I love having house guests. The week beforehand, it's a flurry of stocking up the fridge with yummies, buying special flowers, cleaning house, sprucing up the bathroom with candles and nice toiletries. Likewise, when visiting friends or family, I know they enjoy hosting me and my family with their very best. Which led me to this idea:
Why not play host to a friend who happens to live in town? You prep your place for the ultimate getaway experience and they prep theirs! Recommend neighborhood places to visit while you're "vacationing", leave a walking map out, and pull out all of the stops when it comes to pampering and comfort in your home. I know I would enjoy a "getaway" with my family in many of my friends' homes while also taking pleasure in finding out what fun local things they have recommended for the staycation. Likewise, I can think of many uber-local haunts that would be new to even in-town friends staying at my home.
Have you ever traded homes with an in-town friend for a little change of scenery during a staycation? Please share further ideas with us below!
Image: Tali Edut and Cory Verellen
The Ultimate Used Furniture Cleaning Kit
Ana Creates a Community at Home
Good Food to Share 
The Big Book of Small, Cool Spaces 
Apartment Therapy Presents 
The Eight-Step Home Cure 
Z2 iPod Dock and Wi...
How To Cook Fluffy, Tasty Quinoa
Recipe: Spring Fruit and Nut Tabouli
Heh, I can tell you live in NYC. The 'attractions' in my neighborhood are Pizza Hut, Kroger and Lowes. Otherwise, my friends and I all drive to the same places, no matter where we live.
That's a wonderful idea! I've never tried it, but I know of a dozen or more places I could recommend that most of my friends haven't tried yet!
This is a great idea as long as your destinations are mutually exciting. You can have friends in NYC and friends in Tinytown, USA, population 400. :)
Tinytown, population 400, sounds like a great place to go to get away from NY or LA traffic, pace, and expense. I would love to trade my Santa Monica apartment with someone in St. Francisville, Louisiana, population 1000+, for a few weeks. Check out the photo gallery and choose "houses" to see some beautiful Southern homes.
I love this idea; it makes me want to swap homes with friends on the other side of the country, not just in my city!
This seems like a great idea! I wouldn't get to the part about switching homes, though - I'd want to visit WITH the friends! I don't have any interest in switching homes locally, though - I'd want to be at my own house.
can't trust 'em to stay out of my drawers and whatnot.