The chances of finding someone with a privately owned home who wishes to swap it with your own on a permanent basis are not good. There is so much to consider - the area, house size, building styles, and all sorts of other preferences, let alone the valuation. That is why when most people talk about a house exchange, they are in fact referring to a short-term exchange, usually for the purposes of a holiday or work-related stay abroad. It is rather more common for house exchanges to take place with council property, but that is a kettle of fish that will not be boiled until next week.

House exchange is definitely not right for everyone: Strangers will be coming into your home in your absence. You have to trust that they will take care of your possessions and not leave the place uninhabitable for when you return home. There won't be any travel company representatives to shoulder the blame if something goes wrong. However, there are quite a number of advantages to arranging a holiday in this way:

• Cost effective. Some of the houses that get exchanged around the world are rather sumptuous. To stay in a hotel of a similar standard would often be incredibly expensive. With no accommodation costs to pay, all you have to cover is your transport and spending money.
  
  
• Comfort. You will not be staying in a sanitised hotel, but a real home where people live. You may or may not like their styles and preferences, but at least it should be cosy.
  
  
• Real experience. You will probably find that you have a much better idea of what it is like to live in another place by exchanging homes with locals.
  
  
• Peace of mind. If all goes well then, you know that your house won't be empty whilst you are away, that your plants and maybe even your pets will be looked after.

There are quite a number of sources for finding properties around the world that are being advertised for house exchange. One of the best sources is the good old world wide web. There are a number of UK based websites that offer houses for exchange. Houseweb and domus2domus are just two of them. One of the easiest and most effective ways of finding ads is simply by going to one of the major search engines and typing 'house exchange' and the name of the country in which you are looking.

Before you agree an exchange with anyone, you should check with your house insurance and mortgage companies that you are free to exchange your property. Pulling out once everything has been arranged is a hassle that both parties can probably well do without, so it's better to check these things sooner rather than later.

You should always directly contact the owner of the house you are exchanging with. You may be introduced to them through a third party, but this should not prevent you speaking to them on the phone. The chances are that you will have lots of contact with your potential exchange partner via telephone, fax and e-mail as you get to know one another and make mutually agreeable arrangements.

It is important that you communicate as much as possible in order to check each others' credibility and develop a relationship that will make your exchange a complete success. Remember that there is always an element of risk involved when you are letting strangers into your home, and the more thorough your preparation, the better.

It can often be best to try to exchange your home with a partner at the same social and professional level as your own. You are likely to find your homes more suitable and discussions will be on a level that you are both comfortable with.

Many people find that it works best to be flexible with dates, especially since they are saving money through not having to pay for accommodation. Once you have the dates agreed, make sure that you have the dates of arrival and departure at your exchange accommodation written down on an email, FAX or letter in case of dispute. Never book your flight before you are certain about the exchange.

It can be very helpful for you to request that the partner arranges for you to have a local contact for the duration of your stay. This person should be able to help with any problems as well as providing you with any information you may need. You should also leave a list of friends and relatives, details of local services, amenities, and attractions, as well as maps and recent local newspapers to help your exchange partners acclimatise as quickly as possible. It also helps if someone can be around or at least available when your houseguests arrive.

If you are exchanging for an extended duration, ask whether any long-term absences from your home are planned. If they are, then make sure that a neighbour can keep watch and remove post while the house is empty. Piles of unopened mail are one of the things that opportunistic burglars look for.

Make sure that you agree how things like the phone bill will be treated. If necessary, arrange for itemised billing. You should also agree in writing what will happen in the event of any damage, accidental or otherwise.

Make sure that the exchange partner provides you with several photos of the property, inside and out. In return, you should make sure that you can provide them with numerous photographs of your own house.

Do your best to ensure that the exchange partner actually owns the property. It may seem fussy, but why is there any reason to object to exchanging photocopies of documents to confirm that you live at and own the properties involved?

Arrange how you will get the keys for the property and how they will get theirs. Leaving them with neighbours is as good an idea as any other. You should also specify what each of you will do with the keys when you leave.

If you house has any unique features that the exchange partner ought to know about, don't forget to tell them. This includes things like kitchen appliances, washing machine, TV, video HI-FI and security systems. It will irritate the hell out of the new arrivals, not to mention the neighbours if your houseguests arrive at the property, set the burglar alarm off and have absolutely no idea how to switch it off.

Leave your house in a tidy state. If possible, agree to leave some money and a certain amount of food in the fridge and freezer.

It's almost always better to be safe than sorry, so as a precaution remove any really precious valuables from your home and put them in a safe place somewhere else.

It is quite common for house exchange partners to allow each other the use of their cars for the duration of their stay. There are a few things to remember if you are going to do this:

• Check they have a valid drivers license for you country.
  
  
• Consult your insurance company, and ensure that anyone who is to drive your vehicle is added to your insurance policy as a named driver.
  
  
• Ask them about any road law and practice in their own country to make sure that you don't fall foul of the locals when you get behind the wheel.

Whilst you are in your exchange partner's home, remember that it is exactly that, a home. Treat it with the respect you would wish yours to be treated and you won't go far wrong.

Coming soon: Council House Exchanges