How are rental homes really cheaper?

[TheRatPack]

We rented from Families First one year and they require no security deposit, and you paid for a certain percentage to make the ressies and then about a week before arriving you paid the balance. Anyway, we had a HORRIBLE time with them the second year.....but the first year really was a great situation and we looked in to renting another home or condo only to find that it's really expensive when you add on all the little things. The first price is always so inviting, but then you tack on pool heat, security deposit, cleaning fee, taxes and for us a pet deposit (most of these are reasonable but someone even quoted me 500.00 deposit for her....she's a 6 pound dachshund!!!). I just don't see how people do it, we pay for our vacation up front and don't use credit cards.....so coming up with 800-1000 for accommodations for 6-7 nights with the hope of getting 250+ deposit back at the end of the stay is very hard to do. I know that most per night charges seem cheaper than a hotel but in reality I just don't see why everyone keeps saying it's cheaper, once adding on all the 'extras' I don't see how it is.

 

[Kate-n-sam]

I think most people think it's cheaper than staying on-site, not off site in a 45/night hotel. Also most of us don't have a dog to pay for. I don't pay for cleaning for stays of more than a week. I fully expect to get my 250 back at the end of the trip. I don't think villa owners are in the business of keeping the SD unless absolutely necessary. If they were, they wouldn't ever have repeat customers.

When all is done you can probably pay 45 or less for an off site hotel room, but you're not getting a private pool, private parking, multiple bathrooms, multiple tv's, multiple bedrooms and a full kitchen, and washer and dryer. The home we are renting is practically new, with new furnishings etc. I am guessing most of the less expensive off site hotels are going to be old and dated. I don't think a rental house can be beat for what you get for the money. It may not be cheaper than a hotel, but definately much much better value for the $$. I'm not trying to be fresh, I just don't think you can compare apples to oranges.

Check out these boards and look for a different rental agency. Many come highly recommended! Good luck!

 

[tednvon]

Hi..your question is a good one and well worth evaluating.

As a rule of the thumb, I think the larger the group the more the savings in a home or big condo.
Two people do not need a house or even a two bedroom condo...so 50 to 60 a night for a nice hotel or even 40 for a basic hotel (they all add 12% to the price) works fine.

Now add two kids under 10. A hotel room will still work with two beds and one TV and bath....But after 7 days everyone will know they have been in single roomfor a week together.

If you decide on a "suite" or two rooms and a bath you will be at 80 to 175 a night depending on the suite. Still good for one family with young kids.

Now two kids over 10 but a teenager or even two. Now privacy, bathrooms and running around sorta dressed becomes more of an issue. The suite is 100 dollars and the bed gets made every day.
The two bed two bath condo is 90 a night and mom and dad now have a private bath and bedroom.....peace in the family.

Keep adding bodies or another family or two or three and the savings and convenience start to add up fast.

Our home is 7 bedroom 6 bath, 4200 sq. ft. game room for the kids, huge pool and spa, and 3 private king bed suites. and 3 other baths for the kids.

For grandma, grandpa, the two grown children and 5 grandchildren you now have huge place to share common areas like the pool, deck and family room, and places for the kids to "get lost" and play.

Cost will be $109/night per family total with tax, pool heat, the works. No adults are having to sharing baths, no trying to get adjacent hotel rooms, the frig is full of basics so money is saved on breakfast and snacks or even full meals can be cooked.

Could these folks rent 4 hotel rooms at La Quinta for @250.00/night? Probably. But for about $15.00/per family a day they get the home.

A lot of folks do this homework and decide to go with a home. Again, I think the larger the group the more it pays and the better it is to spread out. Never scrimp on the bathrooms.

Believe me, Families First is not the standard of quality. They have really had some problems, but agencies like www.villadirect.com do NOT sell homes or have realestate. They just manage property and rent it out.

