Travelling and Photography

May 22, 2010

The Oceanside Vacation Home of Your Dreams…finding the Perfect “get Away From it All”

Filed under: Vacation Homes — Tags: , , , , , , — arkan @ 4:27 pm

Vacation homes are easy to find, just do a simple search on the internet and you will have your choice of thousands to pick from.

It’s finding which vacation home is right for you that starts to become difficult. A surfside beach condo in Florida, a beach house on the North Carolina Outer banks, luxury beach villas in Mexico…these are all great choices but do they fit your need for the perfect “Get Away From It All” vacation home?

Luxury Beach Villas or Secluded Beach House…

In real estate you always hear location, location, location. But is location really the most important to you in your choice of vacation homes? Don’t get me wrong, location does play an important part in finding your perfect get away but so do a few other factors, like amenities, price, and most importantly how your vacation is going to make you feel. After all isn’t the real purpose of a vacation to help you escape from it all, relax, rejuvenate, and have some fun?

Before you can determine your destination you will need to take some time to daydream and find out what you are really looking for in your perfect get away.

Start out by visualizing yourself in the vacation home of your dreams; whether that’s a quiet surfside beach condo where you are there watching the early morning surfers from the lanai or a secluded little beach house with the sound of waves crashing against the rocks. This is your dream “Get Away From It All” vacation…dream big and while you visualize your dream vacation, take some notes.

Activities and Amenities

Gulfing, riding the surf, a fishing expedition, beachcombing, whale watching or just some quiet time enjoying your get away. Activities play an important role in a truly enjoyable vacation and will play a part in picking the location of your “Get Away From It All” vacation home.

When planning your holiday you’ll want to consider access and availability of the activities you would like to take part in. If getting out on the gulf course for an early morning tee time is how you image starting your day, you’re probably not dreaming of loading your clubs into the trunk of your car and driving to your location.

Instead you may be picturing a view of the course from your balcony and your opportunity to play being just steps away. Amenities are another area that you will want to take some time to consider.

When you dream of your perfect get away, maybe you’re thinking Luxury Beach Villas with an on-site day spa, walls that disappear allowing the beauty of landscape outdoors to become a part of your dream retreat. Maybe you fancy fine dining, and a pampered lifestyle or maybe your dream is destination is a surfside beach condo with surf shop with expert advice right on site or a farmer’s market nearby for all the fresh fruit and vegetables you can eat.

Okay Now Were Ready to Talk Location

Now that you have your dream vacation home visualized, have your notes ready and know exactly what you are looking for in your perfect “Get Away From It All” you are ready to pick the location.

Of course a few other factors will come into play here, such as distance to travel and price but knowing exactly what you want will certainly help you in finding the perfect location of your beach house, condo, or luxury resort and will have you on the right track for finding the vacation home of your dreams and the perfect “Get Away From It All”.

Remember to have your notes on hand while searching your options for vacation homes and hold tight to your dreams after all this is your perfect get away and you know exactly what you need to make this dream come true.


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April 18, 2010

10 Tips for Renting a Vacation Home

Filed under: Vacation Homes — Tags: , , , — arkan @ 4:31 pm

Renting a vacation home is easier than you might think. You can simplify your vacation rental business and prevent potential problems if you follow some basic guidelines.

Here are some tips to help establish high standards within the industry and give confidence to new and old renters alike.

1. Respond quickly to inquiries. When renters inquire, they are typically ready to make decisions. Don’t leave prospective renters waiting around for answers, especially after they’ve devoted time to searching the Internet for a vacation property. Besides, the first to respond is often the first to get the reservation. It is also important to respond even if your property is booked, just out of common courtesy.  Consider using an auto-responder if you know there are times that it might take you a while to get to your computer.

2. Simplify your booking process. One of the top vacation renting tips is to accept credit cards from your guests. This speeds up your transactions and eliminates confusion if two renters have inquired about your property. You don’t want to make people have a race to see who gets their check to you faster. Always handle your vacation rental business in a professional and courteous fashion.

3. Keep an up-to-date calendar and rates. Owning a vacation home rental is a business. It is important to stay organized to reduce stress for yourself and to make the reservation process easier for renters. Keeping up-to-date calendar and rates not only helps your placement in the search results, but it also adds credibility to our industry. Renters will continually ask about dates and rates (even if yours are up to date) as long as there are owners out there that don’t keep theirs updated!

4. Post accurate and updated photos. Photos are probably the number one factor when a renter selects a property to book.  The purpose of including photos in your vacation rental listing is to give renters all the information they need to decide whether your property is a good fit for their vacation. Make sure not to use a zoom when taking photos of the view from your home. It is easier to show people what they will actually see rather than dealing with a disappointed renter. As a rule, it is ok to improve the lighting and color of your photos, but it’s not okay to edit photos to make your property appear better.

