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Villa and Apartment Rental Tips

Just because you have chosen to holiday abroad it does not mean that you have to give up your home comforts. Choosing a villa or apartment rental instead of a hotel allows you to enjoy a “home from home” style experience even though you are in a foreign country. You can retain your privacy and independence, and enjoy your holiday completely on your own terms.

Renting a villa or apartment is ideal for families as well as groups of friends. The cost works out the same, if not cheaper, than a hotel, and you can relax and fun without disturbing or being disturbed by other hotel guests. Rentals allow you freedom with your time to come and go as you please, and they provide all modern conveniences so that you are fully self-reliant. In a holiday rental you know the kind of food available, and can have no complaints about bad service. Moreover, the space you can expect at a holiday villa will be far greater than at a hotel.

Holiday Home Rentals - Things to Consider

Location: The first thing to decide is what you want from your holiday. Do you want to rent a villa or an apartment? They are equally self-sufficient, but an apartment will probably be in a block, therefore still leaving you open to potential disturbance from other holiday makers. If there is a swimming pool, it is most likely to be a shared facility. In an apartment however, you are more likely to be nearer a town or main attractions and will have less far to travel for entertainment, food and other amenities.

If you opt for a villa, you must also think about the destination. A coastal villa with a sea view will be very attractive but more expensive to rent, especially in peak season. An isolated mountain retreat will be perfect for a quiet, relaxing getaway, but you will need to think about how practical it will be if you have to travel far, if you may need medical attention, or if you have children who will get bored. How close to you want to be to local amenities or attractions?

A remote location will be peaceful when you have arrived, but what about the actual arrival? Is it far from the airport, and will you havea hire a car? If it is a long flight driving for a few hours to a remote villa straight afterwards may not feel like a good way to begin a holiday.

Facilities you need from you holiday villa: After you have chosen the style and location, think about what you want from the villa or apartment itself. They generally tend to come with all mod cons, but you will need to ask about clothes driers and other items which are not strictly necessary. Some new apartments, particularly in the US, even have entertainment systems. Inevitably though the more added amenities the villa has; the more the expense.

Management of your villa:Is your chosen holiday rental privately owned or managed by an agency? If it privately owned, it will have a personal touch that you may either disagree with or find homely and welcoming. Having contact directly with the owner can also simplify things. While an agency can be less personal, they are likely to have set procedures and standards for booking, for the property, and if things go wrong.

Telephone the apartments or villas that meet your needs and speak directly with the owner or the person in charge of handling that specific property. Prepare a list of questions and compare answers, but be aware that feeling is as important as fact: if the person dealing with your enquiries is unfriendly, unorganised, or unhelpful, it does not bode well if you experience any problems. Ask the owner how long they have been letting holiday apartments and get a feel for how much they know about what it involves. If you are phoning on the basis of a description only, ask if they can email or post recent photographs of the property.

Arrangements: Make sure that the property owner is fully aware of the number of both adults and children in your party; don't just give the general number of people. There maybe more issues to be discussed depending on the age of the children. Find out whether a deposit will be required on arrival, as you will need to be prepared with cash in hand. Many villa rentals request this as a pre-emptive measure against any damage or breakage that occurs.

Anything else?: If you are aiming to book your holiday rental outside of the peak season, (around October to March), don't forget to also check whether there are any special holidays or events taking place in your chosen country at that time that will cause any difficulties in travel etc. Whilst it is possible to take pets with you to some holiday rentals, you must make sure that they are fully vaccinated and have the necessary documents. In Portugal for example, most dogs that you see running loose are not strays; the Portuguese just allow their dogs to run free.