A NEW YORK STATE OF MIND
Approach NYC exchangers carefully. Anyone with a decent apartment in a prime Manhattan location fields hundreds of swap offers each month. Here is how to make yours stand out by understanding the psychology of the New York state of mind.
EVERY SQUARE FOOT IS PRECIOUS
New Yorkers are obsessed with real estate. Those of us in Manhattan are size queens. Our average Manhattan apartment is 1255 square feet. The reality behind these numbers is that some of us live in giant lofts, most of the others in tiny apartments which may be smaller than 400 square feet. In Manhattan, parents earning six figures or more feel lucky to have 800 to 1000 square feet in which to raise two children. That's because their apartment, on average, has a free-market value of over one million dollars.
THINK SMALL
What is the smallest apartment your family could tolerate? Think of hotel rooms you have used. Could the kids share a living room sofabed?
You have a much better chance of getting a 1-bedroom apartment or studio in NYC than anything larger. This is due in part to the sheer number of small apartments in Manhattan. At an average cost of over $1200 per square foot, people here buy the smallest home they can stand.
PUT THE ODDS IN YOUR FAVOR
On HomeExchange.com there are fewer than 30 Manhattan swap homes south of 96th Street with 3 or 4 bedrooms. By contrast, there are over 100 1-bedroom/1-bath or studio apartments on offer in Manhattan. The smaller apartments have more space and amenities than almost any hotel room. If you can make do with less space you greatly increase your odds of finding a swap.
THINK POSITIVE
If you approach someone whose Manhattan home is smaller than your kitchen, keep in mind that real estate is all about location, location, location. The tiny apartment is almost certainly worth more than your huge suburban house. Instead of thinking of your swap partner's home as "cramped", think "jewel box".
If you get a Manhattan studio apartment in a prime location you have more living space than 99% of all other visitors to our city (you know, the folks staying in a hotel). This positive attitude dictates the next part of your approach to your New York home exchange partner....
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