5. Prevent double bookings. One of the best vacation rental tips is to stay organized. Track all bookings in one place and keep thorough records to avoid the dreaded double booking situation. This will alleviate stress on both the part of the owner and the renter.

6. Cancelling a booking. If you need to cancel a reservation, the best way to handle the situation is to help the renter find another property to book. Chances are renting a vacation home has put you in touch with a lot of other owners. Tap into those resources to get help.

7. Create a rental contract. It is important to create a set of rules to establish clear expectations for you and your renters and include penalties for cancellations, damage, etc. Establishing vacation rental guidelines is a proactive way to keep you and your guests happy.

8.  Prevent cleanliness complaints. By establishing a clear check-in policy, you are following one of the top vacation rental tips!  Give guests a chance to voice any complaints from the start so you can address them quickly. A check-in policy gives you the opportunity to clearly state that there will be no refunds for issues that are not addressed at the beginning of their stay. This also reduces your chances for a negative review.

9. Charging for damages. Renting a vacation home does not mean you should be in the business to make money off of renters’ security deposits. If there are no damages after check-out, the renter should be entitled to a full refund of their security deposit. If you do incur damages, you can only charge the renter for what it costs to repair or replace the damaged item(s).

10. Use reviews to your advantage. Most owners out there will receive a negative review at some point or another; it is just part of how to rent a vacation home. Instead of getting defensive, simply respond to the review and address the problem. This shows prospective renters that you have dealt with the issue and gives them confidence in renting a vacation home managed by owners.

Following these vacation rental tips will not only reduce the stress of running a vacation rental business but will also add some trustworthiness to the entire industry. As more owners follow these vacation rental guidelines, renters will gain confidence and owners will reap the benefits.

Leah Carroll is the Assistant Editor of the HomeAway.com Owner Community, a comprehensive resource for vacation rental owners. The site includes educational articles, vacation rental news, owner polls, monthly newsletters, sample forms and checklists, webinars, and a weekly internet radio show by bestselling author, Christine Karpinski. Or if you’re looking for a vacation home to rent, browse Vacation Rentals on HomeAway.com.

March 15, 2010

Vacation Home Rentals: Best Way to Accommodate Large Families

Filed under: Vacation Homes — Tags: , , , , , , — arkan @ 4:29 pm

Come holiday season and everybody gears up for fun. Those little toddlers with their running nose and the fashionable teenagers with their latest hairdos, busy mummys running around with their daily errands, grandpas and fathers sitting in the sofa and chatting lazily- leave no stone unturned to create the perfect ambience of vacationing mood in full swing. And what about your “little louisy”- the doggie lying idly on the floor watching mummy shouting, children running around and occasionally scratching the annoying bug present in between her long body hairs? Well, vacation home rentals are the perfect answer to recreate the peaceful and cherished ambience of your house teeming with toddlers- in a tourist destination.

Benefits of Vacation Home Rentals

Tourist destinations have all types of lodging facilities. And all of them are perfect for the reasons they are created. Hotels are best for honeymoon couples, studio apartments best for bachelors, luxury hotels best when you want your holidays to be spent in full royalty. Likewise vacation home rentals are perfect for your large family. The best description for vacation home rentals is- home away from home. Vacation home rentals are actually a complete house put on rent. Expect everything in that house like complete set of furniture, well equipped kitchen, modern bathroom along with all the latest gadgets like TV, AC, VCD etc. Vacation home rentals are extremely spacious, located in quite corner of the city mostly, if not mandatorily, and can accommodate your complete family including your pet(s). Still you need to cross check whether a pet are allowed or not as this is not a clause in just any vacation home rentals.

How can you get one?

There are many online vacation home rental booking agents who will cater your needs of booking one for you. Simply check in the available details displayed in the web page of the online booking agent and register accordingly. The vacation home rentals are very economical in compare to hotel rooms and are available at comparatively cheaper rates online. Vacation home rentals are also available for small families. Only the grocery is yours and the rest of the things are of the landowner. That means you just need to do the cooking without a drop of worry about the utensils and gas and all that! Opt for vacation home rentals to add spice to your holidays and life! The net is flooded with online booking agents. Find yourself one today.

ThinkRentals.com is the best property rental site that is dedicated to the promotion of rental properties and you can book Vacation Home Rentals for your families easily. We offer Vacation Rentals by Owner for you at reasonable prices.

February 16, 2010

Villa Vacations On Volcanic Lanzarote

Filed under: Vacation Homes — Tags: , , , — arkan @ 3:24 am

Looking for a really hot holiday location? Then Lanzarote should fit the bill.

