Taking in foreign exchange students... official MoneySavingExpert.com discussion

economum

jonparr wrote: »

Having now set up a centre to find host families, I didn't realise how difficult it would be to recruit families! Despite the obvious advantages of earning money from the comfort of your own home we are struggling to find families. We pay £14.50 per student per night so it obviously adds up to quite a significant amount if you have 3 students for 4 nights as we reckon you only spend about £5 on food and lodging per night! Any ideas on why, as people seem happy to spend hours doing online surveys etc on this forum, but something as simple as this doesn't seem to appeal!? (Price is fixed and pretty much standard across the UK for this type of hosting)

That seems very low paid. Where I am the standard rent for everybody is £100 per week just for a room - no meals, lifts, conversation etc. I had been considering hosting short-term overseas students next summer but not at those prices!

jonparr

It's odd people seem to think it is low paid as that's a profit of 66% for very little effort for 3/4 nights. A lodger is there at weekends using heating/hot water, whilst the kids are out 8am to 7.30pm. When we did it, food averaged £3.50 per child/night and as for evening meals, if you cook for the family making slightly bigger portions isn't going too add much. Meals like spag bol, jacket potaoes or pizzas really don't cost that much at all and is pretty much what the students want anyway. Obviously take on board water/heating eg 9-12 showers and 9-12 flushed toilets and a load of washing for the bedding and yes petrol is a factor, but people are local (5-10mins) and usually factor it into their school run/commute, but not noticeable really. But ultimately it is also the experience and particularly benefits families who can expose their kids to other cultures. We saw it as a way of paying for holidays/home improvements and enjoyed doing it too which is why people ultimately do it.

sugarlily

I have been on trips as a foreign exchange student and there is a noticeable difference between people who are being paid well and those who are not. Getting the German version of cheapo food is not a fun experience (boiled cabbage for a 14 year old and I was actually sick), and equally I would hate to give a foreign young person a week full of spag bol, cheap pizza and jacket potato. My boyfriend came to England a couple of times as a kid and was given out of date food and drink and the cheapest, unchewable food available.
What kind of happy memories are those to take away? I'd rather host kids that are from families that have hosted my kids in return, and we now rent out spare room through airbnb for £50 a night. £14.50 isn't very much money really.

AMILLIONDOLLARS

I Host, the "not much effort" statement is not true, it takes a lot of effort! you try changing bedding x3 and tidying a bedroom after occupation! I only do half board for independent Adult Students, they make their own way and are out most of the time. It might look like 66% profit on paper, but the reality is totally different. Even the extra portion you're making does cost extra money for the extra ingredients, Petrol is fine if you do have a school run, but a lot of people don't. Then if you factor in wear and tear, if you are looking to make a lot of money doing this....

AMD

jonparr

AMILLIONDOLLARS wrote: »

I Host, the "not much effort" statement is not true, it takes a lot of effort! you try changing bedding x3 and tidying a bedroom after occupation! I only do half board for independent Adult Students, they make their own way and are out most of the time. It might look like 66% profit on paper, but the reality is totally different. Even the extra portion you're making does cost extra money for the extra ingredients, Petrol is fine if you do have a school run, but a lot of people don't. Then if you factor in wear and tear, if you are looking to make a lot of money doing this....

AMD

I think my point is that there are endless messages here of people spending hours doing online surveys for £5/ month when you can have a lot more fun doing this. I guess it's down to why you do it and your perspective is different to others. Having done hosting it's great fun and the reality is that we certainly made 66% (excluding wear and tear on 3 beds and linen). As I said, this is a nice little extra rather than making a lot of money and for 6 months of the year you are getting around £750/month tax free! Not sure what other ways you can earn that much alongside having a full time job, and enjoy it!

sugarlily

jonparr wrote: »

I think my point is that there are endless messages here of people spending hours doing online surveys for £5/ month when you can have a lot more fun doing this. I guess it's down to why you do it and your perspective is different to others. Having done hosting it's great fun and the reality is that we certainly made 66% (excluding wear and tear on 3 beds and linen). As I said, this is a nice little extra rather than making a lot of money and for 6 months of the year you are getting around £750/month tax free! Not sure what other ways you can earn that much alongside having a full time job, and enjoy it!

But to get £750 you're talking about having two students with you for 25 nights solid - six nights a week, or three students for four nights a week, and having to cook and clean for them and take them places.

It just seems a lot.

jonparr

I take your point, and this would be for taking 3 students for four nights (Monday evening til Friday morning and they are out all day 8am til 7pm), but when you look at this thread, you see people recommending spending hours and hours clicking on websites, watching adverts and doing surveys when this seems a whole lot easier for more money - at worst £3-400/month.

If you want the steady income of a lodger, then this isn't for you, but as a side income which is more fun than spending hours in front of a computer then this is a good solution.

Cleaning is once a week when they leave and if they all stay in one room then it's minimal and we always ate with our students, so if you are already cooking a family meal then you're not wasting time cooking two sets of meals.

Buzby

Nobody appears to have mentioned the impact these lodgers will have on your existing Council Tax and home insurances, both if which may be affected adversely.

Some insurers will refuse to offer cover for contents in these situations, so it is worthwhile investigating the effects of renting rooms in advance.

jonparr

Any damage caused by the kids is covered by their own insurers, but council tax I'm not so sure as we pay full tax anyway. As they are not permanent (ie 3-4 nights) and it's different students every week, would they simply be classed as visitors in both cases?

joeyh1980

I'm considering this as an income boost so reading the thread with interest - have been doing airbnb but struggle with the amount of effort involved in cleaning for very short stays and waiting home for arrivals. For homestays is there generally a duty to provide meals / breakfasts. I travel a lot with work and have an irregular schedule so this would be a particular problem for me.