STEPS FOR A SUCCESSFUL EXCHANGE

Here are a few points for you to consider and implement into your exchange, and by doing so we are confident that  you are well on your way to ensuring you and your fellow exchanger are setting an excellent standard of hospitality, mutual respect, and trust.

• Explain your home honestly in all correspondence. You want your exchange partner to be pleasantly surprised upon arrival – not disappointed.
• Ensure your home is clean and tidy. We all have different standards of cleanliness, so ensure the floors are vacuumed and mopped, refrigerator emptied, stove and oven are clean, bath and shower are clean from mould etc and surfaces are dust free.
• Make space in wardrobes and drawers so that guests can empty their suitcases, arrange their things in bedrooms and bathrooms and feel at home. Store away any precious or breakable items that you are concerned about. There should also be enough clean sheets and towels ready for the guests to use.
• It is a good idea to write up a guide to ‘your home and surrounding area’.  This should include a guide to all the appliances around the home, instructions as to any special pet, plant care, pool care and on which day the rubbish is collected.
• Leave details of any favourite or interesting close-by tourist spots too. Perhaps some brochures may assist guests to plan their holiday. 
• Ensure you complete the Cops International Home Exchange Agreement form / Car Exchange form which can be found on the Member Resources page. Inform your car insurance company that a guest will be driving your car, and therefore that the relevant changes are made for that period.
• Telephone/internet: Make sure you have come to an agreement of how you will pay for, or each other, for the use of these facilities. Maybe a phone card would be a practical idea. (Can be purchased fron your destination country on arrival.)
• Are you going to include gas, oil and electricity in this exchange, or should meters be read by each party and settlement made later?
• Make arrangement for the collection of keys, where will a spare set be found incase of mishap?
• If you would like to have friends or relatives stay with you, make sure you ask permission from the owners first.
• Checked your Insurance Policies lately? Most home and contents insurance policies cover for a home or hospitality exchange. Because you are inviting these people into your home, they should come under the category of guests. It is your responsibility to ensure you have insurance policies in place and up to date. CIHE will not be held responsible in any way for any mishaps that may occurr. (See Terms and Conditions).
• It is important that you let your neighbours know that you have arranged an exchange. They may assist in times of need. Leave a name and contact number for your exchange family. Also leave the local Police/Law Enforcement agency’s number along with a contact, as a visiting Officer may wish to have a look around the station and share war stories at a local pub. 
• It would be a nice gesture to leave a small amount of food - just enough for the makings of a first meal. This would allow time to go shopping. Inform your guests of where the local shops/centres can be found.
• As a sign of welcome, perhaps a bottle of local wine or a nice beer would be a kind and thoughtful welcoming gesture towards your guests.
• Prior to leaving your exchange home, leave their house organised and clean - a welcome sight to your partners when they arrive home, and a basic courtesy.
• Do you have some small Police memorabilia? Perhaps a small item such as a badge or pin would be a treasured gift to give to your fellow Police Officer/Exchanger.