Fifty Plus (50+) - House Swapping for Vacations

Hi everyone,

I am always so intrigued by the photos you post! You all live in such interesting areas. I find myself wondering what it would be like to visit your areas. The latest is Stapfam's posting. So...

I'm gauging the level of interest the forum has in the idea of house swapping with other cyclists for vacations. Imagine joining an existing house exchange organization, such as Homelink International (http://www.homelink.org/) or HomeExchange.com (http://www.homeexchange.com/), but swapping with forum members. Any interest out there?

Highly interested. Not sure about the 100.00 services though (us bikers is tight...).
We got any superwebapplicationtechnosavvy folks who coud whip us up a database?

We've been considering an Ireland cyclign trip ever since the Adv Cycling issue came out- noticed a lot of folks in Ireland want to swap with US folks, but no one seems interested in the midwest. Puzzling...:rolleyes:

I may have initiated the thought but Not able to do the house swop thing- but Open invitation. If anyone wants to come to the UK I have a large garden and a large tent. Until I retire- about 3 years time- That is all I can offer but You will be left to your own devices except use of the house as required and I have 3 x 51 cm road bikes and plenty of Mountain bikes for loan.

Our condo in Puerto Vallarta is on HomeExchange.com. We are mostly interested in Europe or Australia.

However, if anyone is coming to Puerto Vallarta for vacation and wants a free bike tour guide, I'm all yours. I know some beautiful rides through farmlands, mountains and jungles. Most are mountain bike rides but there is one good road bike route that I ride my Raleigh on. I can hook you up with a loaner or rental bike. Send me a PM if you're headed south of the border.

Hi Oroluk Lagoon,
Wow! How do you like HomeExchange? We have friends who are in Spain via a home exchange group. No idea which one. They seem very happy with this house swapping thing so far. How do you like living in Mexico? How has the downturn in the economy impacted your lifestyle?

Stapfam, you're sweet to offer up your house with no swap. Does swapping sound like something you'd be interested in after you retire?

You really don't want me in your house alone... unless you don't mind someone looking in all the drawers and behind all the closed doors. I'm not a thief, but I am incredibly curious. ;)

I voted no but only because we have such a crazy household right now it just wouldn't be fair. Me, wife, 3 kids at home on weekends and 3 dogs and 1 cat. Maybe when everyone moves out someday we would try something like this. I told my wife the other day that when I retire and everyone moves out I would consider making part of our large house into a guest quarters for people to stay for a week or two at a time. By the look she gave me I think it may take a little more discussion.

My smart and beautiful spouse seems to put house swapping in the same category of wife swapping and she does not think much of that either.

Sure.

I used to rent our condo in the mountains (since sold) and one of the folks to whom I rented it was a trade for a condo in Florida. Due to medical emergencies, we never got to Florida, but I like the concept.

We also rented out the house for the summer I played Smokey the Bear in Sequoia National Forest (when I was about 26 yo.) It worked fine.

Of course, we would want to swap with someone who lived where we wanted to go!

We are right on about 60 miles of excellent bike trails, which connect directly to about 600 miles of excellent bike trails, close to the Colorado Mountains with great riding, etc.

I'm sure someone else would want to be in my tiny apartment, sleeping on an air mattress and enjoying the snowy tv reception and a view of the mini mall acoss the street.

I may have initiated the thought but Not able to do the house swop thing- but Open invitation. If anyone wants to come to the UK I have a large garden and a large tent. Until I retire- about 3 years time- That is all I can offer but You will be left to your own devices except use of the house as required and I have 3 x 51 cm road bikes and plenty of Mountain bikes for loan.

The bikes would fit but the exchange rate is a deal breaker.

Home Exchange is something my wife and I are only now becoming interested in. A little synchronicity had me just this past Saturday looking for the first time at google results for "home exchange". We should be pretty much retired in 3 years or so, and have been making vague plans in that direction. My wife does not really care to miuch for cycling but she is an avid scuba diver and swimmer.
People need to understand that this is a home EXCHANGE. I am in your home while you are in mine. No co-occupancy in a house exchange. It would not be an exchange if that were the case.
At any rate, yes mark us down as interested. The northeast, the cali coast, North Carolina certainly.
Our home is in Colorado. About 9000 ft up in the Front Range. Not far from Eldora ski area and Central City. Maybe 35 - 40 minutes from Boulder. Lots of mountain biking and road riding.

in fact TruF....."an hour north of S.F." sounds pretty nice in and of itself.

Who in their right mind wants to take care of my ten terriers while I am drinking all their beer?

Who in their right mind wants to take care of my ten terriers while I am drinking all their beer?

:lol::lol: Damn. Now I've got to clean the drink off my keyboard.

You really don't want me in your house alone... unless you don't mind someone looking in all the drawers and behind all the closed doors. I'm not a thief, but I am incredibly curious. ;)


As long as you don't post about what you found on BikeForums!

I would love to exchange homes... provided the other house is at least 2000 sf, in a beautiful secluded area, preferably on a lake or near a water way, near lovely mountain trails and good restaurants... and you are welcome to come to my little 2 bedroom apartment and watch my cat while I am gone! :thumb:

I am only 20 minutes by bike from lovely Orange County beaches! ;)

Who in their right mind wants to take care of my ten terriers while I am drinking all their beer?

10 terriers. That's daunting even for me.

I offer my house all the time to people I know. A family in KS is going to stay in it next summer, as a matter of fact. I'll go up north during that time. But I don't think I'd feel OK having strangers in it, even if they were vouched for by friends. People are funny. On some levels we're all very similar. But every once in a while you realize with a shock how different we all are, too.

The bikes would fit but the exchange rate is a deal breaker.

It's a big tent and you have the Use of the Pool.

My problem is that I have a very small house- Large garden (And Tent) but house room is limited for sleeping accomodation. But that is an open invitation for anyone that fancies roughing it a bit.

Who in their right mind wants to take care of my ten terriers while I am drinking all their beer?
I could handle the terriers :)but don't have any beer. Do have a couple gallons of home made mead. A spoiled lab who thinks she is a person. 2 beagles who are my hunting buddies, gaurd my bikes, and howl in tune with the passing trains, and a 10 week old 1/2 cocker spaniel 1/2 shih tzu who gets upset if you don't share your home grown green beans with him
Terriers are awsome dogs by the way:thumb:
but I don't think my wife would trade houses though
Roy