Three way home exchange 

Chicago - Washington - France

A home exchange testimonial - a three way home swap.

One of the many benefits of placing your own vacation home exchange listing is the opportunities that arise .  We live just outside of Chicago and needed to be in the Washington DC area to attend our daughter's graduation ceremony in the first week of June..  We also hoped to do some tourist  activities in our week visit.  After receiving quotes on DC area hotel rooms we went into shock. 

We started looking at all  types of lodging alternatives and that is when our neighbor suggested we look into a home exchange.  We were intrigued, free accommodation, but was a home exchange safe?  After all we would be trading our home and wanted some assurances that it and all our possessions would still be there when we returned.  

We read the many home exchange stories and then wrote to a few experienced home exchangers who had listings on Global.  We asked a lot of questions regarding theft, the condition their houses were in after returning from their exchange and especially did they feel it was safe.  We were surprised by the quick, friendly feedback, all assuring us that they had enjoyable experiences, with no damage or theft to their homes and that all would exchange again.

That's when we decided to try. It was early April and we wanted an exchange in less than two months.   We understood it might be a challenge finding an exchange partner at so short a time frame but also realized we had no chance of an exchange if we didn't try.   From the information Global provided we decided to be aggressive.  We advertised our exchange and also emailed every member in the Washington DC area plus Maryland and Virginia. 

We received several emails back explaining that they had already found an exchange but suggesting to contact them for an exchange another year.  Bob and Jan emailed us from Potomac, near Washington indicating that the dates they wanted to travel fit with ours but their hearts were set on an exchange to Europe.  After a week we were discouraged.  We realized that we had started looking for an exchange far too late. Why hadn't we thought about starting to advertise for an exchange in January?

In late April we received a response from the Dube family in Provence France.  They had to be in Chicago in early June and wanted an exchange during the same period that we were open.  They asked if we would consider France instead of Washington DC .  We were excited to receive a response for an exchange but disappointed that it wasn't to where we wanted to go. 

We were about to abandon our search for a home exchange when we had an idea.  Could we arrange a three way exchange, Chicago - Washington and France?  We wrote Dennis and Joanna at Global to ask about three way exchanges. They responded that some members do arrange a three way exchange.  Dennis and Joanna had arranged a three way exchange for themselves a few summers ago.  They provided us with helpful tips and encouraged us to try.

We were encouraged and emailed Andre and Isabelle in France and Bob and Jan in Potomac.   We explained our proposal, we would go to Washington DC while Bob and Jan could go to France and stay at the Dubes and in turn the Dubes could stay at our home in Chicago. 

One glitch arose.  We only wanted a week exchange, while the other couples were looking at 14 to 17 days. The Dubes made a suggestion that they stay at our home for the week that they had to be in Chicago, then go to Bob and Jan's home for the rest of the exchange. That way they got to visit Chicago and Washington on the same vacation. All of us were eager to make a three way switch work.

We all traded photos and enjoyed the excitement of planning  the three way exchange and becoming friends.    We got to be at our daughters graduation and have free accommodation through a home exchange while the other two couples got to enjoy their home exchange vacations. 

Everything worked out fine and we felt we were staying at friends with Bob and Jan and felt friends were staying at our home.  Would we do this again?  Absolutely!