Can anyone give me tips for RENting a house

[califred]

We 6 adults and 4 children in our party and would like to stay offsiet in house

Anyeone to check out?

Who to steer clear?

Thanks

 

[SimonV]

Califred, this has been discussed recently on This! thread, which should provide some food for thought.

I also rate Florida Leisure and Alexander Holiday Homes very highly from personal experience, while Welcome Homes USA, Premier and New Horizons (also a realty company) also check out well.

Read on and enjoy!

 

[califred]

thank you I tried to do a search but it wouldn't let me, thanks for finding the thread.

 

[soojay]

Yes I can vouch for Florida Leisure too.
Internet searches should bring up private homes too - just put something like holiday villas in florida etc. Good luck, and have a great holiday ...you'll never go back to hotels afterwards

 

[Robinrs]

Some tips I check are

1:Location. It's important to be very close to Disney. Some homes are 5 minutes away while others are more than 20 mins away.

2: Layout of the house. If you're staying with separate families are small children the placement of the rooms matter. If you're travelling with two families two masters are a good thing. Some of FL's houses have a master upstairs and one down. This is a great alternative.

3: Privacy. Some pools face a lake or a conservation area, which makes it quiet and private. Others face other people's pools. Decide which one you want.

4: TVs. If you want a TV in the master, make sure there is one there. Some owners only offer the master in the living area.

5: Telephones. Check if there is more than one phone in the house IF that matters to you.

6: Down payment and final payment. Some owners have non-refundable down payments. Anything can happen to change your plans so either get insurance or choose a place that WILL refund your down payment. Also some owners demand the money before you arrive and others expect the balance when you arrive. This may be important to you so ask their policy.

These are the criteria I look for. It is based on your own preferences but I've learned my lesson from staying in several vacation homes. I think they're incredible, though!

Robinrs

 

[soojay]

What brilliant advice !
Size of Pool may also matter to you - can it be heated [ not solar] is there a pool blanket...are there enough pool loungers for your party, or will you be fighting for them........ Kiddy Pool ?
Is there more than one living area - if travelling with families together, a quiet room can be useful.When choosing the layout of our home, I chose to have a formal lounge, and a seperate family room, with vaulted ceiling. THis gives lots of living areas for people to spread out in [ I think the Playstation helps here too !] I also provide TV's in Masters [ yep one up and one down] so that people may have some privacy. You definitely need to consider peoples privacy, no matter how good friends you are - as the smallest niggles can ruin it all !
Extra's that I think matter - kitchen scales, blenders, toasters coffee makers, cheese graters, kids cutlery and plates, outdoor dining ware and poolside unbreakable glasses - all kinds of things that help your childrens safety. Also lots of Villa owners decorate their homes with a disney themed bedroom to help kids settle in, I have found this, and the toys I leave out, to be very popular. Some have games rooms set up in the garages, we have put bar football and table tennis in our homes, but leave the remote entry garage free for cars to be kept cool. As you can see - there are lots of individual differences to villas - but in the words of somebody famous you first consideration....location location location. THe 192 can get busy, so bear in mind your travelling time. We like to hit the parks early, come back to the pool in the heat of the day to relax, and go back inthe evening refreshed. You cannot do this if you are staying too far away. OR maybe you prefer to be near a golf course. Is your mind buzzing yet ?
Don't forget that lake view to relax with. I love the early mornings on our Estate, with the hot air balloons going over, bald eagle swooping, otter playing, mist rising from the lake - sigh - I'm 'homesick' again.

 

[Mr D]

I rented a home from Families First in dec. 2001 for two weeks, excellant home and rates, and for a 28 night stay upcoming in jan. 2004 I booked a home from Orlando Villas again at good rates, they have a discussion board where you can talk directly to the owners.