A while back I had one of the only disappointing swaps in my decades of home exchange travel. It was a depressing and smelly apartment in Paris. The let-down was my fault -- I had believed the exchanger when he said he couldn't post interior photos because he was not in Paris and his brother, who cared for the apartment, was not technologically adept.
That was the first, and last, time I accepted an exchange home sight unseen. Ten years later, I have been surprised recently to find that a lack of interior photos has not dissuaded dozens of swappers from begging to use my new tiny walk-up apartment in a hot neighborhood.
Unlike my Paris exchanger, who proved to be pretty clueless about home exchange on various levels, I have told all the swappers to wait. Even though several of their offers are very appealing, I will not allow anyone to agree to use my new place unless they see every inch of it first through detailed photos.
When I was swapping a huge, gorgeous, renovated apartment I had no hesitation posting tons of photos. I knew the pictures would draw even more exchangers to my listing. Now that I worry that photos may garner the opposite reaction would I limit the number of pictures of my humble home?
Quite the opposite. I do not want anyone to enter my home and find it a let down. A swapper who agrees to an exchange with me must do so with full information about all aspects of the home, positive or negative.
Insist on interior photos. A swap home you cannot see is a "pig in a poke", something you buy without knowing if you will really be able to use it. If someone tries to pressure you to agree to a swap before photos are available, move on.
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