YOUR place or mine? Home-swap holidays are a great way to experience other cultures without the expense - but there can be pitfalls. Jackie Hair's book Who's Been Sleeping in My Bed? covers every aspect of such a trip and is a must-read.

Qantas In-Flight Magazine, May 2002

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BOOK has definitive word of exchanging homes. The author of a comprehensive book on home exchanges answers all your questions much better than I could. Hair, who lives in Australia, might seem a bit too trusting, but her family has successfully swapped homes dozens of times, and she solicits opinions of house traders all over the world. Her book has the best home exchange discussion I've found. She answers the likely questions: How long should the exchange be? What is the best time to go? What destinations are available? Will I find a swap at all? Shall we swap cars as well as houses? What about pets?

On the con side, she discusses exchanges that fell through; damage and breakage; the family that stayed in what turned out to be a bare-bones vacation cottage, not a well-equipped house, people who backed out of the exchange at the last minute. 

South Florida Sun-Sentinel, 12 May, 2002 

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SLIP into someone else's life on the other side of the world with a simple exchange of keys, whether it's a month in a Tuscan villa or a week at a ski resort. Perth author Jackie Hair shares seven years' experience running Latitudes Home Exchange in Who's Been Sleeping in My bed? It includes information on home swapping, pitfalls, car exchange and anecdotes from hundreds of swappers. 

The Sunday Times, 31 March 2002

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This is a very simple, detailed guide to one of the cheapest ways to see the world - house-swapping. The author has included valuable pointers and contacts for those embarking on the adventure for the first time. It'll save you a fortune in hotel bills.

The Sydney Morning Herald, 9 Feb 02

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WHETHER you're looking for a month of sunshine on an Aussie beach or a week of skiing in New Zealand, this how-to guide shows you how to get there by swapping homes with someone who lives there.

Chapters include information on how home swapping works, how to find suitable exchange partners, how to make arrangements, pitfalls to avoid and tips about car exchange and travelling with children. It includes stories and advice from hundreds of veteran swappers.

There are sample letters and agreement forms to get you started. A resources section lists dozens of organisations around the globe – clubs with unbelievably low membership fees - that arrange home swaps.

During her seven years running her own busy international club, Jackie answered thousands of questions about home exchange and surveyed numerous families during and after their exchange holidays.

“While I was running the business, the lack of any good information for people considering a home exchange was always apparent,” says Jackie. “So, I compiled a set of guidelines based on the experiences and suggestions of my experienced members. This information kept growing over the years until I had enough material to write a book!”

Over 50's Plus, Summer 01/02

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IT SOUNDS like one of those dodgy schemes Alan Fels looks at: “Enjoy free holiday accommodation worldwide.”  The good professor might learn a thing or two from this DIY guide to swapping homes - Jackie Hair, founder of Perth-based Latitudes Home Exchange, says home swapping overcomes most of the holiday accommodation problems caused by our weak dollar.“ Once your air fares are paid, your holiday expenses are trimmed right down; in fact it often costs little more than staying at home. You usually swap a car and you always swap local knowledge about the best places to eat and shop.” Hair answers all the questions raised by pessimists and similar non-believers:

“Will my home be good enough? How do I know my possessions will be safe? What will happen to the dog?”  For the record: “Probably. No guarantees in life. The dog will be fine - maybe.” Hair says home swappers can save thousands of dollars on each holiday, provided they are prepared to put in a great deal of planning and communicating months before they want to travel.

She provides sample letters and agreement forms and lists dozens of organisations that arrange home swaps around the world, from Australia to Wales. It all sound so easy – surely a million things could go wrong? Could and possibly will, is the answer.  But then, I know a man who was double-booked into Claridges and had to move into the Savoy. Sometimes, life is so cruel.

The Sunday Age, 4 Nov 01

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IF YOU TRAVEL a fair bit and are quite happy about living the Goldilocks lifestyle, home swapping could be for you. Perth businesswoman Jackie Hair, who started up one of the few Home Exchange businesses in Australia seven years ago, will launch her self-published book Who's been sleeping in my bed? this week, a step-by-step guide to negotiating a home-swap. The concept originated in the 50s when teachers needed to swap homes and jobs and has been well-used in America and Europe ever since. "The biggest benefit is the savings on accommodation, especially with the dollar being so weak," says Jackie. "And the chance it gives you to experience local authentic culture, as a local and not as a tourist." At the launch three couples will talk and answer questions about their home-swapping experiences. Aug 11, 2pm, Civic Centre Library, Sandgate Street, South Perth. Bookings on 9474 2222.

