Save Money with Villa Exchange
November 17th, 2008 at 05:37pm
Under About Villa Exchange+ Save Money with Villa Exchange
The current fluctuations in exchange rates make travelling to the US from Europe more expensive for those looking to travel from the UK and Europe. Of course for those looking to do the reverse journey there has rarely been a better time to make the journey to Europe.
One great way to reduce your costs even further is to take part in a home exchange and make significant savings on your holiday. Over 260,000 people in Britain for example own a second home overseas including fantastic resort destinations such as the Algarve, Spain, and Cyprus. Why not look to exchange your US vacation retreat with a European property owner. Select Exchange offers an easy to follow holiday home exchange scheme, and for a limited time only are offering membership at just £10.
Visit www.selectexchange.co.uk and see how you could save thousands of dollars on your European vacation.
By admin
November 10th, 2008 at 06:45pm
Under About Villa Exchange+ Save Money with Villa Exchange
• Ensure the property you want to exchange is adequately furnished – for example a master bedroom should have where possible a bed, two bedside tables, drawers mirrors etc. Also ensure there is enough seating (internally and externally for the number of people your property can sleep)
• Make sure your descriptions of the property are as accurate as possible.
• Leave plenty of clothes hangers in the bedrooms – there is nothing worse than not being able to hang up your nice holiday clothes!
• Keep your villa well stocked of homewares – as a minimum make sure you have enough cutlery, glasses, crockery etc for the number of people the holiday home sleeps. However it is recommended that you have extra as you guest may have visitors and of course day to day breakages can occur. As a rule of thumb having twice the amount needed. Also leave salt, pepper etc in the kitchen – it may not be appreciated but it will definitely be mentioned if it is not there.
• Leave clear instructions for your gadgets and machines – Again it will prevent unnecessary complaints and phone calls and will also help reduce the risk of damage.
• If you have a Private Pool – get a pool cover
• Replace sun cushions which have become worn and stained – they don’t have to be expensive but they should not be dirty.
• Supply Useful Telephone Numbers – restaurants, taxis, local information and include your own recommendations as people appreciate the personal touch.
• Use a property management company you can trust. – They are your representative on site as well as your eyes and ears, therefore they can make things so much better or so much worse – ask around when choosing who to use.
Select Exchange, www.SelectExchange.co.uk, is a villa exchange program which offers holiday home exchange opportunties in destinations such as the Portugal, Spain, Italy and Cyprus.
By admin
October 28th, 2008 at 10:33am
Under About Villa Exchange+ Save Money with Villa Exchange
With the strengthening of the dollar and the Euro against the pound, many owners who have bought properties overseas have been hit by the double whammy of increased running costs and possibly higher mortgage re-payments.
If the properties are rented out, there is probably a third whammy in the form of increased competition on rentals, which means that they have to negotiate lower rates with potential clients.
It’s at times like these, when everything is going against you that a little lateral thinking is required and it pays to search out for new options on how you can get the most out of your holiday home.
Canny owners like Ann and Chas Cameron, featured in a recent travel article in the Saturday Telegraph by Graham Norwood, joined Select Exchange and enjoyed a two week free accommodation in the luxurious Discovery Resort in Marigot Bay St. Lucia by exchanging their holiday home in Cyprus, thereby saving several thousand pounds!
“The arrangement gives us predictability, with the convenience of quality and a good holiday home but without having to visit the same place every time, the resort is five star and the actual accommodation is used by the resort when the owners are not using it” says Ann Cameron.
“The idea of home exchange is not new, but what is novel with Select Exchange is the fact that every holiday property is rated, according to their rental value, like hotels. It makes perfect sense”, says Michael Reilly, “the director of Select Exchange; most of the properties in the scheme are situated in upmarket resorts and are rented out anyway, so the members know the value of the other member’s homes.”
By introducing a point system at 1 point per £1, owners swap points for the difference in values which they can use when visiting other properties. The website; www.selectexchange.co.uk works everything out and allocates points to members when they join and when they exchange.
The scheme can also increase rental income via a third option, whereby members can accept a one way exchange. If one party cannot travel, they simply request an amount of points (and or rent) that they feel is acceptable.
The joining fee is £10 and there is a small introductory/administration charge when the members exchange, but well worth paying when considering the total savings.
Details on; www.selectexchange.co.uk or tel. 0044 (0) 1202 769 570
By admin
October 7th, 2008 at 07:48am
Under About Villa Exchange+ Save Money with Villa Exchange
The global economic crisis will have many people wondering how they will manage their holiday plans for next year. The sharp rises in fuel costs, coupled with the uncertainty in financial markets and inflationary pressures will mean people look to make cost savings where they can.
One area where people will want to make savings but without missing out altogether is on their holidays. A great way of reducing costs is home or villa exchange, where you swap homes or villas with another party. This cost effective holiday reduces obvious costs such as hotels and accommodation, whilst some parties may even be able to offer car swaps etc.
More and more people have also invested in second homes overseas and this scheme allows you to get even more value from these second properties by using them to see the world.
So how do you start:
Join an Exchange Scheme:
Firstly join an exchange scheme such as Select Exchange. Schemes vary in cost but $20-$50 would be fair. I would recommend joining more than one as it will give you increased opportunities.
List Your Property including photos:
When you have joined a scheme ensure that you list your property in as much detail as possible – people like information, the more you give the easier it will be for them to decide. Put on as many photos as you can – it may be a cliché but it is true “a picture paints a thousand words”.
