GuestComments

HomeLink Canada GUEST COMMENTS

These comments are selected at random from EXCHANGE EVALUATIONS submitted by both our own CANADA members and those members with whom they have exchanged homes during the recent seasons. All members are urged to submit an EVALUATION, which poses 10 questions in accordance with HomeLink’s Ten Steps to Success

From Gillian (Lombardia – Luvinate ITALY) ref : Pierre et Nathalie (Québec)
Pierre and Nathalie are experienced home swappers and this is evident in the attention to detail in every aspect of their home. The house was spotlessly clean and extremely well organised. They had left some delicious treats for us which was a lovely surprise. They were so generous with their car and camping equipment and, as a result, we had three fabulous days camping beside a lake. There are so many things to do in Quebec City and the surroundings. The family let us use their bicycles and so we had a healthy 10 days biking all around the city. This is a well-located home and a very warm and welcoming family! Top marks with a gold star!

From Spencer (CA) ref : Christian (France)
The D****s were an absolute pleasure to deal with. They helped us prepare for our visit with advice on places to see and provided assistance while we were staying in their house. They treated our house and vehicle with the upmost respect and we came home to everything in as good of a condition as we left it. Vannes is an excellent small city that has everything you would need and is a great base for exploring southern Brittany.

From Maureen & James (CA) ref : ‘Anne and Dick (USA)
A perfect Santa Fe exchange!
Anne and Dick’s home was exactly as described though we didn’t use the pool/tennis courts due to being too busy exploring the city and surroundings. It was great to have time to truly explore at leisure and we even had time to do a circle trip to the Grand Canyon and Sedona too. It is not too hot in the summer, as friends had suggested it might be, as rain showers often occur in the evenings.10,000 Waves Spa up the road was a bonus after some busy walking and cycling days. Thx so much!”

From Colette (CA) ref : Nuala (Ireland)
A lovely home in the heart of Ireland!
We were very comfortable in this lovely modern day farmhouse in a fabulously historic part of Ireland and yet in very close proximity to Dublin. The house is beautiful and new, with all amenities. The views from the house are picture postcard. Our hosts were thoughtful and welcoming. We would highly recommend this exchange! “Many thanks, Nuala, for your superior hospitality and warm welcome into your home. Please let us know what you thought of our exchange too!I.”

From Al and Carla (CA) ref : Ian and Carolyn (UK)
We enjoyed a sunny space and the harvest of Ian and Carolyn’s labours from their garden. It was a September ’17 visit and tempted us to take long Dartmoor walks, trips to nearby castles and pubs, and longer day trips to Cornwall. This home is very comfortable with a very efficient and modern kitchen and a lovely sun room for reading. We are looking forward to welcoming Ian and Carolyn to Vancouver this September !

From Jo-Anne & Doug (CA) ref : Al and Carla (CA)
We had a lovely Thanksgiving weekend at Carla and Al’s in Vancouver. They were off on other adventures, but made sure the house was clean and communicated with us regularly. The home is in a lovely location, close to a lovely walk and with lots of shops, etc. nearby. Thanks for allowing us to have our family together for the big dinner!

From Gerd & Heike (Germany) ref : Sandra and Georg (CA)
Wonderful house exchange in Tsawwassen. From the very beginning the communication with Sandra and Georg was perfect. Everything they could possibly organize to make us feel at home in their wonderful, brand new house, was done: Sandra and Georg provided us with tennis rackets, bicycles etc. The car was parked near the airport.
The house is huge, it has air conditioning and it is clean, clean, clean. The living room is huge. The kitchen is very well equipped – we can tell that Sandra loves to cook! The garden is being taken care of by an irrigation system and a person who mows the lawn every week, so we could enjoy our holiday to the fullest. We strongly recommend Sandra and Georg as house exchange partners.

From Sandra and Georg (CA) ref : Gerd & Heike (Germany)
Loved our home exchange in Bad Nauheim.
From the very beginning of contact, the transaction was perfect. Our exchange partners left their car for us at the Frankfurt airport and our car was waiting for them at the Vancouver airport. We chose this location in order to visit relatives near Bad Nauheim. As well, our daughter and her husband joined us for a week and they loved the area too. Because we have driven a fair amount in Germany, it was perfect having a car to visit nearby towns and attractions. The home was perfect for us and we enjoyed using the bicycles and outdoor patio area. All in all, it was a wonderful exchange and it was a pleasure meeting and corresponding with Gerd and Heike.

