Renting a holiday house starts to become an option for more and more tourists who want to have access to a full house with a gourmet kitchen and much more privacy than a hotel room.
Photo by Nicholas Moriarty Interiors (NMI, LLC.) – More exterior home ideas
You ask yourself, what are the advantages?
Renting a vacation home can be up to 30-50 percent cheaper than a hotel accommodation not to mention the comfort that you provide to your family, since you’ll have plenty of space and you will not be forced to live crowded.
However, whether you want to go on holiday somewhere on the seaside, in the mountains or to a big city, there are a few things you should keep in mind before renting a vacation house.
Let’s see what is recommended to prevent the unexpected and to avoid unpleasant surprises.
Find offers only from a trusted source
Resort to large, known websites that shows offers made directly from owners or by those who administer such properties.
Real estate agencies in the area where you want to spend your holidays are another good source to study more offers.
Organize all in advance
Most holiday homes are leased for several months before the season, so it would be better to make a reservation in advance to be sure that you’ll have to choose from.
Even if it’s never too late to schedule a vacation, the best vacation homes will be occupied first. However, you could get a discount if you choose to book something at the last minute, because many agents and landlords prefer to rent to a lower price than to remain with the house empty.
Get as much detail as possible
Try each time to ask for accurate details. For example, if you are told that the building is located near the beach, asking if “almost” means across the street or 1,000 feet away.
Ask if there is a charge for access to the beach, if you need to rent lounge chairs or if they are included in the price, ask how close you are to restaurants and pharmacies, which are sized of beds, how big are the rooms, if you have air conditioning or if you can bring your pet.
Request more photos
Even though most websites shows quite a few pictures of the inside and outside, it is advisable to ask for some more photos.
Before making a decision, ask to see some photos of each room separately, photos outside the house so that you realize how close is this property from the neighbor buildings and to see also how large is the yard.
Find reviews made by other tourists
Reviews made by people who have rented a particular house can also be helpful. Their experience can be a good criterion to choose a good offer. Try to put in balance the feedback provided by those who were in a certain place. In this way you can take a wise decision.
Be thoroughly documented
Do not stop on the first offer that you found it on the Internet, look for multiple locations, make a list of options that and try to compare the advantages and disadvantages of each offer.
Check the address specified in the offer by using Google Maps, to “visit” the virtual surroundings, in other words, make sure you have access to all the facilities promised in the tender.
Read carefully the leasing conditions
Most holiday homes can be rented for at least a full week, but there are locations that are only for a weekend or for a few days, especially in the big cities. Maybe, if you rent for more than a week, you can receive a discount.
Most owners require paying a deposit a month or two before, plus a damage deposit.
Require to sign a contract
Signing a lease can give you the assurance that you will get back the damage deposit.
You can also should request specific document to additional taxes have to pay, such as pet or penalty fees in case of cancellation or postponement of booking.
Do not rule out a holiday insurance
Insurance policy may be included in the offer of the owner or agent, but if it does not exist, you can use a specialized agency. Thus, at a rental fee of $ 2,000, insurance cost around $ 50, charge that protects you from any inconvenience or trouble.
Safety Precautions
When you receive the keys of the building, make sure you also have the owner or agent phone number. If you lose the key, the lock brakes or if a family member is locked in the house, you should turn to them to bring you a spare key.
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