As the temperature just beneath the earth’s surface in parts of this volcanic island reach up to 400 degrees.  The legacy of recent volcanic activity in the 18th century which has left around 200km square of the island’s interior covered in lava.

Today these volcanoes are all dormant – but for six years during the 1730´s Lanzarote was subjected to a huge eruption that went on for over six years.  Totally transforming the topography of this small Canary Islands in the process.

Whilst also forcing many locals to abandon Lanzarote for a new life abroad.

The air temperatures are pretty warm on Lanzarote too – with the mercury rising to the mid 20´s Celsius even during December.  As a result holidays in Lanzarote are popular in both summer and winter – with around 1.4 million tourists a year visiting.

Lanzarote is the fourth largest of the Canaries – which are located close to the Atlantic coast of Africa but which have been owned by Spain since the 1400´s.  So this is as far south as you can go and still find yourself within the boundaries of the EU.

Self catering holidays here have grown in popularity over the last decade.  As more property owners and investors rent their Lanzarote villas and apartments out to holidaymakers.  With tourists able to book the property of their choice direct online.

There´s a great range of villas in Puerto del Carmen, the islands oldest resort, available for rent.  With areas such as Los Mojones and Risco Prieto offering plenty of peace and quiet – with the amenities of the resort within a short walk.

There are literally hundreds of restaurants for visitors to enjoy in Puerto del Carmen too – the best of which are located in and around the Old Town harbour area.  Which provide an atmospheric environment for outdoor dining.

Such is the appeal of Lanzarote that many visitors return year after year.  Often staying in different locations around the island.  As a result rural accommodation has also blossomed in recent years – with visitors able to book a stay in chic fincas and chi chi rural hotels in little villages such as Yaiza and Haria.

Car hire in Lanzarote is also very cheap – whilst the island is very small.  So making it easy to enjoy a stay in a rural part of the island without feeling isolated and cut off.

February 9, 2010

Vacation Homes In Florida: Enriching Your Vacation Experience

Filed under: Vacation Homes — Tags: , , , , — arkan @ 4:28 pm

Vacation homes in Orlando, Florida allow you to do something most people advise against: mix business with pleasure.

Florida is one of the top vacation and retirement spots in the country. Orlando, Florida is a particularly well-known destination. Known for its amusement parks and picturesque landscapes that look cut right out of a postcard, Orlando is an ideal place for tourists, pensioners, and just about anyone looking for a home.

In more recent years, Orlando has become home not just to Orlando Studios and Disney World but also to a booming real estate market. Vacation homes in Orlando, Florida can be rented and purchased for incredibly low prices. From north to south, real estate goldmines abound in the place. There are homes and town houses for sale, apartments for rent, and a number of lovely vacation homes in Orlando, Florida. Over the past few years, high demand for vacation homes in Orlando, Florida has made such a highly viable investment. After all, these vacation homes are not only inexpensive and ideal for future investment; they are also the closest one could get to the complete vacation experience. The homes are close to various vacation destinations. Moreover, they come fully furnished, with all appliances, such as stoves, washers, and dryers, already in place. So, if you can afford it, plunk down serious cash for a beautiful vacation home. You can be assured it’s worth every penny you pay.

If, on the other hand, you cannot afford as serious a purchase as a house, then you need not break the bank. Opt for renting an Orlando vacation villa instead. Renting vacation villas is especially advisable for a family on vacation. First, it gives you a free hand in picking your proximity to vacation spots. Secondly, it allows you to enjoy maximum comfort and luxury. Thirdly, it helps you save. Who wouldn’t want to enjoy better accommodations and get to save at the same time? Villas, condos, and vacation homes in Orlando, Florida can be rented for a fraction of the price of a regular hotel room. For example, given regular hotel rates, a week’s stay for two could set you back more than $1,000. On the other hand, many Orlando vacation homes can house ten people for a week, with a price tag that is much, much lesser.

There are a plethora of choices and most of them are a stone’s throw away from Disneyworld and other prominent tourist areas. Most vacation homes in Orlando, Florida come with private pools; some even boast of game rooms and Jacuzzis. Additionally, you need not find an agent to make your booking. You may book online on sites such as http://www.Holiday4You.com. For an additional charge, you may also avail of such amenities as gas barbecue rental, highchair and crib for your toddlers, a wheelchair, and even an escort. The booking process itself is simple. Most sites online offer a catalogue detailing the unit, its specific location, and its rental fee. All you have to do is browse the catalogue and fill out a secure online form.

So, in your next vacation, why not combine business with pleasure? Invest in vacation homes in Orlando, Florida or, if not that, then book one online today.

Visit Holiday4You.com to find luxury vacation homes to rent like vacation homes in Orlando, Florida or Rome vacation rental homes.

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