From Norlene and John (CA) ref : Elspeth and Raphael (Scotland),
We thoroughly enjoyed our stay in your lovely, clean and newly renovated home. Thank you for all the information that you provided. It was really helpful in orienting us to your area. Your neighbour, Helen was so kind to take us on the short cut to find the mall! The food was appreciated upon arrival and very welcoming. Your location enabled us to either walk or bus into town and there was so much to see. The use of your car was great and enabled us to explore more of Scotland. The train system is very convenient as well. Thank you for sharing your home with us.

From Elspeth and Raphael (Scotland) ref : Norlene and John (CA)
Beautiful home in a beautiful city. John and Norlene’s home was amazing. Spacious, full of light, clean and tidy, well looked after, wonderful views over the city and towards the mountains and just a lovely place to live for a few weeks. There were so many things to do locally but we also ventured further afield and their home was a great base. They were so good at communicating whilst setting up and fine tuning the exchange and so everything fell into place easily. We had a fantastic time and loved Vancouver. Many thanks to both.

From Jack & Louise (CA) ref: Tom and Jennifer (CA)
After a day out and about, coming back to this beautiful, well-appointed home was welcoming. It was easy to find anything we needed in the chef’s kitchen. We had good sleeps in comfortable surroundings. Who could ask for more? Tom and Jennifer put a lot of love into their renovations, including a gas fireplace for instant heat on cool days. The southern location is quiet and within easy reach of Calgary‘s downtown by car.

From Tom and Jennifer (CA) ref : Jack & Louise (CA)
A lovely home in a great location! Jack and Christie collected us at Vancouver airport in the early morning and made us a wonderful breakfast and settled us in their home! They left our home as we left it for them. A successful exchange! Thank you!!

From Susie (CA) ref : Hennie and Corina (NL)
This was a non-simultaneous exchange. The B****s came to my place and I hope to go to theirs next July. Hennie and Corina and their three daughters left my home tidy and all cleaned up. I would not hesitate to recommend them as guests to other home exchangers.

From Pippa and Paul (NZ) ref : France and Jacques (CA)
We really enjoyed our visit to France and Jacques home in Mascouche and everything we could have wanted to know – except the road tolls for the region- was very clear.
The house had everything we needed, though it was harder than I expected to get into Montreal by public transport, so we just ended up driving.
Their house is a good base to visit other areas in Quebec which we enjoyed doing.
France and Jacques used both of our houses, to help us with family arrangements, and left them in excellent condition.

From France and Jacques (CA) ref : Pippa and Paul (NZ)
Pippa and Paul are very nice people. It was always easy to communicate with Pippa, The house was clean and very comfortable and the view was superb(lake Wanaka in front of the house and mountains on the side) We enjoyed cycling and hiking in the area. Franz Josef glacier was amazing. When we arrived at home, everything was clean and in order. Thank you so much Pippa and Paul for this great exchange.

From Samantha & Simon (UK) ref : Kara & Kent (CA)
What a fantastic home exchange, we loved the house and area. It was great to be able to get up in the morning a go for a stroll on the beach. Deer and eagles could be seen from the doorstep. We went kayaking, bear and whale watching, Vancouver Island is a hikers dream with beautiful swimming lakes within 15 mins drive. Kara and Kent’s home is spacious and comfortable with a great garden to play in. We particularly enjoyed picking raspberries every day for breakfast. Communication was great and it was lovely to meet Kent on our final night for dinner. Much love and thanks to the whole family for sharing their home with us.

From Tom and Jennifer (CA) ref : Sally and Peter (UK, GR)
A perfect exchange! Sally and Peter were a delight to deal with and we were so happy to have had the chance to meet Sally before she left our home. We fell in love with Greece! Their home is in a beautiful location in an area of Greece that is not to be missed. We loved the relaxing atmosphere of the home and beach community. Thank you Sally and Peter!!

