Get to know a little more about each of the International Vacation Home
Exchange team. In this post we have a great interview with Suzie Magnus the
founder of IVHE.com.Tell us a little about yourself?
I love everything about travelling. Having a Finnish Father and English Mother
and having lived in six countries in my early years it must simply be in my
blood. My partner says that I get
anxious when my passport sits idle for more than a couple months! Learning about different cultures, visiting
unique locations, tasting new dishes and meeting interesting people are all
very rewarding. Starting IVHE has fulfilled
another dream and that is to enable other to travel the world, experiencing all
of the above, while saving a fortune.
I
also enjoy cooking and entertaining, especially when my daughters are home and
we have a full table of family and friends around. Sharing stories over dinner and watching my
girls grow up is certainly at the top of my favourite activities.
Over the years I’ve been fortunate to
have differing businesses interests from owning a wine bar/restaurant and a
building company to hair dressing and eventually into property investment,
refurbishment and management. That is
what led me to the concept of IVHE.
What exactly do you do with IVHE.com?
The concept of home exchange is fantastic. When I first heard of it (pre-internet) I
thought great, but at the time, having two small girls, I thought there was no
way I would be able to get my own home in a state where I could swap. Then thinking, about the other properties
that I managed the idea formed of setting a home exchange network for people
with vacation / second / holiday homes. Adding
in the concept of credits for non-simultaneous
home exchanges allows for a lot more flexibility of
both properties and availability as we remove the necessity for a direct
swap.
Today I do a little of just about
everything in IVHE, from helping members find a dream vacation home to working
on new services that enhance our members experiences. I’m very fortunate to have a great team, in
Europe, Americas and Asia, working together to provide the highest level of customer satisfaction in the industry.
What makes you smile while working with IVHE.com?
The best experience is when our members
write about their great vacations. When
we help a member find a wonderful destination and they come back glowing about
their time away, I smile. We often
receive compliments on both the exclusive properties but also on the member’s
interaction with the IVHE team, this makes me proud of our entire team.
Are there any properties or destinations that you keep dreaming about?
I don’t think I’ll ever stop dreaming
about travel, somehow my bucket list keeps full. Last year we traveled to Iceland for the
first time, an amazing experience of glaciers, mountains, lakes, northern
lights and natural hot springs.
Currently I’m planning on exploring Colorado, Utah, Arizona and New Mexico. Something about the open space, ruggedness
and wildlife of the area is calling me, plus a great place for skiing.
Name your favorite activity outside of family and work.
Having some experience with property I
still keep a keen interest in what is happening in the market. Maybe it is related to IVHE, it is very
intriguing to me to see how property prices vary so much around the world. Over the last year I’ve put my ‘builder’ skills
to work on a couple apartments too.
As mentioned earlier, cooking is
enjoyable. To broaden my horizon, I
recently completed a dim sum course. Not
sure I’m an expert yet but they are very yummy and a lot of fun to make,
especially with other beginners.
I love being outdoors; enjoy walking, skiing
and scuba diving. Currently aiming to
complete the Ridgeway Trail, an 85 mile ancient Roman and now National Trail in
the UK. It is a nice challenge, beautiful
scenery with a chance to see parts of England that are new to me.
Any comments or advice for our members to get the best trades possible?
We find there are a few things that
enable great home exchange trades.
First, get some great pictures of your home and spend a little time
adding information about your home on the IVHE.com website. Make sure your information is up to date and
lists all the great features of your home.
Second, communicate with us. Let
us know where you might like to visit or more importantly what you like to do
while on vacation. We can keep an eye on
listings for you and maybe identify new properties that you might not have
considered. We have nearly doubled the
amount of listing on IVHE in the last year so we have a much better opportunity
to find you a perfect destination.
Finally, the more adventurous and flexible you are, the more options you
will have for your next wonderful holiday and vacation.
Thank you, Suzie, we have you to thank for starting IVHE.com!
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