Q. How much does it cost to become a member?

Q. What is the difference between the Premium and Basic membership plans?

A. To learn about our membership plans and associated fees, please see our Fees page.

Q. How does 1st HomeExchange.com work?

A. If you are interested in house swapping then 1stHomeExchange.com is an ideal place to look for a houseswap.
 
Any visitor can review the house swap listings on 1stHomeExchange.com. However to find an exchange (post a listing and contact other exchangers), you must register.
 
First you create a Logon account (this is the registration process). Your e-mail address is your Logon ID. You also select a password.
 
Next, post a home exchange listing (steps 1-5). Providing details and a description of your home, yourself, your travel preferences as well as photos of your home.
 
If you subscribe to the Basic membership, your listing is reviewed by our staff to filter out potential spam. Your listing only appears on the site after it is reviewed and if it is approved (i.e. is NOT SPAM). The review process typically occurs within 24 hours but on occasion may take 2 or 3 days.
 
If you subscribe to the Premium membership, your listing is displayed immediately and you will be able to contact other members. A contact form is displayed at the bottom of each listing. You must log on to see the contact form. You use the contact form to e-mail members whose offer is of interest to you.
 
If someone is interested in your offer, you will receive an e-mail. Their e-mail will contain the member's reference number and e-mail address.
 
Premium members can contact both Premium and Basic members.
 
The contact history, available from your Member Area (simply log on), allows you to keep track of who contacted you and who you contacted.
 
Once you make contact, it's up to you to negotiate the terms of the swap.
 
We are not involved in identifying a match nor in any discussions or agreements between two exchangers. We are here to help answers questions about home swapping and provide support for our site.

Q. I saw a home exchange listing that I'm interested in. How do I contact the member regarding their listing?

A. To contact the member you must subscribe to the Premium membership plan and listed your home. If you are already a Premium member, log on using your e-mail and password. View the house exchange listing your are interested in. A contact form appears at the bottom of the page. (Please note that the contact form does not appear if you are not logged on.)

Q. How is my privacy protected?

A. A member's contact information is not available to guests visiting the 1stHomeExchange.com Web site nor is it available to other members. If someone is interested in your house swap offer they must contact you using our contact form. Your e-mail address is not disclosed to them.
 
For more information please read our Privacy Policy.

Q. Can I arrange several houseswaps?

A. You are free to arrange as many exchanges as you like. For example, you may want to arrange houseswaps for a summer vacation, a winter vacation and weekend escapes. 1st HomeExchange.com allows you to specify different destinations and dates for each of these possibilities.

Q. Will 1st HomeExchange.com take care of my houseswap arrangements?

A. The 1st HomeExchange.com Website provides its members access to other people who like themselves are interested in swapping houses. All house swap arrangements are made privately between the two members. You decide with whom you want to exchange, for how long and when.

Q. We would like to do a house swap with someone from California. Can you help us with this?

A. Yes 1stHomeExchange.com is an excellent place to start. We have a large selection of home exchanges worldwide. And our membership is growing everyday.
 
Please note that 1stHomeExchange.com is a listing service. We provide a place where you can post a listing and contact other members with exchange offers. Our site allows you to find an offer and make initial contact - after that it is up to you!
 
We are not involved in organizing a swap for you and we do not contact members on your behalf. So please, don't send us your home exchange preferences but rather register and list your exchange offer directly on the site.

Q. I received an enquiry from another member. It is in French and I do not understand French. Does 1stHomeExchange.com offer translation services? If not, any suggestions?

A. 1stHomeExchange.com does not provide translation services.
 
We suggest you ask a friend who has knowledge of the language to help translate and respond to the enquiry. Alternatively there are numerous automated translation Web sites that will give you the "gist" of the message.
 
See Google - Language Tool or Altavista - Babel Fish Translation.

Q. Can I list my rental (for sale) property on 1stHomeExchange.com?

A. 1stHomeExchange.com is a home exchange Website. Your listing must be a home exchange listing.
 
Many members exchange their secondary (holiday) home that is also used as a rental property. Your listing should not be a rental property advertisement. Listings that are rental property advertisements are not allowed and will be removed. (Please, no rental charges info!)
 
If you are a rental property owner please note that there are numerous rental property sites both paid and free sites to list your property.
 
Any member that is reported to be pushing their property for rent and not home exchanging will have their listing removed and their membership terminated. This information should only be conveyed to a member if and after the member initiates inquiries.
 
Any links to offsite rental property advertisements are also removed.
 
If you are solicited by another member regarding their rental property please let us know.
 
Please note that the same applies to listings of properties that are for sale.

Q. I've had a problem with an exchange, can 1stHomeExchange.com help?

A. 1stHomeExchange.com is a home exchange listing service and is not involved in the discussion or negotiation of the actual exchange between two members. We will not get involved in any type of mediation between two parties if a problem occurs.
 
If a problem occurs, we suggest that you communicate directly with the other party to explain and resolve the problem.
 
Prior to agreeing to an exchange, we suggest that your review the following FAQ on common problems and suggested preventions.

Q. Didn't find what you were looking for?

A. Continue onto the next page.