House Swap: Advice Needed

blueskies2day

Hello from Edinburgh!


I have a simple one-bedroom flat in the centre of Edinburgh, and I am planning on spending a month in California over Christmas and Hogmanay - so my flat will be empty for a month.


I'm considering arranging a house swap, as Edinburgh will be quite lucrative at that time and I don't want to spend too much on accommodation in CA.


I do have one major worry though:
These people will be from California and my flat is COLD. My heating is all electric, along with the hot water. The visitors will inevitably run up a huge electricity bill from heating the flat, and I can hardly say to them 'Please be cold. I spend all winter being cold to keep costs down, I expect the same from you'. How could I regulate this or minimize costs?


Thanks for your help, and any further advice about house swapping you can give.


B

growler834

Think it would be difficult to minimise their use of your heating unless you put it on a timer to come on for a short time in morning & evening. The problem you will have is that house swappers will expect the same amount of facilities etc as they are providing you in their home & they won't be happy if they are restricted to a basic level of comfort - especially essential comfort of keeping warm!
Also, are you hoping to find one house swap for the whole month? Most working Americans don't get enough holiday to take a month off work & they like to travel around rather than stay in the same place too long (to maximise the time they have). Edinburgh will be a big draw to them but not necessarily for a whole month - in winter.

hollydays

A cold property isn't ideal to swap.