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Villa and Apartment RentalTips

Just because youhave chosen to holiday abroad it does not mean that you have to give up yourhome comforts.  Choosing a villa orapartment 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 villaor 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 disturbedby other hotel guests.  Rentals allow youfreedom 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 foodavailable, 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 Rentals - Things to Consider

Location: The first thing to decide is what you wantfrom your holiday.  Do you want to rent avilla or an apartment?  They are equallyself-sufficient, but an apartment will probably be in a block, therefore stillleaving you open to potential disturbance from other holidaymakers.  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 avilla, 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: 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 thoughthe more added amenities the villa has; the more the expense.

Management:Is your chosen holiday rental privately owned or managed by an agency?  If it privately owned, it will have apersonal 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 geta 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 givethe 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 requiredon arrival, as you will need to be prepared with cash in hand.  Many villa rentals request this as apre-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 ispossible 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 dogsto run free.

Owning a Holiday Rental Property - Things to Consider

With our increasing incomesand leisure time, more people are choosing buy to let property abroad.  It gives owners an extra income, particularlythroughout the peak holiday season, as well as being somewhere that they can holiday themselves all year round. Buying property abroad can be cheaper than property in the UK, and unlike a local UK property you will not be expected to drive over in the dead of night to change a light bulb!  It is possible to either buy an existing property, or to invest in a property development.

Is it right for you?: Before you get carried away by the idea of extra income and your own holiday home, assess the cons as well as the pros.  Can you really afford the initial expense of the purchase, or if you can, will you have any money left to do up the property?  If the property does need work, you will also have to be able to spare some time and more money totravel.

Holiday apartments and villas in good locations thrive in peak season, but are often vacant during winter months.  Can you afford the mortgage if the property is not being rented?  Interest rates will inevitably rise, but you must still be able to pay along with utilities, taxes,insurance, management fees, running repairs, gardening, pool maintenance…

Do your homework: Research the area in which you are looking to buy.  Are there already plenty of holiday villas providing a lot of competition, are there a lot of people vying for too few holiday lets, or is it a less popular location?

It is always advisable torent a villa or apartment first to get a feel for the area and make sure that it is a desirable location and property type. Does a lot of construction and development take place in the area, orare there any other nearby noise pollutants? Think about the kind of people who will or who you would like to rent your villa.  Does it have good views, or is it close to local amenities?  Decide whether you want to buy a relaxing retreat or somewhere that is close to the main attractions, and then list the desirable qualities required.  Some of the most popular requests for aholiday villa rental are:

• Close to a swimming pool
• Close to shops, bar and restaurant
• Well equipped kitchen

If you are planning onfinding an isolated haven of calm, don’t forget that you will need someone tokeep an eye on your property when you are the many miles back home.  A keyholder and cleaner is necessary forin-between lets, so make sure that it is possible to arrange.  Managing a holiday rental is time consumingfor both you and whoever is responsible when you are not present.

Managing your property: When developing or decorating your villa; it isimportant to remain focussed on the property as a business.  Even though you may use it as a holidayapartment yourself, think about what your clients will want.  While personal touches appeal to many villarenters they can be turned off by excessive décor.  Offering additional services like daily cleaningby a maid may also seem like an idea that will attract holidaymakers, howeverfor some clients the point of villa and apartment rental is the privacy itallows over hotels.  Make sure everythingthat you do to and for the holiday rental is absolutelynecessary or has a widespread appeal to potential clients.

Take your time with writingan advertisement but tell the truth. Clients will not make a return visit if you have promised a sea viewthat in reality requires a telescope.  Beclear about all the property’s features and its location in relation to anyattractions or shops.  Everyone makestheir property sound as appealing as possible, but outright dishonesty will lead to fewer bookings and many complaints.

Don't think that you will beable to rely on your friends as a ready market, they are more likely to hopefor a freebie.  That said, in off-peakseason when your property is empty offering your friends holiday accommodationat low rates is better than nothing.

Finally; you should beprepared and brace yourself. Even if your holiday let is frequently booked and making you a nice little income,there will always be criticism.  Try notto take it personally when clients point out their dislikes and faults aboutyou property, especially when it is on the grounds of personal taste.  You cannot please everyone, but as long as you please most and run a successful, busy holiday rental you will have achieved your goal.