Home near forest and beach, Vancouver suburb

“This summer was our first time participating in a home exchange and Gary and Heather were fantastic to work with; they guided us through the process and made many helpful suggestions. Their house was immaculate and in a wonderful location. Thanks to the various bikes they left for us, it was no more than 5 or so minutes down to the charming little village of White Rock with a swimming beach, cafes etc. Downtown Vancouver was about 25 to 40 minutes by car depending on traffic. The ferry terminal at Tsawwassen was only 15 minutes away; Tsawwassen is the gateway to Vancouver Island, Victoria etc, and the beauty of the trip itself through the islands makes it worthwhile. They kindly left us all their camping gear neatly arranged so that we could borrow for a brief camping trip. They left all kinds of information on things to do, how things work, emergency numbers etc., and any time we had a question, they would email us back immediately. They were great guests at our own house and even went as far as to personally detail my car before they left. In sum, we cannot recommend Gary and Heather or their home highly enough. Michael and Trang”

“Gary and Heather made our first experience of home swapping an extremely enjoyable and memorable one. Their home is well organised, spacious and very comfortable and is situated in a pleasant neighbourhood. They have lavished a great deal of love, care and attention on their home and especially their garden which is absolutely delightful. As well as a lawned area, there is also a sunny raised deck complete with comfy seating and barbecue and then there's also a vegetable garden. Richmond is a suburb of Vancouver which is close to the charming old fishing port of Steveston and the ferry port of Tsawassen. The dyke trail which is easily accessible from their home is the perfect place for walkers, joggers and cyclists as well as being a good spot to observe the local flora and fauna. There was a bald eagle nesting in one of the trees that line the trail while we were there. There is a sizeable Asian population in this area so you can find an abundance of good Chinese and Japanese restaurants as well as a weekly Chinese night market. Vancouver is an amazing city with some outstanding views. Stanley Park must surely rate as one of the world's best city parks. We also loved Granville Island which is home to a wide range of artists and craftsmen and also has a terrific market which offers every kind of food imaginable. It's a veritable feast for the senses and a great place to pick up provisions for a picnic lunch. We also took one of the BC ferries out to Vancouver Island and stayed in Victoria for 3 nights. The journey was lovely as we passed some of the other islands en route and had to squeeze through a narrow inlet between two islands at one point - very picturesque. Victoria is picture postcard pretty, particularly the inner harbour area. We thought the house boats at Fisherman's Wharf in James Bay were fantastic and adored the little water taxis that zip around the harbour. We definitely envisage returning to British Columbia at some point in the future as we were taken aback by the breathtaking beauty of this region. It goes without saying that we would have no hesitation in recommending this destination to anyone looking to relax and unwind in stunningly beautiful surroundings. Gary, Heather and their two gorgeous girls are a lovely family and perfect exchangers. They were accommodating, informative and took great care of our place. Thanks to them this has been an excellent introduction to home exchanging and we're looking forward to doing many more house swaps in the future.”

“My family spent a wonderful holiday at Heather and Garry\'s home in Vancouver. They left a beautiful home with a lot of information about Vancouver and White Rock. They also were always ready to help us when we needed information. We also exchanged cars which went very well and our pets! Lucy is the most friendly dog and we really miss her! We prefered to take the bus and sky train to the center of Vancouver. It takes about an hour, the same time as by car if there is traffic. We can only recommend to do an exchange with the Pattern family; they take the swap very seriously and take good care of your house.”

“We can very much recommend going to Vancouver! We had a great time in Vancouver (Beautiful British Columbia),and enjoyed very much living in Gary and Heather's house. We stayed about three weeks and we really liked it. It was very comfortable, bright and well equipped with a very nice garden .Located in a pleasant neighborhood. They looked after our house as if it was their own. The exchange's been very friendly and forwardcoming - just perfect! Gary and Heather thank you for everything Lali and Martin”

“In 2010 we had an exchange of house and car during one month with Heather and Gary. The house had all the comfort you want and a very nice and sunny garden. We used the bikes to cycle along the seashore. We used the car to visit Vancouver. Vancouver is a great city to visit. Downtown is nice, it has a fantastic swimming pool overlooking the sea. Stanley park is one of the places to relax, grab a bite and with great cycling paths. We were able to use their camping gear and we did some camping on Vancouver Island and Gulf islands. They don’t live here anymore, but their actual home is even closer to the beach and the ocean. Undoubtedly their actual house has even more comfort than their former house. In return Gary and Heather took great care of our cat, house and car.”