From Christine & Jim (CA) ref : Hazel and John (CA)
The Best Place to Stay in Charlottetown
There couldn’t be a more beautiful, home on P.E.I. It was pristinely clean and organized. The views from all rooms of the ocean were stunning. We loved watching the sailing regattas and rowers. The location is perfect and we walked downtown, to Victoria park and around the neighbourhood taking in all the beautiful heritage homes. Hazel has put together a thorough guide book which was super helpful. It was also a real pleasure getting to meet Hazel and John for coffee and chocolate at “Victoria by the Sea”. (A must see super cute community). If you like to play tennis there are really nice public courts very close by in Victoria Park that we used a few times. Our only complaint was that we were only able to stay 6 nights…far too short. Thank you for a perfect home trade experience.

From Anne (FR) ref : Christine & Jim (CA)
This condo is just fabulous ! The hosts Chris and Jim are such lovely people, making everything possible for you to feel at home in their beautiful apartment. Very well located in the city, lovely and comfy, the lounge and bedrooms are full of light with huge windows… and the view is just incredible! An unforgettable experience in the city of Vancouver, Thank you again dear Chris and Jim!

From Jane & Lloyd (CA) ref : Christine & Jim (CA)
You made our first time to British Columbia so memorable. We felt such a warm welcome upon arrival. The chalet was quaint and the condo luxurious. The views from both homes were fabulous. We could not believe our eyes when we opened the door to the condo. No one in Vancouver has a better view Everything was so well organized and explained that we immediately felt at home and yet like we were at a boutique hotel when we saw the chocolates left on our pillows— the kids were in awe. Every little touch was perfect. The gym, the hot tub, the neighborhood were all added bonus to a fantastic stay. We can’t thank you enough for your hospitality. Such wonderful newlyweds to share your home with us. Thank you doesn’t say enough.

From Robb & Vicky (CA) ref : Shannon and Kent (CA)
Shannon and Kent have a great home in Halifax close to the university and downtown core. Their location allowed us to do the activities we wanted very easily in the Halifax area. They provided great restaurants and activities suggestions in the very detailed information they left. My husband and I were there to attend a weekend conference and had decided to makeit a vacation in Nova Scotia. Finding this quality home exchange was a bonus for us. Our hosts’ home was much bigger than a couple needed and would easily house a large family. The rooms were spacious and well appointed. Beautiful backyard to take advantage of warm summer evenings. We spent two weeks exploring Halifax and the surrounding area. So much to do so little time.

From Roger and Marilyn (CA) ref: Ian and Jane (UK)
Charming comfortable home with beautiful historical touches, and yet all the modern conveniences. Quiet garden for relaxing or grilling. Shrewsbury itself had many interesting attractions itself – the museum, castle and gardens were all worth seeing. We enjoyed an overnight stay in Wales with a gorgeous drive through Snowdonia National Park. The David Austin rose gardens in nearby Albrighton were at their peak when we visited in late June, and were unforgettable. Ian and Jane provided us with well-organized information about the attractions both near and far, and were available online to answer any little questions we had throughout our stay. Thanks for a great exchange!

From Shannon (CA) ref : Vicky and Robb (CA)
Our family spent two weeks in Vicky and Robb’s mountain home. We had many outdoor adventures including hiking, mountain biking, whitewater rafting, paddle boarding and cliff jumping. There is so much natural beauty in this part of Canada and no end to outdoor activities. We came home everyday to relax in the hot tub and enjoy an evening meal in the log house. We absolutely loved sitting on the deck each evening looking up at the mountains. Our family instantly felt at home at Vicky and Robb’s and there was a lot of room for everyone to have their own space. The house is well appointed and has a warm, welcoming feeling. On the rainy days, we spent time at a local spa and also made two trips to Calgary (where we took in the spectacular Stampede). Fernie is a hidden Canadian treasure and we loved our exchange there.

From Ron and Joyce (CA) ref : Jean Pierre and Brigitte (France)
Jean Pierre and Brigitte were more than amazing exchange partners. They took us boating for two days and shared several days in their very busy lives with us. Certainly above and beyond what we expected. We also were welcomed by their friends in ils grande so we not only exchanged homes but exchanged friends too. Wonderful time Merci..see you in our home town in August.

From Al and Carla (CA) ref : Hans and Corine (NL)
Hans and Corine have a comfortable spacious home not far from Leiden. We easily visited numerous famous cities of European history and art, and marvelled at the phenomenon of Dutch engineering. The modern village around us was quiet and family oriented, a short distance from the seashore, and we made the most of the lovely spring weather. We are happy to recommend these members of Homelink to all others!

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