Be Proactive:
Don’t just sit there – get out and contact owners. When you have joined a scheme don’t just sit there, go out and contact owners yourself letting people know you are interested in visiting their property. Remember though be polite and be friendly in your emails.
Think Ahead
A home exchange can take time plan ahead at least 6-9 months to give yourself the best opportunity to find what you want.
Be Flexible
A home or villa exchange can require you to be more flexible – do not confine your self with very restrictive dates – you have more chance of getting an exchange if you say you want something for July than saying you need something in the first week of July.
Offer Additional Benefits
If you have a car for example offer to include that (make sure it is adequately insured though). It you can offer discounted golf or golf access, include that as well. The same applies of ski passes etc.
Supply lots of relevant Local Information
Sell the benefits of your area. Identify the local attractions as well as the local shops and restaurants. Holiday makers want a full experience so the more you can offer them the happier they will be, and the more likely they are to want to exchange.
And finally the most important point is “Honesty is the Best Policy”. Keep this important point in mind in when villa exchanging.
By admin
October 6th, 2008 at 03:24pm
Under About Villa Exchange+ Save Money with Villa Exchange
It is estimated that over 260,000 Britons own a second home abroad, with these owners purchasing properties for a variety of reasons including lifestyle and investment purposes.
These owners make use of their properties for on average 2-4 weeks per year with the remainder rented or simply left empty. Villa owners are also still travelling to other parts of the world, and not simply holidaying in their vacation home.
Villa exchange is a concept designed to allow owners to contact like minded villa owners across the globe and exchange weeks in each others properties. A member of a program can exchange a week in their Spanish villa property for a week in the Caribbean or a week in the Alps. As these properties are generally rental properties you most likely will not have to exchange simultaneously.
Why exchange? The main reason to exchange is cost – a stay in a quality villa property can cost not just hundreds but thousands of pounds – by exchanging you remove the accommodation cost to your holiday allowing you more money to spend on food, drinks, air fare upgrades etc. or to simply save a little.
Select Exchange is a specialist website allowing owners of villa properties to exchange with likeminded owners, using their villa properties as their passport to see the world.
By admin
October 3rd, 2008 at 01:57pm
Under About Villa Exchange+ Save Money with Villa Exchange
You have made a considerable investment by buying your holiday villa which you enjoy visiting several times a year, but the running costs can be excessive and even if you are renting it out, it can still be very expensive to keep!
Here are some tips on how you can maximise income and benefits from your investment or make less expensive to keep, as follows;
• Increase rental income: work with your letting agent.
You may still have some vacant weeks that you want to fill before the end of the season, so work with your letting agent to offer great deals to encourage business. In addition to the usual channels such as contacting earlier enquiries, joining rental websites etc. it is worth letting your agent know that the property is available and the discount you are prepare to accept for last minute booking.
• Extend your rental season;
If your villa has a pool, you can extend the rental season from 6 to 8 weeks either side of the main holiday season by installing a heat pump. Generally pools in the Mediterranean region are not warm enough in May/June and September/October for a pleasant swim, especially if they are not covered at night. By installing a heat pump and a pool cover you can extend the season and you could cover the expense of the equipment in just one season. Also you can charge extra for pool heating so the running costs are covered.
• Save Water;
Water is a precious and scarce resource especially in the Mediterranean region. If you have a garden with grass, you should consider replacing the grass with attractive colourful gravel over a porous membrane which lets rainwater seep trough but the weeds cannot grow through it. Also it is best to plant your garden with tropical plants which do not require a lot of water.
• Solar Water Heater and Solar Panels;
Installing a solar water heater can produce a good amount of hot water during the summer months which will reduce your water heating bills. These can be screened with trellis so they cannot be seen. Cell Solar panels producing electricity are a more expensive option and take longer to recover the original investment, but remember that some countries enjoy more then 300 days of sunshine per year, the panels can produce electricity even when you or your guests are not there and in some countries you can sell your surplus electricity back the national grid and get paid for it so it’s worth checking with the local authority and do the sums.
• Join a Villa Exchange programme;
By using the rental value of your holiday home, you can visit other destinations without having to pay rent. Every property is rated, like hotels so you know the standard of other properties. You may wish to do this for a change of scenery or for visiting a warmer country in the winter or even a skiing property.
Select Exchange is a specialist exchange site focussed on holiday and villa homes. Visit www.selectexchange.co.uk for more details.
By admin
April 17th, 2008 at 02:53pm
Under Save Money with Villa Exchange+ Travel
At the moment it seems the media is full of bad news about the effects of the credit crunch - especially on the housing market. And I should know as Mrs SelectExchange and I are trying to sell a house at the moment and are waiting for our buyer to get a mortgage - been over 8 weeks since we accepted his offer. So time area little tough at present especially as we have moved into our new home early.
What amazes me though is that his mortgage company, who shall remain nameless, have said that due to the volume of mortgage requests they have had that they have had delays -HOW???? I keep hearing everyday how houses are not selling and being left on the market - so who are all these applicants?? Me thinks someone somewhere is telling a few porkies.
Fortunately what we are doing at Select Exchange might just be launching at the right time …certainly it is a great way for people to saves £££s or $$$ on their hols - which given that just about everything else is going up can only be a good thing. Certainly if things continue this way it might be a good way to keep cost down and still go on the one or two hols you have become used to. - well fingers crossed from me on that.
By admin