Whatever you decide...Enjoy
Ted

 

[BonnieA]

I have rented from an agency that does not require any security deposit and has a liberal cancellation policy. All I pay in advance is for the first night stay and that is refundable with enough notice.
With more than 2 people a house is a worthwhile investment. The separate bedrooms and bathrooms make it appealing enough for me. Also the savings on meals (breakfasts usually) and convenience of a laundry.
I don't take my pet with me, nor do I need the pool heated. So that keeps the price down a bit.

 

[ibleedblue]

As tednvon said, I think it really has to do with the size of the family going. For instance, for our trip in June we're staying 8 nights and renting three 4 bedroom 3 bath homes. We have 29 people going. Normally we'd have to have 8 rooms sleeping 4 to a room. At $50 a room, that'd be $3200 not including tax. Our total price for all three homes is $2980 for everything. Obviously we don't need pool heat in June. That works out to be $103.45 per individual for the entire week. The largest family we have going has 6 people, so they are paying $620.70 for the eight night stay or $77.59 per night. Normally they would require two hotel rooms for all six people, at at least $40 per room plus taxes off site. On site it would be $79 per room. So it's just a little cheaper for them but when you consider the added space and convenience of a home versus a hotel room, I'd choose a home hands down. Fortunately for us, my family is just me and my wife, so we're only paying $206 for 8 nights. That's $25 per night which is a good bit lower than a 'bad' hotel room.

Greg

 

[TheRatPack]

Originally posted by Kate-n-sam
I think most people think it's cheaper than staying on-site, not off site in a 45/night hotel. It may not be cheaper than a hotel, but definately much much better value for the $$. I'm not trying to be fresh, I just don't think you can compare apples to oranges.

I understand your point of view, but we're staying in a newly renovated hotel for 69.00 a night. I checked on a home that was quoted at 59.00 a night. So at first glance.....why in the world would I take the hotel over the home? Well first off there is a 250.00 deposit, which of course we'd probably get back.....but still I have to come up with that money for the trip, we don't use credit cards.....so charging it and then getting it returned isn't an option. There is the 20.00 a night pool heat as well, which we could skimp on but our luck the pool would be shaded and it wouldn't get heated by the sun. Then I have to put a 65.00 a night cleaning fee on to that total. So 868.00 not including taxes for the 2 bedroom home.....not including the 100.00 pet cost either. The hotel charges 12% tax just like everyone else does, and a 3.95 fee per night for safe use, resort fee....etc. Total cost for the same amount of time: 510.00 So I know it's not comparing apples to apples, but we are usually only in the hotel/home for a few hours a day then of course to sleep. I'm sure we'd probably stick around more with a private pool of course....but my kids don't care either way and have met some great friends swimming in the hotel pool. So I am sure for some people it is the way to go, more comfort/luxury...etc but it's not always the cheaper option, just because you see a house that is quoted per night like the hotels are doesn't mean the bottom line is cheaper.

 

[TheRatPack]

Originally posted by tednvon
Hi..your question is a good one and well worth evaluating.

As a rule of the thumb, I think the larger the group the more the savings in a home or big condo.

See I agree completely with your post. We've rented a home when it was us and my brother in laws family, we split the bottom line straight down the middle and it ended up costing us around 350.00 for the whole week, and they paid 350.00.....so cheaper than either one of us could have gotten a hotel and nice and roomy. But for just a family of 4, not splitting the cost....it can be a bit more in the long run. I am still checking home rental cost and trying to come across a good deal.....but currently (especially since we travel with our 6 pound dog) we just haven't been able to get it under 750.00-800.00 plus add in anywhere from 150.00 to 500.00 deposit for the dog......and that to me is just too much to have to save for accommodations when we really aren't that picky to begin with (we currently live in a tiny house anyway....around 1000 square feet, so when we stay in an 800 square foot hotel suite with kichenette for 69.00 a night.....we're happy

 

[Aimeedyan]

Depends on the people. We stayed in one last year, there were 4 of us and a cat. My mom was moving to Orlando and we needed a place for the cat to stay while we moved her stuff in. It was cheaper for us... The 4 of us couldn't stay in one room (me and my husband, 19 yo brother, and 50 yo mom) so we had to think about two rooms each night at a hotel, plus figuring out what to do with the cat. PLUS we were able to buy food and cook there at home on days when we werent out and about. We didnt do the parks each day, we did other things too.