Perth Weekly, 8 Aug 01 

IF you're thinking of swapping homes but are not sure of the ramifications, Who's been sleeping in my bed? is an invaluable resource. 

Jackie Hair's book covers every aspect of home swapping from choosing a suitable home exchange club to negotiating a successful car exchange. 

She gives sample home descriptions, deals with home security and insurance, tells how to prepare your home for your guests and warns of pitfalls to avoid.

The book is easy to read, well set out and filled with practical tips. A useful resources section gives contact details for more than 60 international home exchange clubs.

Extract from HOMES AWAY FROM HOME The West Australian, 3 Nov 01
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PAM and John Secrett's New Zealand holiday was not only one of their favourites, it was one of the cheapest. The total bill was little more than the price of air fares, food and petrol. They estimate they saved $7000 on car hire, hotel accommodation and eating out by swapping their Perth home - and vehicle - for a month with a couple in Wanaka, New Zealand.

It's estimated that worldwide 200,000 people a year take a home-swap holiday. Jackie Hair, who ran a home exchange business in Perth for seven years, says it is growing in popularity. After organising hundreds and hundreds of home swaps in that time, Hair has spent the past year writing and self-publishing a book on her experiences and those of her clients.

Who's Been Sleeping In My Bed? charts everything that's involved, warts and all. 

According to Hair, the most common concern among first-timers is damage to their home. But she says novices tend to worry about the wrong things.

"In seven years, I only had one complaint and certainly nothing to do with wilful damage or theft - that sort of thing just doesn't happen. Because the exchanges are reciprocal there's a mutual respect for each other's home. It's not a landlord-tenant relationship."

Problems are more likely to emerge from different standards of house-keeping she says. For instance, one person might like their windows sparkling clean while another may never wash theirs.

A home swap can be anything from a weekend break to several months, but four weeks is the average, and Hair says it's probably not worth considering an overseas exchange for much less than that.

Most home exchangers pay to join a club - Hair lists a number in her book - that can help with the organisation and finding a suitable partner.

Hair warns that considerable planning and correspondence is involved, at least initially. There are other drawbacks too, such as when people aren't totally honest.

One couple turned up at their exchange home to discover that, despite being promised a gardener, there wasn't one. As it turned out, it didn't matter, since there also wasn't a garden.

Last minute cancellations, usually because of illness, are another peril. Home exchanging isn't as simple as booking a hotel room. After the search for suitable partners in the right area (who have to be interested in visiting your location), dates and length of stay have to be agreed. It's more suited to adventurous types - if you like a surprise-free life, stick to hotels, advises Hair.

The main benefit comes down to dollars and cents. "Most people are able to overcome their anxieties by realising how much money they can save," Hair says. "Even if they have to clean the carpets when they return home, they are still saving thousands of dollars."

The key is to find like-minded people, says Hair. "If you're a retired couple with lots of antiques and collectables in your house, your wouldn't want to entertain swapping with a family that had toddlers.

Extract from LIFE SWAPPING The Weekend Australian, 8-9 Sept 01

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TRAVELLERS need not worry about paying for expensive or run-down hotels on their next journey after reading South Perth resident Jackie Hair's book, Who's been sleeping in my bed?.

The book explains how to swap your home and enjoy holiday accommodation across the globe. It has information on more than 60 international home exchange clubs.

Topics cover a broad range of issues likely to arise when house swapping including finding a compatible exchange partner, home exchange security and avoiding common pitfalls.

In 1993, Jackie founded Latitudes Home Exchange Club. She sold the business last year and drew on her experience to write the book.

"When you stay in a local's home then you slowly mix with their neighbours and experience the culture more personally than the usual tourist norm of staying in hotels. I have made some great lasting friendships through home swapping," she said.

Jackie will be at the Civic Centre Library, Sandgate Street, South Perth on Saturday, August 11 at 2pm to launch her book.

The Southern Gazette, 7 Aug 01