Open communicatie

Open, eerlijk en hoffelijke communicatie is een voorwaarde voor een geslaagde ruil. Hieronder een voorbeeld van email correspondentie:

Dear Catharina Kester, Message: Below you will find a message from a person interested in your home exchange offer. Sender's Name: Helen Magnotta Hello, would you be interested in an exchange with our house in Aspen? About the house: 10 minutes to Twins Skiing, new 4/3 colonial on 20 acres with brook on site. New furniture, bedding & interesting antiques. Not too far from major cities. It does not have to be simultaneous as it is our second home in Aspen. Regards, Helen

Dear Helen, Thank you for your offer. We are really interested in an exchange, in late spring or summer 2006 may be? You did not mention a specific time, but since we are flexible we are open to suggestions. Usually we travel with my sister and her husband. We did exchanges with Canada, Boston and New York but have never been in your area. Your house looks beautiful and we like to hike, so that should be possible in Aspen. And you will love our home; everybody does. Please let us know what you think. Kind regards Ineke

Dear Ineke, Yes, late May, June, or July would be our time frame. When do you have nice weather? We have a few friends originally from the Netherlands, I will call and ask them for some information. How long do you wish to stay? The house can sleep 10 at this moment, so you all should be very comfortable. We are putting a king bed in one of the rooms and moving a queen in with the bunk beds (We will be finishing out a third floor en suite with 1500 sf eventually). Regards, Helen

Dear Helen and Peter, All the best wishes for 2006, the year that we will hopefully exchange our home with yours. We just returned from a home exchange with Berlin and agreed to a swap with a family from Yorkshire, England that wants to visit Amsterdam May 18-22. So July would be good for us. If you have a specific period in mind, please let us know; the second half of June is possible too. It is still some time away, but it will be summer before you know it. When do we have nice weather? Difficult question. Our climate is very unpredictable; last week it felt like spring and it was sunny, and now there is a lot of snow. July and August can be really warm, but thanks to global warming we also had hot days in May and June. And this year the whole month of October was like summer. We are close to the sea (30 minutes) and our roof terrace is one of the best in the city so summer is recommendable. All we see around us now is white rooftops. Lovely! Hope to hear from you and let us keep in contact , Kind regards,

Dear Helen, I try to reach you through the homeexchange site because I did not get any answers on my mails. If you did not receive them, could you let me know if you are still interested in our home? Please let me know, even if you are not. Kind regards, Ineke

Dear Helen, are you still interested in this exchange? The first two weeks of July would be good for us but htere are other options. Kind regards, Ineke

Hi Ineke- I am unable to pull up your house under your site ID? Do you have a new number? These dates may work for us. I haven't firmed up our travel for the summer though. Can I get back to you shortly? Best Regards, Helen

Hi Helen, I tried and indeed we have disappeared from the listings. May be we have to pay the annual fee but I did not get a request like other years. Anyway, we should be back there soon. We have the same situation: we would love to exchange with you but are not sure about the dates yet. It depends on some friends coming with us. Just let us know what would be the best time for you once you have figured it out. Hope it will work out for both of us, kind regards, Ineke Thanks

Ineke- Can you remind me where your house is as I pulled up the site but cannot interpret the language. Is it the Netherlands (I looked at prior correspondence)? Where in the city is it? Also, would the first two weeks in June or the last week July and first week in August work for you? Regards, Helen

Hello Helen, We are back on the home exchange site, and also our homepage is back again www.xxxxxxxx.com Did you find it now? About the dates: June would be too early and August perfect; the last week of July still not certain. What is possible for you? Kind regards, Ineke

Hi Ineke- All of August is fine for you to use the house in Aspen. Our daughter (15 y.o.) will be back to school then and unable to travel. Does this have to be a simultaneous exchange? Regards,

Dear Helen Simoultaneous would be best I am afraid because this is our only house. If you want to bring your daughter (and I am sure she would love Amsterdam), you should come in July. Is that a possibility? Kind regards, Ineke

Hi Ineke, July is the worst month for us as we will stay in Aspen for most of the summer and that falls about in the middle of our stay. Helen Hi Helen, so is August still an option for a simoultaneous exchange? Kind regards, Ineke

Hi Helen, Since it has been some time since my last mail, I would like to make sure you read it. Do you still think late August would be an option? I am sure you would love our appartment and we would enjoy your beautiful house. If it is a problem, we should do the exchange another time. I have to plan the summer holidays this month because my sister and her husband, who would be coming with me, have to organize things at work; I am more flexible myself. Kind regards, Ineke

HiIneke, Yes, I am still very interested. We just returned from an Easter Vacation in Aspen. We took some friends with us and were able to ski quite a bit. The time frame is a little difficult for our travel but I am trying to work it out if at all possible. Helen

Hi Helen, About the summer, could you tell us already if there is a chance we could do an exchange in August? I don't want to push you but we have a few other options that could be an alternative to Aspen though we prefer an exchange with your home for one or two weeks, if possible. My sister will be in New York with her husband in August anyway and we thought of joining her there and driving up to Aspen or fly to Montreal and take a train. But if you are in doubt, we could do the exchange some other time. Hope to hear from you, Best regards, Ineke

Hi Ineke, yes, August should be fine. Could you please give me any additional information and I will start making arrangements on this end. Sorry it took so long to return email-I was out of town again and did not have my laptop. Looking forward to the exchange

Hi Helen, That is great. What about the second and the third week of august? Or only the third? Do you have another preference? How many people in your party? And is it OK if my sister and her husband will join us?

Hi Ineke, all of August in general is fine with the house in VT-I will talk to my kids to see their school schedules (20yo and 15 yo) and if they really want to go-this will help me to get more definitive dates. What is your preference? The house sleeps 10 so of course have whoever you would like. The master bedroom has a queen-2nd br queen-3rd br king-4th br queen and single bunkbeds. How many people may stay at your house? We are non smokers and would appreciate it if no one smokes in the house. We are more than happy to take care of plants for you while we're there. I will leave brochures, etc., and there is a caretaker that lives in an apartment over the garage that can help you with anything as well. If there is something you would like to be there when you arrive let me know and I will try to have it there for you. Helen

Hi Helen, Thanks for your hospitality. Our house sleeps four comfortably; five or six is possible if two people want to sleep on the single bed upstairs and the couch. In the loft downstairs there is one master bedroom (Auping queen) with a bathroom and upstairs a double and a single in one attick with their own bathroom downstairs. The couch could be used for a sixth person

Hello Ineke- I was trying to get flight information during the times you suggested. I am able to find a frequent flyer flight on Delta leaving on the 7th of August and returning to the states on the 20th of August. If these dates work for you and If you give me the go ahead I will book the flight for these dates. Please respond at your very earliest convenience so that they are not taken-it is difficult to find and use frequent flyer points it seems. If you would like to call me for any reason my office number is xxx-xxx-xxxx (Santa,MoniCA) or xxx-xxx-xxxx (cell) or xxx-xxx-xxxx (home). Helen

Hi Helen, Sounds good for us; please go ahead with the booking of these flights. We have more options for flights; we might go to New York first or even Montreal. My husband often works at the office of his company in New York and Boston; we also have friends there so we are flexible. Kind regards, Ineke Hi Ineke- Well we're very excited as we have booked our flights - We leave the 7th (arrive the 8th I believe) and depart on the 20th of August on Continental. Should you need anything from me, please let me know. Looking forward to hearing from you

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