BULK OFFERS
Usually the swap offers that fail to catch my interest are from folks who are obviously sending a mass email to lots of people in my area. These are usually one or two impersonal lines such as "Boston swap? See my listing." Often they come with >> marks in front of the text to make it as clear as possible that the person is email dozens or hundreds of exchangers in my area.
READ THE LISTING
The other category of offer email I find annoying are those where the person is actively ignoring what I request in my listing. I note that we are a 5-person, 3-generation family and we need at least 2 bedrooms and 2 WC's to be comfortable. I get offered a dozen or more 1-bedroom, 1-bathroom apartments every month.
READ THE LISTING & IGNORE IT
A creative take on the tiny apartment offer came recently from folks with a second home in Florida. They offered us an apartment so small we wouldn't all be able to eat breakfast at the same time. However, and this is a "first", they had actually read our listing, noted we did not want a small apartment and tailored their offer accordingly:
"I would like to know if you might be interested in a swap for June or July this summer? I saw the where you do not want a small apartment but, you would love our place. we have two girls and they love it! We are a family of 4 and we feel like we have enough room. It has the most comfortable king bed and two hall bunk beds.I have sent several of emails to other homeexchangers and they do not respond. Just let me know if this works or not. If you would like other information, just let me know."
STILL "NO"
If a swapper takes the time to make it clear that homes like yours won't work for their family, that means you should move on. I do not want my toddlers to sleep in the hallway, thanks, even on beds that are inappropriate for their age group.
The swapper says she has sent "several" inquiries to exchangers who have not responded. If she is asking Manhattanites who, like me, have a three-bedroom apartment and a five-person family to use her tiny Florida condo, it is no wonder her offer is not met with more enthusiasm.
DON'T WASTE YOUR TIME
This exchanger says that her one-bedroom place is "enough room" for her family. So why not offer her place to other folks who also have one-bedroom apartments? Targeting your home exchange search to others with homes and families similar to your own will avoid that disappointing feeling that "no one is interested in my offer."
GETTING TO "YES"
There is one possible exception to the rule that you shouldn't make a swap offer to people who explicitly state they don't want to use a home like yours. I'll go into tiny apartments that have tempted me to say "yes" in a future post.
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