How to prepare your home for your first house swap: 11 tips

How to prepare your home for a house swap: practical tips for a perfect experience

As a family, our last 6 vacations were all organized with house swaps and they were all very successful for us and our guests/hosts.

I love the relation a swap created between you and getting the house ready is part of the fun.

There is some work involved, it is not as quick and painless and locking hte door behind you and leave, but the rewards are huge!

Getting your house ready for a home swap means make all you can to have happy guests and it comes with perks: you have extra motivation to keep your house in tip top shape!

I have a full home exchange guide for families but in this post, you will find my top tips to get your house guest ready.

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My top tips for prepping your house for a successful home exchange

Look at your house with the eyes of a guest

We all put up with things in our house that are less than perfect, our future guest included.

No one expects your house to be a luxury hotel however, the annoyances we are used to may be too much for our guests.

A few months before the exchange is due, go around the house and pretend you are new to the space: is there anything that makes you uncomfortable?

Peeling pain, a creaky door, a leaking tap, a faulty key lock. Look at all that can be a problem for a first time visitor and make the most of the opportunity to fix it.

Sometimes, small fixes go a long way, this doesn’t have to be an expensive endeavour!

Declutter

You don’t have to make your house a minimalist hotel if this is not your style however, you want to make sure what is on display in your house is there because you want it, not because it piled up.

A few weeks before the exchange we like to go around the house and declutter.

We make bags of stuff to donate, store or throw out – there is always a lot more than we think and the house looks much more welcoming after this exercise.

I find great decluttering tips in this FB group.

Make space in the wardrobe

You don’t have to do this if you physically don’t have space but if you can, leave some wardrobe space of free up some drawers for your guests so they don’t have to live out of their suitcases.

Even just a small section of the wardrobe is enough: use this option to double check that you have enough hangers for your guests and consider investing in some should you find out you are short on them.

Store all very personal stuff

If there is anything you’d rather not share with your guests, put it away. From bank statement to work contracts or personal photos, make it easy for everyone and store them so that they will not accidentally fall out/get ruined.

Even just a locked drawer can be enough: a respectful home exchanger will not snoop around for personal stuff!

Add a mattress protector

Some items in the house are expensive if ruined and a mattress is one go them. One of the easiest ways to protect it is to add a mattress protector, which is hygienic for you and your guests.

Take out the good towels

Old towels are a turnoff: make sure you give your guests well kept, clean towels with no holes, stains or worn out patches.

Clean, clean, clean

Make an extra effort to leave your house exceptionally clean. If you can, clean the inside of the cupboards, get rid of expired food, wash the windows and air the rugs.

Give a major spring clean a few weeks before your guests are about to arrive: this will allow you to spot issues that may need addressing.

What looks like a stain may turn out to be mold and in need of fixing: give yourself time to take care of unexpected problems.

Before they arrive, clean everything from top to bottom and make sure you have all the cleaning essentials stocked up for them, especially if you want your floors or surfaces cleaned with specific brands.

Leave a small manual about your house

Prepare a document with with emergency phone numbers, appliances manuals etc.

It doesn’t have to be long but it gives your guests a great sense of safety: remember to include wifi passwords, information about rubbish disposal if relevant and practical tips about the house that may be obvious to you but less intuitive for your guests.

Also, prepare a small map of the area marking the closest supermarket, pharmacy, off licence, gp etc. If you can, get some free tourist maps/leaflet from the local tourist office

Leave some supplies for the first day of your guests

You don’t have to do this, but I feel making sure your guests have at least some bread, milk, a list of take outs/home deliveries and toilet paper makes their arrival day easier and pleasant.

If you can, ask them what they eat / don’t eat and leave them enough for a first meal: this takes away the stress to run to the shops first thing on arrival and will help them settle, especially after a long journey.

Make sure you take a note of their time of arrival so you don’t leave perishable food out too long.

I usually also leave to our guests a bottle of wine, chocolate, fresh flowers and some treats for the kids – I know it feels lovely to open these type of presents on your first night somewhere and I like to think my guests feel the same.

Tell your neighbours

Tell your neighbors about the exchange and make sure you leave spare keys with a friend: chances are your guests won’t need either but I think it’s reassuring to know there is someone local to rely on.

Last but not least: relax!

Opening your home to someone you don’t know can feel strange, but the rewards are worth it.

Over the course of these years, the house swap experience has meant we have seen some incredible destinations and we have met some wonderful people. I hope the experience is a successful one for you too. Safe travel planning!