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If you are looking for a place to vacation then check out our vacation rental listings here. This site is new and being expanded each week with more properties and helpful advice for travelers.

Choosing the right vacation home...

Choices, choices, choices

Choosing a vacation home can be overwhelming. There is lots of choice in vacation homes, from location, to size of home, to amenities and more. Where do you start? Where do you stay? Will I make the right choice?

With a little planning, the process can be a lot easier. Take a deep breath and follow our handy guide to selecting a vacation home.

Start with the basics

The first question to answer is how many people are going to be traveling? It sounds simple, but if you are planning a large family reunion or togethering sometimes it is hard to get a final number. In that case, try and get maximum number, especially if you think you may need one or more homes on the same community. We will discuss multiple homes a little later.

Once you know how many people are likely to be traveling, you can work out how many beds and bed sizes you need. A lot of vacation homes are individually owned and furnished and there is no standard bed configuration. That is one of the things that helps make staying in a vacation home such a great experience, but it does take time to ensure you have the right number and type of beds required.

Once you know the number of bedrooms that you need, you can start looking at the right size of home for you.

Homes have a maximum occupancy limit. This can vary depending on how the owner has set up their home and the local laws. For example, homes in Florida typically have a maximum occupancy as follows;

• 2 bedroom home - 6 guests
• 3 bedroom home - 8 guests
• 4 bedroom home - 10 guests
• 5 bedroom home - 12 guests
• 6 bedroom home - 14 guests
• 7 bedroom home - 16 guests

in addition to this you can usually include one or two infants when they occupy the same room as others.

Consider the people in your group when you look for a particular size home. Often to get the maximum occupancy in a home, you may have to use a sleeper sofa in a living area. That means reduced privacy for the person/people that are sleeping there and/or missing the opportunity for others to stay up late if the sleepers need to sleep. Consider taking a larger home so that you have more space and privacy for the whole family. You have already made a decision not to be confined to a small hotel room (1 room, 1 bathroom for 4 people) so take full advantage of that and spread out a little. You will all be happier.

Location, location, location

There are usually many rental home choices in popular areas, some on communities or resorts that are specifically set up for vacation rentals. Some are older communities, some further away from the main attractions, some with not as many amenities or different size/layout of home. Prices will vary based on these and other factors such as season.

Points that you may want to consider to help narrow down your choices:

• Location of community. - How close is it to the attractions you want to visit? Try and find that information in a tangible format such as miles from A to B. (Not everyone can be within 10 minutes of the main attraction, but many may claim to be).
• Community Amenities. These amenities are more important if you have time away from the main attractions planned, have teenagers that want to hang out with teenagers, are renting a townhome / condo or have a large group renting several homes (you may want a central meeting point).

Home, sweet home

Getting the right home, along with the right owner, can help make your vacation a magical one. But where do you start when selecting the right home? Every home is different, every home is special in it's own unique way.

Make a list of the features that are very important to you - your 'must haves'. These are the things that would impact your stay if you don't have them, for example if you need high speed internet in the home to keep in touch with work or business, then that item probably belongs on a 'must have' list. If a home doesn't have your 'must haves' then move on the next home. In addition, think about the features that would be nice to have. These are optional things that are not so important to you but would be appreciated if provided. Perhaps having board games provided in the home is not that important, but would be nice, but it certainly is not a deal breaker.

When comparing homes, remember that all the extra amenities come with a cost to provide them and maintain them. Some are negligible cost, and some have a more significant cost. This is often reflected in the price of a unit so you may want to balance price and amenities. Vacation homes are still a bargain compared to staying in an equivalent hotel room, so splurge a little. Enjoy your vacation in your home away from home.

Big kids, little kids and the young at heart

Make sure that you are catering for your whole family by checking that the home you rent works for everyone.

Little Kids

Traveling with little kids can be fun, but it takes planning and is sometimes not much of a rest for the parents. When traveling with babies and infants, it is useful to find a home with amenities for that age group. Owners often provide items such as portable or full size cribs, high chairs, strollers, baby monitors, toys, books and more at no extra charge (it is often just requested that items are left clean and tidy and returned to the location in which they were found). If a home doesn't appear to have all the little kid items you are looking for, it doesn't hurt to ask the owner if they do have them. Another option is to rent the items you need. The owner may be able to arrange that through their management company.

Safety is always an issue when traveling with children, especially where pools are concerned. Newer constructed vacation pool homes may be required by law to have either a pool safety fence or alarms on all the doors leading to the pool. If you have children in your group, make sure the pool home you are renting has appropriate safety measures. Other safety features to consider are security alarms, outlet covers, cabinet door locks, child safety gates.

Big Kids

Look for homes that have amenities for big kids (this includes teenagers, and adults - you know who they are). Homes may have games rooms with items such as billiards tables, foosball, ping pong, arcade games, darts etc. Another feature that appears in homes are games consoles such as Playstation, XBox and Nintendo. Check with the owner to see if they provide any games for the consoles, or plan to bring your own.

The young at heart

Elderly parents and grand-parents often enjoy spending vacations with the family. Make sure that the home you rent will allow them to enjoy the vacation too. Some homes are two stories, so checking that there is at least one bedroom on the ground floor (especially one with a walk-in shower) is usually appropriate.

You know your family best, trust your knowledge and instincts to find the home that is best for you.

Togethering

It is becoming more common for families to vacation together in what is being called togethering. If you are planning a family reunion or a togethering, then the logistics become even more important, as well as complex. If you are planning a large family gathering, you may need two or more properties and of course you want to be close to each other, ideally on the same street or at least in the same community. It is important to start planning in advance, preferably by 12-18 months, especially if your trip is planned for a busy travel time such as one of the major holiday periods. Consider traveling in the quieter times as you will have several advantages including; costs will be lower, lines at any attractions may be shorter and there will be a greater choice of homes.

Worried about renting from stranger? The two way street

If this is your first time renting a home, you may be nervous about sending money to a stranger, afraid that the home may not exist, worried that your dream vacation will be ruined. Everyone has heard of the nightmare reports and scams. Try to relax and talk to the owner that you are interested in renting from - they may also be nervous about you! Are you who you say you are, will you look after their home, will you be a good guest? You are entrusting your family vacation to a stranger, they are entrusting their home (which can be worth in excess of half a million dollars) to a stranger. It is a two way street.

Make sure you deal with an owner that you feel comfortable with. Do they have any testimonials that you can see? Did you get any recommendations from people you know? How long have they owned the home? Ask the owner questions, are they open, honest and up front with you? Most owners will offer ways to help alleviate your fears, they could suggest that you talk to their management company, or they may offer to show you their rental licence, or they may have another way to help you feel comfortable that their home will be available for your magical vacation.