Do you have a second home or holiday home?

We have had a super year with six exchanges five in the UK and one in Germany! We have already more or less arranged six exchanges for 2011 and as I am retiring at the end of March we will have even more scope! We are more than happy with HomeLink’s services and will continue membership as long as we are able to get away on holiday, which I hope will be for many more years yet! Mr and Mrs B from Wales, November 2010

The key to successful exchanging is flexibility - either over your dates or destinations, or preferably a bit of both. Having a second home or holiday home increases your flexibility enormously as it allows you to do a non-simultaneous exchange (NSX).

With a NSX you visit your exchange partner's home at a time suitable for you and they visit your second home at a different time. So for example, you may visit Australia in their summer and your Australian exchange partner could visit the UK in our summer. Many second homes are empty for a number of weeks every year - especially out of the peak season. Home exchanging your second home enables you to get value from your holiday home when it might otherwise by standing empty. Don't forget, that home exchanges within the UK are always popular, so you could swap a week in your holiday home for half term in London or the Highlands of Scotland.

Many members with a second home also list their main home, so doubling their chances of finding an ideal exchange. You might also consider offering your exchange partners a two centre holiday by allowing them to use both of your homes. If you wish to list two homes with HomeLink, the second listing costs just £25 (view full prices). It will have its own web page in the correct country / region and is linked to your main listing.