As social housing tenants, the Right to Buy scheme is open to many of you and if it’s a possibility, it’s a fantastic way of ensuring stability once you’ve found a home you love. Below is a breakdown to understanding the Right to Buy and if it might work for you. Am I eligible? Under the current rules, you can apply to buy your council home if: It’s [...]
Your safety is very important to us at HomeSwapper, so we’d like to remind you that safety is something you should always bear in mind during a property viewing.It’s very unlikely that you will come across any trouble, but we’ve put together a few tips to make sure that you stay happy and safe during your viewings. If you’re viewing another swapper’s home: Make an appointment to view [...]
The weather is getting chillier, Christmas presents are appearing in shop windows and it won’t be too long before the Christmas street lights start going up… the countdown to the 25th December is officially on! At this time of year we do tend to see a little less activity on HomeSwapper, with swappers focusing more on the upcoming festivities. This of course, means fewer matches being made on the [...]
So, you’ve found your swap, you’ve gone through the landlord approval process and you’ve finally moved house. There’s just one last step – closing your HomeSwapper account. This is important, so that other swappers still out there looking for their new home don’t consider your old advert as a possible swap. Closing your account Login to your HomeSwapper account Once you’re on your Dashboard, [...]
You’ve found the swap you wanted after working with other swappers on HomeSwapper– congratulations! So, what happens next? We will show you some of the things you need to do in order to move into your new home. Forms All tenants are required to complete a mutual exchange form, just ask your landlord and they’ll send you the details. It will usually be in paper form rather than [...]
Your advert is the first impression a potential swapper will have of your home, so it’s important that you make it great! The property description in the ‘additional information from tenant’ section on your advert is where you’ll have the chance to explain why somebody would want to swap tenancies with you. Key features Before you get started, have a think about the different features your property offers. Build [...]
Here at HomeSwapper, we understand how the idea of mutual exchange can seem daunting to some swappers… finding that swap, going through the legal processes and finally, moving house. On top of this, there are many new technical terms to understand when it comes to mutual exchange. We recently heard from one swapper, who told us how much more difficult this makes the process. We want to help our swappers [...]
At HomeSwapper we had become aware of an issue that swappers were having with ‘timewasters’; other users who weren’t responding to messages or were not active users of the swapping service. We’re always looking to make the site the best it can be for our swappers, so we asked what they thought could be done to tackle this – and what a response we got! We had some fantastic suggestions [...]
HomeSwapper is the UK home of mutual exchange and we’re constantly impressed by the knowledge of our tenants on the subject. For those new to swapping though, there can be a lot to learn, so we wanted to write this article as a helpful guide to what mutual exchange really means… What is a mutual exchange? First and foremost: a mutual exchange is a home swap between two [...]
Many swappers use the HomeSwapper messaging function every day to interact with other swappers. For those that aren’t as familiar with messaging through HomeSwapper, we’ll be taking you through how to use the messaging function in a simple step-by-step guide. How to see your messages Once you’ve logged in to your HomeSwapper account, on your Dashboard you’ll see a Messages button in the left-hand menu and [...]
We find that the best advice on how to make the most of HomeSwapper comes from those with experience, so we asked successful swappers what their advice would be for users new to the HomeSwapper site. Here’s what they had to say... 1. Take lots of photos Barbara and Lisa suggest posting plenty of photographs of both the outside and inside of your home and adding a very full [...]
This article takes a look at setting up the match filters for the home you’d like. We’ve put together this step-by-step guide to make sure you’re getting the most out of our HomeSwapper matching system. My Matches Screen When you log in using a browser, you’re taken to your Dashboard where you’ll see an option to click on Matches: You can also [...]
The second in our series on how to use our HomeSwapper website, looks at how to create a MultiSwap. We have put together a step-by-step guide to help you form a chain of swappers: What is a MultiSwap? A MultiSwap is a swap involving more than two homes, where a swapper moves into the home of a person who is moving into the home of [...]
Registering for HomeSwapper is easy. It takes only a few minutes. Just follow the steps and menu's and you'll soon be an active Swapper. Did you know the average time from sign-up to swap is just 76 days! Good Luck! Creating an Account Firstly, you need to click the Register button on the home page of HomeSwapper at the top of the screen. Use [...]
Every day on HomeSwapper we see users looking to swap for a property with a little more space, usually to accommodate a growing family. This means that there are always plenty of smaller properties available for swapping into. If downsizing isn’t something you’ve considered before, now might be the time to have a think about just how much space you really need - it could be just the thing to [...]
Our Customer Support Team hears from many of you each day and is always happy to answer your questions. We asked them about the most common questions they get from tenants and this is what they had to say – it might just help you with an answer you’ve been searching for! If these don't answer your question please use the contact form here: https://www.homeswapper.co.uk/ContactUs “I’m not sure how [...]
So, you’ve found your swap and you’re moving house – congratulations! Once the checks have been made and the paperwork is signed you can begin your moving preparations. But where to start?? We understand that there isn’t usually a lot of time between finalising the paperwork and the moving date, so we’ve put together our top tips for an easy move. Three weeks ahead Get hold of packing [...]
We know that many of you are searching for your perfect home and after our series on ‘How to be a successful swapper’ you’ll be all set on what you need to do to make your home and advert look the best they can. But how do you know what to look for when viewing other people’s homes? What are the most important factors and what do you really have [...]
Facebook is a great tool for reaching as many people as possible in a short space of time. People tend to check in on their Facebook account at least once a day, so if you want your voice to be heard, this is one way of reaching other swappers. The HomeSwapper Facebook page is followed by over 40,000 people, so there is really nowhere better for you to [...]
We want nothing more than to see you have a successful HomeSwapper journey. One of the key things that can help is how your advert looks - and there's nothing better for this than including some great photos of your home! So we've put together a simple guide to taking photos and making the most of your home: Give your house a spring clean Great photos could make all [...]
Working well with other swappers is really important. They always say that teamwork is one of the keys to success. So how do you work with other swappers and get the most out of it for you and them? Look out for badges It's very important to look out for the bronze, silver, gold and platinum badges, which show you how good swappers are at replying to messages [...]
Not using the search function on HomeSwapper can be the biggest reason for a lack of matches. Check if you're taking these simple steps.
You are also now able to browse all homes, not just direct matches, thanks to the addition of Find a Match and SimpleSearch.
Looking for a swap on HomeSwapper? We’ve put together a series of top tips that we hope will help you make a swap.