Holiday in luxury for £39.50!
Live it up in a luxury chateau
Welcome to the world of home swapping - your ultimate credit-crunch-busting
escape
Desperate for a luxury holiday, but stuck on a budget? It's time to get home swapping! For a small registration fee - from a bargainous £14.95 - you can join a website and swap your humble semi for a Sydney loft apartment or Chamonix chalet. Not only will you arrive to a fully stocked fridge, but you can also drive whatever car's in the garage (Porsche, please!).
"If a family's been invited to a wedding in your hometown, they may not care that your house is a two-up two-down and theirs is a four-bedroom pad with a pool and palm trees," says Lois Sealey from Homebase-hols.com. "People are more interested in convenient locations and living like a local."
Keys at the ready!
How home swapping works
Get on the list: First, list your own house on one of the home swap sites recommended in this feature.
Sell your pad well: Add as much flattering detail about amenities and local attractions, along with plenty of photos to attract potential swappers.
Be clear about your ideal swap: For example, "We're a family of four from Leeds who'd love to visit Bali or Western Australia in summer 2009."
Look around: Check out swappers in your desired locations and email them to see if they're interested.
Set rules: Be clear about what guests can and can't use (eg internet, car). Leave a manual describing how appliances work and arrange a key drop-off.
Cape Town chic
This amazing three-bedroom loft apartment in South Africa has floor-to-ceiling windows with views of Table Mountain, and the city's markets, cafes and shops are a five-minute stroll away. It has all the mod cons including a plasma screen, WiFi and deck with heated plunge pool. Oooh, it's just like MTV's Cribs!
Visit Homebase-hols.com (membership £29 per year).
French fancy
How does waking up in a chateau surrounded by acres of private parkland grab you? The super-luxurious six-bedroom mansion in Chitenay has a pool, library, stables and pond. And as the owner is an antiques dealer, it's immaculately furnished. The family's bicycles and two seven-seater cars will be at your disposal for exploring the surrounding Loire Valley - the nearby vineyards and gourmet French restaurants are simply world class.
Visit Homeforexchange.com (membership £39.50 per year).
Texan thriller
Luigi, owner of The Woodlands, 20 minutes outside Houston, Texas has 13 - yes, 13 - cars. The Ferrari and Lamborghini are off-limits to swappers unless they have an equivalent car in the UK (no, your souped-up Micra doesn't count), but the Union Jack Mini Cooper is all yours. And with seven bedrooms, eight bathrooms, pool, Jacuzzi, games room and a grand piano, you may find you don't even want to leave the house!
Yorkshire palace
Who wouldn't love this historical four-bedroom home, hidden down a farm track near Barnsley? As well as wellies, you may want to pack a frock - this place is so huge, it has a ballroom! Features include stained glass windows, stone fireplaces and an orchard.
Visit Ukholidayswapshop.co.uk (membership £14.95 per year).
Tell us about your favourite holiday hot spots in the UK and Ireland at hiddengems@fabulousmag.co.uk
Photography: Scope beauty, Alamy
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