We didnt bother with the pool being heated or anything... wasn't important to us. We enjoyed having a tv and vcr, garage to park in, washer and dryer included, 3 bathrooms, and 5 bedrooms. We had a great time.

So really, they're cheaper if it fits what you need to get done. Everybodys family is different... If we go again with a big group, we'll do the house again. We really had a great time being together... The house we were in could sleep 12! What a great family reunion that would be!!!! =)

 

[maximom]

Originally posted by TheRatPack
we just haven't been able to get it under 750.00-800.00 plus add in anywhere from 150.00 to 500.00 deposit for the dog......and that to me is just too much to have to save for accommodations when we really aren't that picky to begin with (we currently live in a tiny house anyway....around 1000 square feet, so when we stay in an 800 square foot hotel suite with kichenette for 69.00 a night.....we're happy

I agree with you as well. Unless I'm looking in the wrong place I can't find a cheaper home than hotel since we're just a fam of 4 and are only staying 5 nights .. most require 7. But I do have a question, where did you get a new hotel with 800 sf suite w/kitchenette for that price????

 

[debden]

We were going to stay on-site at Universal for 4 nights then my sister and her family decided to go.After adding it all up it would have been over $1000 for 2 rooms for 4 nights on-site at Universal.Since my sister could not afford that we decided on a big
5 Bed/4 Bath home and it was a little over $700 for our stay. A big savings in my eyes especially when it doesn't involve eating out every night at a restaurant on-site.That alone costs a bundle!
We got our groceries and cooked out on the grill every night and it was so much fun! In fact we have already booked another house for our August trip! I figure you get back the security deposit so I don't see it as an added expense.
I'm sure we will not be going back to hotel rooms any time soon!!
Debbie

 

[RobinMarie]

Our large, extended family LOVED renting a home with seven bedrooms, several bathrooms, two living rooms and a large kitchen! It was a lot cheaper than hotel rooms, and the ability to regroup each evening together in a home rather than a room was great. We saved some on food, though that wasn't our goal.

Having a mixture of seniors and infants I can't imagine going another way. Having a washer and dryer in the home probably saved my sanity. Having a dishwasher to clean/sanitize items was great too.

Having said that, I wouldn't stay in a home if it was just my smaller family unless it was for an extended stay!

 

[disneysteve]

The great thing about vacationing in the Disney area is that there are accomodations to fit every taste, budget and family size. You can get a cheap hotel room for $19.95/nite and it goes up from there to luxury resorts that are hundreds/nite.

Is a rental home right for everyone? Absolutely not. Personally, we have rented several houses and 1 condo in the Disney area. We love it and I'm frequently recommending that concept here and elsewhere. But we don't always do it. The last time just my DW, DD and I went by ourselves (11/2002) we stayed in a 1-bedroom suite at Days Suites Old Town for $39.95/nite. I didn't even consider a house for that trip because it would have been more expensive. The 3 of us are going again this November and we'll probably stay there again if the price is right.

In comparison, our last trip was 11/2003. It was the 3 of us plus my mother-in-law. Even at a budget hotel like Days Suites, we wold have paid at least $80/nite total (plus taxes and fees). Instead, we rented a 3-bedroom, 2-bath condo for $90/nite. We were all together, but not "too" together if you know what I mean. MIL had the master bedroom with private bath. DW and I had the 2nd master bedroom and shared a bathroom with DD who had her own bedroom. We had a full kitchen and a spacious living/dining room. We had 3 tv's, a screened-in porch and access to the community pool and other amenities. We split the cost so we each paid $45/nite plus tax. There were no other hidden fees. Yes, there was a security deposit, but we got that back so it really doesn't count as an expense. And I recently found a site (closesttodisney.com) that offers the same condos for $69/nite which makes it an even better deal.

