Kensington, USA

Greetings! We are a retired government worker and a retired teacher and are experienced house exchangers. We love house exchanges as a way to explore new places and meet the people who live there. We particularly enjoy meeting the families we exchange with, and we try to keep up with them afterwards.

We are actively searching for an exchange for summer 2027. We respond to all queries. We are open to new destinations but are also happy returning to countries we have enjoyed.

Our home is located just 12 kilometers north of the center of Washington, D.C. in Kensington, Maryland. Kensington is a pleasant, quiet, safe town with convenient access to downtown Washington by car, bus, or the subway system. Metro will take you to most of the museums, monuments and memorials that make the city distinctive, and almost all are free. The grocery store, several small shops, and a few casual restaurants are a mile away. There are many more stores and restaurants within a 15-minute drive. The National Zoo is 25 minutes away by bus, car, or Metro.

Our home is half a kilometer from the Beltway, the ring road around Washington, making it easy to get to other areas beyond Washington. These include historical sites, family amusement parks, and the cities of Baltimore, Richmond, Williamsburg, the colonial seaport Annapolis, and Philadelphia. New York City is a four-hour train or bus ride away. We have a comfortable Subaru Crosstrek that will be available for your use.

We have mountains an hour to the west and the Atlantic Ocean beach resorts three hours to the east. Dulles International Airport offers the best flight connections from Europe, although Baltimore-Washington International Airport and Reagan National Airport are easy to get to, as well.

Our home is on a quiet street with little traffic. On the ground-level floor is the living room, dining room, an office, the family room, and an eat-in kitchen. There is also a WC on this level. The floor above has 3 bedrooms (two with queen beds, one with a double bed). The primary bedroom has its own bathroom and there is a second bathroom in the upstairs hall. The laundry room with washer and dryer is next to the bedrooms. The shady backyard is private and has a patio for a quiet breakfast or an evening glass of wine. We have wonderful neighbors who are happy to answer questions.

We have two cat who will stay in the house during the exchange and do not go outside. They enjoy company and are friendly and they take very little care. Neighbors will feed them when house exchange guests are gone overnight.

We are non-smokers and do not permit smoking in or near the house.

We enjoy sightseeing, exploring the countryside, visiting villages and towns, shopping in markets, and learning the history of the places we visit. We will leave lots of guidebooks and will make recommendations about places to visit. We can be depended on to take very good care of your home and any pets you may have, and know that you will take care of ours!