WILL ANYONE EVER SWAP WITH ME AGAIN?

We are moving. When we do, I don't know if we will have much luck arranging home exchanges.


Up til now we have offered home swappers our big, renovated 3-bedroom place. Now we are down-sizing as I prepare to do an exciting 1-year unpaid internship.


In three weeks we will start spending most week nights in a small, unrenovated apartment just a few blocks from our kids' school.


Native New Yorkers who see the place think it has "character". It is a traditional Manhattan walk-up (only two flights of stairs thankfully).


I like the tall ceilings, wide floor planks and wall of giant windows. The building is over 100 years old. Back then homes had thick plaster walls so it is nice and quiet.


On the other hand, toilet facilities used to be in the back yard so this apartment has a feature unique to older Manhattan apartments: the old-fashioned claw-foot bathtub is in the kitchen. Yes, I said it. We have to bathe in the kitchen.


All Manhattan apartments used to be like this. Real New Yorkers find features like these nostalgic or even a bit romantic. I am worried that out-of-town visitors are just going to think it is weird.


Non-New Yorkers don't realize what I read today in the newspaper: the average Manhattan rent starts at over $2,000 a month for a studio apartment, and rises by 50% for each additional bedroom.


Even in a bad real estate market the average Manhattan 1-bedroom goes for $3,000 per month and a 2-bedroom apartment rents for $4,500 on average. Bigger apartments are so scarce that rents start rising exponentially from there.


I know that my new home won't appeal to people used to bigger or fancier places. Yet, ironically, market rent for my new place is almost certainly higher than the mortgage of any swapper who gives it a pass.


Regardless, it is important to me to let exchangers know that our new home is small and basic. I will take lots of pictures so they know exactly what we are offering.


The positive aspects of our new apartment are an amazing location and the fact they it can be available every weekend.


I am curious to see how many offers we get for a small, humble yet easily-available home versus a big, gorgeous apartment that we can only trade a few times per year.


We will see how many home swappers want to shower in our kitchen.