Someone always asks when’s the best time to arrange a house swap, and the answer is: right now.

Even the workaholics among you are going to find it hard to put in an honest day’s labour for the next 72 hours, so in that idle time between unpacking your stocking and undoing your belt, I suggest you start planning a house swap for 2010.

I’ve done two now–one to Paris and one to Berlin–and it definitely takes a bit of time and focus to court and correspond with potential exchangers. And in my experience, seasoned exchangers seem to like to have their summer travel plans sewn up by February.

So take advantage of the seasonal lull and make this the year you actually get your act together to do a house exchange in Canada–or wherever your compass points.

These 5 past posts will help you get started:

• Top 10 tips for a successful home swap
• 66 practical home exchange tips
• Ready to try a home exchange? Check out this Slow Europe article
• Home exchange tip: write your own guide book
• Cheap sleeps: check out these home exchange alternatives

I’m happy to answer questions on this topic, so feel free to leave a comment below and I’ll get back to you.

Happy holidays to everyone who has supported TheseBoots this past year. Love and joy come to you–and happy travels too.