Church Times - Swap your way to a holiday

= Swap your way to a holiday = (Church Times article 27-04-07)

For an afforda= ble holiday offering all the comforts of home, consider Christian house-swapp= ing,

suggests Ra= chel Harden

Christian House and Church Swap <= st1:place>UK, based in Suffolk, has been in business since 2003, = and was set up by Viv and Richard Wills-Crisp, wh= o had always been house-swap enthusiasts.

When their 25-year-old daughter suffered a brain haemorrhage, Mrs Wills-Crisp gave up work to help look after her daughter during the slow recovery and treatment period. She said the idea= for the swap service came during the hours she spent waiting around in hospit= als. “We felt that, although there were many swapping services available, there was often little information, and nothing specifically for Christia= ns — you just bought a list of names and addresses. =

“Our site is open to Christians of a= ll denominations, and asks quite specific questions, from details of local churches to the number of available bedrooms. We do not ask for a registration fee, but have a set charge when a swap takes place.” <= o:p>

About 200 people have registered with the service. Of those, about 100 are expected to swap this year. Although swa= ps generally take place in the UK, there are curre= ntly homes on the site to be exchanged in Canada, Australia, and Germany<= /st1:place>. A few are looki= ng for house-sitters, but the service is mainly for a straight swap. =

SCHOOL HOLIDAYS tend to be peak times for house-swapping, but there is a growing market for people without children wanting to swap at other times, says Mrs Wills-Crisp. <= /p>

David and = Elaine Lane, from Dewsbury, in Yorkshire, came across the service two years ago. Their son Jonathan, then five, had just started sc= hool and they had left it too late to book a suitable holiday. “We had always been on traditional UK holidays —= on a farm, or in a cottage. But there was nothing available,” said Mr Lane<= /st1:address>, a senior lectur= er in marketing at Leeds Metropolitan University. He saw an online advertisement in a Christian magazine, and looked on the website.

“I was very struck by the efficient = way it was run. Unlike other services, where lists are given out, personal details are only exchanged after the swap has been agreed.”

He admits he was rather nervous before his first house-swap, in the New Forest, but says it was= a great success. “On this occasion we did not meet the family, but la= st year we swapped with a family in Alicante, Spain, and we swapped = cars as well. So we overlapped briefly, which worked well. With Christian house-swaps you can, sometimes, also get the chance to experience a diffe= rent type of church.” Christian House and Church Swap, by its very name,= helps clients swap church experiences if this is des= ired.

The Lanes said the key to successful swapp= ing is communication. “Never be afraid to ask questions and raise issue= s. We always provide our own information pack, as well as a local contact. We now send this in advance, so others can leave one for us.”

Case Study

David and Anthe= a Spurling have house-swapped for their annual holiday for more than 20 years

SINCE their first house-swap, in 1986, Dav= id and Anthea Spurling have packed their cases, dreaming, not of a posh hotel, but of putting their f= eet up in someone else’s property.

Having used a couple of different agencies over the years, they were one of the first couples to sign up to the dedicated Christian House and Church Swap UK site. “We = had always felt as Christians that it was a good ethos to swap homes, but it = was not until 2003 that we came across a Christian agency.” They have s= ince introduced their son and daughter-in-law to the service.

“It was an affordable way of going abroad. As our son grew up we had some great holidays; we particularly li= ked our visits to Sweden, but also enjoye= d Rome, Barcelona, and other inter= esting cities.”

Mr Spurling, 6= 6, a business tutor and writer, said they were drawn to a Christian agency bec= ause of the option to also link churches, and by the unspoken assumption that = both homes would be Christian. “We always go along to the host church. S= ome are more ‘us’ than others, but there is always a good welcome.”

Now, the Spurlings generally swap more than once a year. In most cases the swap is stress-fr= ee (the worst complaint he has ever received was about = limescale in their bathroom).

“The bottom line is to be honest abo= ut your house. We live in Kent, and it is not a mansion. But most people are just looking for a base in a particular part= of the world. I would say that if you are obsessively tidy, or disgustingly messy, then it is probably not for you.”

As non-car owners, the Spurlings say that house-swapping has been a great way to see the country. “We tend to pick obvious cities or areas served by a train line, and from the= re we get out and about.”

A recent highlight was a swap in Edinburgh during the Edinburgh Festiva= l. “We went along to the host church, which was URC, and was being use= d as a theatre, so the worship was very different. But it was a good experience.” <= /p>

HOUSE SWAP TIPS=

Pets Whether house-si= tting or house-swapping, check if there are any pets, and, if so, what duties a= re required (large dogs require a lot of walking, and cannot be left for too= long). One family said that looking after a family cat became difficult as there= was no cat flap.

Plants and garden Make sure watering/mowing instructions are clearly agreed, with details written down and left in the house.

Bedding Bring your own, o= r agree a washing system. One family always agree with their swap family to take bedding to the local launderette before leaving.

Keys Don’t leave= the handover too late, if you are not meeting the swap family in advance=

Insurance Most home insura= nce covers guests, as the house is not empty. It is worth checking that your house insurance covers you, however.

Valuable/private items It is quite acce= ptable to make one room a no-go area, particularly if people work from home, or = have items that are not suitable for children.

Cleaning Leave a property as you find = it. One family said: We always blitz before we go away, and we have always co= me back to find it in the same condition.

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