.

 

II. Discussion

1. Had you heard about this way of travel before you read the text? If ‘yes’, recall the situation.

2. Discuss in pairs and then in group advantages and disadvantages of home-exchange.

3. Interview your partner in s/he would like to join the net of exchangers.

  1. Jigsaw reading. Put the paragraphs in the correct order to make up a coherent text. Are the pros and cons of home-exchange in the text similar to your ideas? With which points do you completely agree? Which ideas would have never occurred to you if you hadn’t read the text?

 

A The benefits of home swap are obvious. The money saved by home-exchangers can be substantial - up to thousands of dollars, depending on the length of their stay; they are eliminating not only lodging costs, but often car-rental tariffs, too, since many home-exchange

arrangements include use of a vehicle; they can also trim their food budget by shopping locally and eating at their temporary home, cutting down on restaurant meals.

 

B But there are some concerns, which can be easily underestimated. As says Anne Salmon,

who has been swapping the houses over the past 10 years: “If you're precious about your car or house, then don't do it!” She also recommended starting negotiations 12 months before planning to go, particularly if work commitments restrict holiday times; “...and make sure you have a fair understanding of what's being offered.” Craigie also pointed out: “… if you're nervous about allowing a stranger to move into your home, your virtual guarantee is that, of course, you are moving into theirs. Problems do arise but, according to HomeLink, not often. It is best to establish mutual trust as early as possible. Once you have poured over the swap lists and picked, say, three potential targets, communicate by phone, email or snail mail and get to know one another, preferably at least six months before departure.”

 

C Additionally, fulfilling the dual roles of host and guest, home-exchange partners will have more responsibilities than if they were checking into a hotel. As guests, they will have to clean up after themselves instead of enjoying complimentary maid service. The host duties can be even more extensive, from making sure their house is clean and hospitable to leaving their exchange partner detailed information on the workings of the household and their hometown's attractions.

 

D The allure of a vacation which includes free accommodation and the chance to explore a

destination as if one was a local attracts more and more people to home-exchange. A family

does not need to have a fabulous house and/or live in a tourist-worthy destination to participate in a home-exchange. According to home-exchange companies, a participant’s small but comfortable home should be fine for most exchangers, who generally appreciate free digs and may be using a house merely as a bedroom between jaunts. For homeowners in small towns or remote locations, finding an exchange partner can be more of a challenge, but it is still possible. “You'll have to work harder, perhaps answering many ads and thinking of creative ways to sell your hometown as an attractive destination” (Consumer Reports TravelLetter, 2001 p.15).

 

E Roy Prince, the owner of HomeExchange.com said: “Your aim is to build your comfort level, so by the time you're doing it, the idea that you're exchanging homes with a stranger isn't

there. Instead, you feel like you're exchanging with friends". Furthermore, Consumer Reports Travel Letter (2001) claims that home-exchange is definitely not for everyone: You have to feel comfortable opening your home and possessions to someone you've probably never met face-to-face. If you have qualms of any kind, you should probably say no. Keep in mind you'll be staying in somebody else's house, which is different from staying in an anonymous hotel room. Your fellow exchanger may have different standards of cleanliness or neatness from yours. In fact, varying standards of cleanliness rank as the biggest complaint from exchangers, according to Roy Prince, owner of HomeExchange.com, based in Santa Barbara, California.

 

F However, owners of several home-exchange companies said the most serious problems they

had seen were damaged furniture, broken dishes, the rare occasions when a deal falls through at the last minute, and one thirsty exchanger who helped himself to his host's expensive wine

cellar. Roy Prince says: "When I talk to people who exchange two and three times a year and

have been doing it for a while, they say, 'We've had experiences that are not perfect, but we

continue to do it because the majority of our experiences are still fabulous'".

 

G Furthermore, they will have a stable base from which to venture out on day trips or longer

journeys, and then be able to decompress from those travels in an environment cozier than a

hotel room. Other perks: having their home occupied while they are away decreases the risk of burglary, and home-exchange partners may also get a live-in pet-sitter and someone to water their plants.

 

 




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