The 4 Types Of Home Exchange
The difference between simultaneous, non-sim and non-reciprocal exchanges
Getting started with home exchange can be a bit bewildering.
Some of the things that seem obvious and second nature to the experienced will leave the newbie scratching their head.
One of these head-scratchers are our four types of exchanges and the terminology used to describe them.
This article goes through our different types of exchanges at People Like Us and our terminology.
Read on, and I hope you'll get something out of it. It'll also be a good link to send to exchange newcomers when they ask.
What are the four types?
At People Like Us, we have 4 different types of exchange:
- Simultaneous
- Non-simultaneous
- Non-reciprocal
- Hospitality
Let’s go through them one-by-one.
Simultaneous
As the name suggests, in a simultaneous exchange two members travel to each other’s homes at the same time, or simultaneously.
The simultaneous exchange has only one set of dates in the setup process, since both members are going to travel at the same time.
Despite only having one set of dates, some members choose to offset by a day or so if they live close enough to each other so that they can actually meet each other. This can also be to exchange keys but it’s mostly just because it’s really nice to meet face-to-face.
The simultaneous exchange is our standard, most-popular exchange type. It’s the type that we think about when we think about traditional home exchange.
At the completion of the exchange, each member will be able to provide both home and guest feedback for the other member. Home feedback is about the other member’s home; guest feedback is about the other member as a guest in your home. These are separate types of feedback and both are required (although, alternatively, you can select an option to not provide feedback if you prefer).
Non-simultaneous
A non-simultaneous exchange is still between two members who will travel to each other’s homes, but they travel at different times. The non-simultaneous exchange brings a lot of flexibility into the exchange process by decoupling the times at which we travel. It’s great if you find someone with whom you want to exchange but you can’t do it right now.
The non-simultaneous exchange has two sets of dates since, by definition, the two members are going to be travelling at different times. Whichever member is travelling first should propose the exchange and enter their dates as the first leg of the exchange.
A lot of members will also use the non-simultaneous exchange instead of a non-reciprocal Globe exchange and just leave the second half of the exchange open. You will often see members talking about banking a non-simultaneous exchange like this, effectively saying “I don’t know when I’ll get to your place, but I’ll do it at some stage in the future”.
Both simultaneous and non-simultaneous exchanges are considered reciprocal exchanges, meaning that two members will swap with each other.
When providing feedback for a non-simultaneous exchange, feedback can be provided for each leg separately. At the completion of the first leg, the travelling member can provide home feedback and the host member can provide guest feedback. The second set of feedback is provided after the second leg of the exchange.
Non-reciprocal
With a non-reciprocal exchange, only one member is going to travel. Non-reciprocal exchanges give you a great deal of flexibility. If you want to travel to another member’s home but they can’t travel to yours for any reason, you can propose a non-reciprocal exchange.
A non-reciprocal exchange will, of course, only have one set of dates as only one member is going to travel.
A non-reciprocal exchange may be with or without a Globe. 🌎 A “Globe exchange” is not a separate type of exchange. It’s just a non-reciprocal stay that offers a Globe.
If you have a Globe available and the person to whom you’re making the proposal accepts Globes, you will see the Globe section on the exchange form. If you’re offering a Globe with the non-reciprocal exchange, select the specific Globe you’re offering. Remember that each Globe is unique with its own serial number so that it can be tracked and audited.
If you do offer a Globe, it will be transferred to the other member when the exchange is finalised so that the Globe can then be used by that member to arrange another exchange. If you later cancel the exchange, the Globe stays with the recipient (if they cancel, it will be returned to you).
As only one member travels for a non-reciprocal exchange, that member will provide home feedback and the hosting member will provide guest feedback.
Hospitality
With all exchange types previously mentioned, the member has exclusive use of the home to which they’re travelling. With a hospitality exchange, only one member will travel but they will be hosted by the other member and the other member will still be at home. The travelling member will not have exclusive use of the home.
Hospitality exchanges are great for our members who are just “travelling through” a particular place and only staying for a short time but some members also prefer this type for longer exchanges if their goal is to meet other members.
Hospitality exchanges may also use Globes although, typically, they do not.
Just like with a non-reciprocal exchange, as only one member is travelling with a hospitality exchange, that member will provide host feedback and the host member will provide guest feedback.
These four types will give you plenty of flexibility, regardless of your needs and what you're looking for.
It's often best to start small and local for your first one. Find someone nearby, even in the same city or town, and just swap for a weekend. It's amazing how you can start to look at your home town differently just by staying in a different part of town.
A local exchange will give you your first bit of exchanging experience and your first feedback too. It'll make it so much easier to do the next, and the next, and the next ...
Please send me feedback about this or anything else.
Thanks for reading and happy exchanging! ❤️
People Like Us is the world's most trusted home exchange community. We believe in sharing, trust, generosity, respect, communication, equality, cooperation, honesty, hospitality, friendship, flexibility and adventure. We take pride in our homes and we care about the environment in which we live: our village, city, country and our planet. We care about the ethos of home exchange and we do it because we love the experience and the friendships that it generates.
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