Became a member in: 2005
Renewal Date: 31/Dec/2025
We have retired from careers in teaching and look forward to renewing our HomeLink membership and all the adventures it will bring!
We have had many exchanges before, but several years ago, before there were online reviews (hence no reviews for us). We have also participated in longer one-year home exchanges with teachers in other countries (UK and Australia) and so we are familiar with the challenges and rewards of a longer exchange. And since, shockingly, it wasn't an option under Affinities, we are Readers. Our home will have many (possibly too many?) books available for you to read. Mainly UK murder mysteries but others too. Our favourites include Louise Penny, Ian Rankin, Ann Cleeves, Michael Robotham.
Affinities
Cycling / Mountain Biking,
Hiking
Affiliations
Teachers / Education Professionals,
Retirees
Profession
Retired teachers (Retired)
Simultaneous Home Exchange
Long-term Home Exchange
Smoking Not Allowed
No Children Please
Use of Personal Car is not possible
Open to all dates | Open to all destinations |
Apr 1, 2024 - Dec 31, 2025 | Canada | UK |
Description of the home we are offering for exchange
Our lovely, updated, bungalow is located in Hamlet ward, Stratford! Our house has three bedrooms and two full bathrooms. The master bedroom is bright and airy. The second bedroom has an ensuite bathroom. Our third bedroom has been transformed into an exercise/travel room. Feel free to utilise it if you didn’t get enough exercise walking around our lovely city. We have sitting areas in both our front and back rooms, with a fireplace for cool evenings. Our home has central air conditioning and natural gas heating. We have a fully equipped modern kitchen with a full-sized fridge with freezer at your disposal to fill with local produce, if you choose to dine at home some evenings. There is a natural gas barbecue on the side deck available for you to use, along with a small table for two to dine. If you need more room to spread out, we also have a rear deck overlooking our gardens with a table that seats up to six. Our backyard is very private, surrounded by shrubs and hedges-a lovely place to unwind at the end of a busy day.
Type
House - single floor/ Main Residence
Amenities
Entertainment
Extras
Setting
Description of our neighbourhood and surrounding area
Our neighbourhood is quite established, with many beautiful historic homes and mature trees. We often enjoy walking through the TJ Dolan nature trail and Avondale Cemetery, which are just a 5 minute walk away. The river is also nearby for strolling or fishing. We enjoy walking and exploring our neighbourhood and we’re sure you will too.
It is just a 20 minute walk to the downtown shops and restaurants.
Outdoor Activities
Leisure
Cultural Activities
Transport Nearby
Neighbourhood Services
Our home exchange - places to go and things to do while staying in our home
Stratford is a small city of about 30,000 located in an agricultural community of southwestern Ontario, less than two hours from Toronto or Niagara Falls. Its main claim to fame is the world-renowned Stratford Festival (https://www.stratfordfestival.ca/). It has all the amenities one would expect from a small city, while still maintaining that small town charm. There are lovely parklands dotting the city and many restaurants to suit all tastes and budgets. From our house, it is an easy walk to the charming downtown with historic buildings, restaurants and of course live theatre in four unique theatres. We are about an hour from the beaches of Lake Huron.
Our favourite restaurants
Cafés & bars
Special places to shop
Leisure and cultural activities
Walks or jogging paths
Health or fitness clubs
Interesting day trips
Our home exchange - here are our Preferences and House Rules
We request exchanges of two weeks or more in length, due to the time and effort getting our house ready.
Are you someone who spends (or would like to spend) several days attending the Stratford Festival each year? We both work as ushers for The Festival, so can give you the inside scoop on upcoming shows. If you have a home or second home near a lake/cottage country in Canada to exchange with us, our home would be a wonderful base for you and we would love to hear from you.
Conditions
Use of Personal Car
Home Exchange Type
Became a member in: 2005
Renewal Date: 31/Dec/2025
We have retired from careers in teaching and look forward to renewing our HomeLink membership and all the adventures it will bring!
We have had many exchanges before, but several years ago, before there were online reviews (hence no reviews for us). We have also participated in longer one-year home exchanges with teachers in other countries (UK and Australia) and so we are familiar with the challenges and rewards of a longer exchange. And since, shockingly, it wasn't an option under Affinities, we are Readers. Our home will have many (possibly too many?) books available for you to read. Mainly UK murder mysteries but others too. Our favourites include Louise Penny, Ian Rankin, Ann Cleeves, Michael Robotham.
Affinities
Cycling / Mountain Biking,
Hiking
Affiliations
Teachers / Education Professionals,
Retirees
Profession
Retired teachers (Retired)
Over 70 years of home exchange experience
Local home swap representatives around the world to assist you
Travel, save and feel at home around the world!