Expect that if you rent a hotel room, you would be paying a lot. This is not just because of the well-furnished structure or intricate interior design. More importantly, hotels do offer services beyond bed and breakfast—they have various activities for the family!
But if you are on a tight budget, you have many other alternatives, such as rentals or vacation homes near beach resorts. To help you choose the best vacation home, here are 5 qualities you should be looking for.
1. Dependability
The best vacation homes are those near hubs that offer fun family activities; that is if your vacation home itself cannot offer those.
Some activities you can consider looking at are boating, fishing, kayaking and jet skiing. These will be good bonding activities for the family without costing you too much. If you do not have an active lifestyle, you may consider looking for additional amenities such as deep-sea fishing or barbecue grills by the shore.
Aside from fun activities, of course, your vacation home should be complete in terms of basic household needs such as fully-equipped kitchens, dependable utilities and well-kept rooms.
2. Exclusivity
Compared to most hotels, vacation homes can offer more exclusivity for you and your family. In case you’d like your extended family to join you, there are also some compounds of villas put up for rent.
With your vacation home, imagine not having to stay in common areas such as lobbies or public pools. You can definitely act as you please since you don’t have any outsiders to consider.
In fact in the Caribbean, the island of St. Martin offers exquisite villas with three bedrooms and an internal pool exclusively for your family.
3. Security
According to USA Today, Florida beaches are laden with several types of accommodations, from two-storey vacation homes to condo-type units. They recommended condo-type ones for couples or single-child families, since they are more secured and less costly.
But for larger families, three-bedroom condo units and beach houses are more preferred. This is because these vacation homes are structured with better facilities and fuller equipment for security.
Frontdoor.com suggests that to test how secured your vacation home is, it needs to fulfill three criteria: presence of a wind policy, flood policy and a general hazard policy. These three cover terms and conditions for insurance purposes.
4. Cost-Effectiveness
Most dwellers in Hawaii prefer renting vacation homes than checking into hotels, as it saves them more money which can be spent on other things and activities. But without careful inspection, you can never guarantee that every cent spent is all worth it.
Getting a real estate or travel agent who is an expert on waterfront estates will help you find the most cost-effective bargains. A good alternative to travel agents would be acquiring testimonials from former residents or current neighbors.
5. Accessibility
You’ll never know when an emergency will occur. Hopefully, it won’t. But just in case, your vacation home should always be near a 24-hour clinic, a secondary-type of hospital, or a police station. Neighboring vacation homes or hotels should not be more than thirty minutes away from where you are staying. Roads leading to your home should not exceed more than a mile.
Vacation homes can help you save a lot while having the best time with your family. But without proper knowledge in choosing, you could still be ripped of your budget.
Thanks to Our Guest Author
Our special thanks to Jim Bizily, from the Park City Vacation Rentals Blog, for his professional insights into the intricacies of Vacation Rentals.
