Frequently Asked Questions
This site allows tenants to search for mutual exchanges or home swaps, if your landlord is a House Exchange Partner you can register for free to search for a home swap, if not you can still register with House Exchange for a small fee.
Use the links below to find answers to your questions.
What are the benefits of registering for a home swap?
By registering with House Exchange for a home swap
you will gain access to all of the search options and contact
details of the properties already registered with the web site.
This covers a wide geographic area and a number of other Housing
Association tenants and a large pool of properties to swap with
Can anyone join House Exchange Direct?
House Exchange Direct is a mutual exchange service for any
tenant in the social housing sector.
Will I have to pay?
Everyone can advertise their property on House
Exchange for Free. Your property will appear in search results
and you will be able to search for home swaps. Once you have found
a property you are interested in you will need to upgrade
your subscription and pay a small fee to access their contact
details.
If your Landlord partners with House Exchange then full
subscription is free of charge.
What size property can I have?
You will need to check your landlords policy and your new
landlords policy.
I don't have access to a computer how can I register for a home
swap?
House Exchange Direct is an online service only. If you don't
have a computer you can get a friend or member of your family to
register you and to do online searches. Alternatively you can use a
public access computer such as in your local library or internet
cafe.
What happens when I have found a suitable home swap?
You will need to contact your Landlord. You will need to be
realistic about the time it will take for you to be able to move.
Once you have informed your Landlord in writing that you want the
exchange to go ahead and they will confirm within 42 days if the
exchange can proceed.
We hope that everything will go smoothly but if you are unhappy
with the way your exchange is being handled you should firstly
speak to your Landlord and following that refer to your Landlords
complaints procedure.
Are there personal safety tips for viewing or showing a
property?
This guidance was kindly provided by The Suzy
Lamplugh Trust, the UK's leading authority on personal
safety.
If you are viewing a property:
- Always plan your journey in advance and check bus and train
times. If practical, order a taxi to come to the property you are
viewing at a set time, or arrange for someone to collect you at a
pre-arranged time.
- View the property in daylight.
- Take someone along with you.
- If you can't take a friend, leave the following details with a
friend or in an obvious place in your own home or call your own
answer machine with the details:
-
- - Where you are going (address and telephone number).
- - The time of the viewing.
- - The name of the person you are meeting.
- Ask the person you are meeting if there will be someone else
there when you view the property. Don't be ashamed to say that you
are aware of your own personal safety and need to know as many
details as possible so that you can inform a friend of your
whereabouts.
- Don't accept a lift before or after viewing a property - no
matter how tempting the offer.
- Carry a personal alarm on you.
- Bring your mobile phone and keep it switched on and in a safe
place, out of view. If you don't have one, see if you can borrow
one.
- Use the mobile phone to log someone in. Phone a friend/relative
to say "Hi, just to let you know I've arrived at .. and Mr (or
Mrs).. is showing me around. I'll meet you in 20 minutes, but give
me a ring if I'm running late."
- Trust your instincts. If you have a funny feeling about
something, leave straight away.
- Be prepared with an excuse to leave before attending the
viewing (feeling sick/room sizes not big enough/too large for your
needs. Be polite about the property you are viewing).
If you are showing your property to
someone:
- Do not give out unnecessary personal details.
- Try to make sure someone is with you during the viewing.
- check whether there will be anyone with the person who is
viewing your property, and if so, who it is.
- Let a friend or neighbour know that someone is coming to see
your home. Give the name, address and telephone number of the
person viewing, and time of viewing.
- Let the viewer know that your friend or neighbour will be
dropping by in 20 to 30 minutes, and arrange with someone to do so.
Let the friend or neighbour know that if you phone during the
viewing, they should come immediately.
- If you are uneasy, phone the friend or neighbour you have
arranged to pop in so that they come immediately.
What is a three way home swap?
A three way home swap or mutual exchange is when three or more
people move, this is useful where you have found someone to swap
with but they don't want to move in to your property. If you can
find someone to complete the loop this is what is known as a three
way swap. To search for a possible three way swap you will first
need to register.
Will I have the same rights if I mutual exchange?
When you exchange you may find your tenancy terms will differ
e.g you may lose the right to buy. You need to check with the new
landlord before you go ahead.
What do I do if I need help?
You can email us at support@houseexchangedirect.org.uk.
Please include a brief description of your query and we will get
back to you within 5 working days.
What do I do at renewal?
You will be sent a reminder email 2 weeks before your renewal is
due. If you are still looking for a home swap all you need to do is
click on the link and follow the steps. If you miss this email, you
will be sent another reminder on the day your subscription
expires.
When will I get my ID and password?
Once you have registered and your payment has been accepted,
your details will be checked and your user name and password will
be emailed to you within 5 working days.
I've forgotten my username and password, what can I do?
Please email support@houseexchangedirect.org.uk.
Once registered, who can see my contact details?
Registering with House Exchange Direct for a home swap will only
allow other registered users to view your contact details, the
general details of your property will be available to everyone. You
do have the option to provide alternative contact details in place
of your personal contact details. Please see House Exchange Direct
terms or service and privacy policy for further details.
Is it possible to add a picture of my property?
Yes, you are able to upload up to two pictures of your property
to help you encourage a home swap.
How long is my account active for?
If you are registered through a partnering landlord or if you
have an 'Until I Move' membership your account will remain active
as long as it remains in use. If you do not log into your account
for a period of 6 months it will automatically close. We do this to
ensure that the majority of the properties you see on the website
are still available for a mutual exchange. To guarantee that your
account remains active please make sure that you log in regularly,
the 6 month countdown resets every time you log in. If you complete
an exchange or wish to end your membership for another reason
please let us know and we can help you to do this.
Please note, all other memberships run for the length of time
chosen upon registration. You can choose to reactivate your account
at the end of your subscription if you would like to continue using
House Exchange.
I'm not happy with the service I've received, how can I make a
complaint?
Please email support@houseexchangedirect.org.uk
with your complaint regarding House Exchange Direct. Please note
that we are unable to deal with any queries relating to your
landlord, other tenants, or properties.
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