Homes are great options for when you need them. But certainly, hotels can work out cheaper when you don't need the added space.

Steve

 

[tednvon]

WHEW!!!!!!

I hope we all have energy left to go to the parks!!!!!!

 

[disneysteve]

Originally posted by tednvon
WHEW!!!!!!

I hope we all have energy left to go to the parks!!!!!!

Ted - I don't know about you, but I could talk non-stop about Disney. And the more I talk about it, the more fired-up I get for my next trip.

Steve

 

[tednvon]

It really is fun, isn't it??

 

[TheRatPack]

Originally posted by maximom
I agree with you as well. Unless I'm looking in the wrong place I can't find a cheaper home than hotel since we're just a fam of 4 and are only staying 5 nights .. most require 7. But I do have a question, where did you get a new hotel with 800 sf suite w/kitchenette for that price????

you can go to www.Mainstaysuitesmaingate.com and check on their family suite or Bilevel then go to Hotel Kingdom and get better rates For our dates of travel it's 69.00 a night, but you're may be less as we've gotten their bi-level before for 55 The hotel is currently offering a stay for 6, get the 7th night for free right now too, so if you divide the total for 6 nights by 7....it might be cheaper to book straight through Mainstay. I also PM'd you with a bit more information on where it's located...etc.

 

[TheRatPack]

Originally posted by disneysteve
Yes, there was a security deposit, but we got that back so it really doesn't count as an expense.
Steve

I guess that is just where I'm having the problem. We are always on a tight budget anyway, since we pay cash for everything....we don't use credit cards at all and it makes our vacation a lot more enjoyable knowing we don't have to come back home and pay for it. So coming up with an added 250.00 security and 150.00 for our dog(again one man even told us it was an extra 100.00 for the pet since they have to treat it after we leave and then 500.00 deposit for her!) I know that we are not the norm, most people don't travel with their pet so that added expense doesn't even figure in to the equation.....but for us it's the defining factor with a lot of hotels I'm afraid. We really do like the hotel that we got for 69.00 a night though.....and all in all I can handle the bottom line price over the few benefits we'd get from renting our own home with private pool. Plus someone cleans my hotel room every day (including washing my dishes) included in the price.....so truly a vacation for all of us I do like the idea of houses for larger families though....and if we had someone going with us we'd probably reconsider it, although our half would still be larger due to our pet. Anyhow, thanks for everyones input......

 

[tednvon]

RatPack,
Have a wonderful time.....

YOU ARE GOING TO DISNEYWORLD!!

TED

 

[TheRatPack]

Originally posted by tednvon
RatPack,
Have a wonderful time.....

YOU ARE GOING TO DISNEYWORLD!!

TED

LOL, I know it....we've been for the past 8-9 years atleast once a year and I'm always the one planning too much. The year that we were messed with by Families First (Long story short....arrive/check in/nasty house/don't have anywhere else to stay/left finding accommodations short notice on a Holiday week), we had the BEST time. I cried the whole first night, but kept thinking that I couldn't ruin it for my kids so I started trying to make the best of it....it turned out to be our best ever vacation (as far as memories and less stress). I am really trying not to be such a precise planner, but crunching numbers is my weakness....sorry

I am siked though....can't wait to leave for vacation. And this year we're bumping it up a notch from 6 nights to a full 7.....even though last year I was ready to come home at the 5th night, when I'm back home I think "why on earth did I want to leave....LOL"

I'll have a blast no matter where I stay.....I'm sure most of us would

 

[Zipitydooda]

You might consider a vacation condo. 3bed 2bath condos are all over the place for $70 $80 per night and you use the community pool. We love Windsor Palms and Lake Marion Golf Resort.
Zip