What are the top ways to be a great luxury home exchange guest?

As a reciprocal home exchange club, ThirdHome Exchange relies on a community of members to both graciously host guests in their homes but also be great guests when traveling. Here’s what ThirdHome Exchange host members are saying about their experiences with guest members while participating in luxury home exchanges:

“Maureen and her friend were wonderful guests. Maureen is a delightful person and so easy to talk to about arrangements. As a plus, she and her friend left the house totally immaculate. It was a delight to have them both and I would welcome them back without reservation at any time.”

“They were a pleasure to meet and are most welcome to return to our home at any stage. As they were our first guests since recently joining ThirdHome they have set the bar very high for our next guests who we are expecting shortly. Any small requests we made in terms of arrival, departure and property management issues were followed to the letter. We think they enjoyed their stay as they very generously left a bottle of Irish for the next occupants of the Cottage!”

“We were very pleased to have such a lovely family visit our ThirdHome property. Their enthusiasm to take in what Cape Cod has to offer was fantastic. They were here for a short time but seemed to pack in horseback riding on the beach, a seal tour, beach time and in addition sample the restaurants! They left the house in beautiful shape. I would welcome them back at any time. It was as if good friends were staying at the house. The emails and discussions with Jackie to plan her family’s get away was fun and now I feel as though I have some new friends!”

What leads to an outstanding guest review like above? Here is a list of the top ways to impress when staying at a fellow ThirdHome Exchange member’s property:

• Participate in timely communication: Communication is very important during the home swapping process. Always confirm arrival and departure times with the host member to ensure a smooth transition for using the home during your trip.
• Respect the property as if it was your own: As a luxury homeowner, you already take pride in keeping your home nicely kept. Extend that same respect to your host member’s property, by treating it as if it was your own property.
• Tell the host member if there are any issues: If there are any issues while staying at the property, kindly bring it to the host member’s attention. They may have no idea it is an issue to begin with and will appreciate knowing!
• Do not bring a pet without prior permission: Always ask before you bring a pet along on your vacation with you, as some are sensitive to having pets in their house due to allergies or decor considerations.
• Be polite to all staff at the property: When a property has staff on-site, treat them with kindness and be sure to adequately tip them for their service.
• Leave a review about your home exchange experience: Hosts love to hear feedback about their home and stories of what you did in the area!

Following through with these few tips will leave the owners wanting to swap with you again! Ready to book your stay and be a great home exchange guest? Click here to view weeks available to book with a ThirdHome membership. Remember, you must be logged in to your account to see availability.