SHOULD YOU PAY TO REMODEL THE SWAP HOME?

Your hotel room had better be perfect. If it is dirty, or you want another pillow, just call the front desk. Unless you stay at the No-Tell Motel management is going to do what they can to satisfy you, the customer.


Based on your experience with paid lodging you may not expect to invest any money in the swappers' home.


Hey, it's your vacation. Why not enjoy the exchange more by assuming things at the swap will NOT be perfect.


DIFFERENT STROKES FOR DIFFERENT FOLKS

You get to the swap home and it's just not comfortable. That is not a slight against your exchange partners. They like their home just as it is. That does not mean you will have the same taste or preferences as the family who lives in that home. Chances are something will be lacking that you really need to be comfortable.


LITTLE THINGS MEAN A LOT

You only sleep on down-filled pillows. Your swap partners are allergic to them. Wire hangers damage your fine outfits. The swappers use the hangers they get from the cleaners'. Nothing is more pleasant for you than a breeze from an electric fan. The exchangers don't have any fans in their home.


CUSTOMIZE THE SWAP HOME

When we get to a swap home we plan to invest a reasonable sum to ensure our comfort. When our kids were young we bought a stair gate at one home and a port-a-crib at another.

It is reasonable to expect to spend some money just to make sure the swap home has the amenities you prefer.


WHAT DO I HAVE TO BUY?

Some items you may need, but not find at the swap home, based on my experience over 40+ swaps, include

* reading lamp
* fan
* cooking gear like a decent chef's knife
* extra blanket
* radio
* 100% cotton bedding
* down pillow
* bath mat
* mattress pad
* vase

The possibilities are endless. Mind you, no exchange home needed all of these items. It is likely that you might have to spend the equivalent of one night's hotel cost to buy things you need to be truly comfortable.


STRANGE BED, FELLOW

One common theme to the list of equipment I have bought for the swap home is "bedding".

There is nothing more individual than sleeping preferences. If the exchangers like a hard mattress you may need to buy a foam mattress topper. If the bed is too soft a bed board could be needed.

Don't sacrifice your comfort because the swap home doesn't have every item you prefer. It will not be your home, and that is the point. Assuming you will need to buy those things will ensure you are happier with your home exchange experience.


LEAVE IT OR CHUCK IT?

Now that you know you will have to buy a few things to really enjoy your swap, be careful about leaving them for the exchangers. They may see the presence of these items as a rebuke.

Swappers once left us a home exchange gift of generic dishtowels. I couldn't help but inspect our stack of 20 or so dishtowels. Did our home exchange partners fail to find them? Were they stained?

Most likely the message being sent was "perhaps you would enjoy these dish towels".

Leaving items you considered "missing" from the swap home could imply that you were uncomfortable there. While it might be wasteful to throw out that foam mattress pad you only used for one week, don't leave it for the swappers.


SO WHAT SHOULD I DO WITH IT?

Every community has some sort of charity organization that would love your donation of lightly-used home goods. Donate it to a thrift shop, shelter, etc. Just don't risk offending or inconveniencing the exchangers by leaving them a pile of things you needed to be comfortable in their home.


THE SWAP HOME MIGHT BE COMFIER THAN YOURS

There is a flip side to spending a little of the vacation budget to outfit the swap home. You may find a wonderful item there that you can't live without.

Actually, that's another benefit to home exchange. People elsewhere live differently than you do. Whether you find your way or their way superior you are sure to learn something from your home exchange. Even if you need to buy some nicer bedding to do so.