Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How do I find the perfect swap partner?
Determine for yourself what is important for you. Am I allowed to take my pets with me, are there enough beds, is there a garden, how close are the golf courses? These kind of questions you should answer yourself before starting your search.
Read the listings very carefully. If you still have questions, then ask for more information or additional photos
Get to know your exchange partner-family via email, calls and/or photographs. This is key to a succesfull exchange. Remember that your exchange partner will stay in your house, while you stay in theirs!
I am afraid to allow strangers to stay in my house
The most important here is: get to know your exchange partner. Call, email and/or send and receive photo's. Again, remember it's not only them staying in your house, but also you staying in theirs. Some more tips to do and/or discuss in advance are:
State your "house rules" and make clear what is/is not allowed and ask them to do the same for their house. Think of locked rooms, the use of apparatus or household appliances, alarm instructions etc.
Discuss in advance the consequences of breaking or damage. Think of replacement or compensation. You can also agree to pay each other in advance a deposit to avoid any difficulties later
Think of removing items of high emotional or financial value from the house or put it in a locked room
Ask your exchange partner for references, and provide him/her your references
Send your exchange partner in advance a copy of your passport, drivers license or other official document to ensure that you are the one you say you are. Ask him/her also to send that to you.
Is your exchange partner member of a Golf Club or Golf Association? Check his listing on this as this is one of the questions! For an overview of the worldwide Golf Associations go to the USGA For an overview of a lot of Golf Clubs visit Golfeurope.com
Inform your nearest neighbors, family and/or friends of your plan. They won't be surprised then if someone else is in your house, and they can maybe even keep an eye on your property
How about insurances?
Household insurance
Always inform your insurance company about your plans. In general this is not a problem for most insurance companies (building and contents) as they will be very pleased to hear that your house will be occupied rather than left empty during your holiday.
They normally provide the usual cover whether your house is occupied by friends, relations or exchange partners. Be aware that most companies will not cover you for theft from your house unless there is evidence of forced entry. This is a standard clause which applies whenever you leave your house; it is not specific to home exchanging.
Be aware that many insurance companies charge an extra premium when you leave your home for 30 days or more. Generally, they waive this charge in case the house is occupied by friends including home exchange partners. Your insurance company can provide you more information about this.
Car insurance
In case you and your exchange partner agree to use each others car, always inform your car insurance company and ask for their regulations on this. In some countries the normal policy is that anyone driving a car is covered by the car owner's insurance (like in the USA States), while in other countries it is normal that the insurance is only valid for the car owner.
The same as stated above is applicable for boats etc.
How about the use of heating, electricity, water and phone?
Discuss with your exchange partner in advance how to deal with this. The easiest and generally best working way is to agree that:
the phone in your house is not used by your exchange partner and vice versa, except for 112-calls and other emergencies
for the use of electricity, heating and water, no additional payment is needed, as both exchange partners are using this in each others houses.
However, of course exchange partner are free to agree something else!
How do I prepare my home for an exchange?
Prepare your home the best way you can, to make your guests feel welcome; your exchange partner will do the same. Think at least of the following:
clean all the closets, the kitchen and the rest of the house
put your private items and items that you don't want to be used or seen by your exchange partner into a locked room
leave a supply of basic toiletries (paper, soap etc.)
provide a fresh supply of clean bath and hand towels and bed sheets
After I register myself, how long does it take then before I can start using the facilities on GolfingGlobal.com?
After you register as a user of GolfingGlobal.com, your registration needs to be approved by the webmaster. To approve a user, the webmaster will study the contents of the registration to avoid 'fake' registrations. Normally approval will take less than 48 hours after registration.
How can I add a listing?
To add a listing, go to 'user log in' in the main menu on the top of each page. After you log in, you will notice that the main menu changes slightly. Now you can select the option 'add a listing'.
In my listing, I want to select multiple weeks as exchangeable period. How can I do that?
To select multiple weeks, hold the CTRL-button and select your weeks by clicking on them with your mouse.
How can I add pictures to my listing?
Before you can add pictures, you first need to enter the text part of your listing. After you finish this and click on the 'submit' button at the bottom of the page where you enter your text, a page will be opened where you can start adding pictures. Just click on the link starting with 'you may now add...'. Then you will be addressed to a page where you can add a maximum of 5 pictures (.jpg, .gif or .png) to your listing. At the right side on this page, you see the text of your listing, which can be modified also (remember: after modification always click on the 'UPDATE' button at the bottom of the page). At the left side, you see a link 'add or edit images'. Click on this one and you can start adding your pictures. Regarding pictures: you can give each picture a RANK. A lower rank means that the picture will be located higher that the others. So for example, if you rank them 1,2,3,4 and 5, the picture with rank 1 will be the first picture that visitors see.
The font size on this site is to small for me, how can I enlarge it?
If you select the link 'font size BIG' in the upper right corner, the font size will increase
Language
The uniform language on this site is English. We kindly ask you to list your house in English.
|
