I'm about ready to book a vacation home. Some ???

[Lauri]

Well, we found a 4BR/4BA in Windsor Hills that the whole family seems to like. We will be booking for 2 separate 8 night stays, for $200/night, including taxes and pool heat. Is this a good rate?

Now that we're about to book, what else do I need to know? Do we get a contract with the owner? Anything we should make sure is in it, or not in it?

And what will we need to bring with us? Obviously our clothes, but what else, other than food, will we need to bring with us or buy there? Just trying to get prepared.

Thanks.

Lauri

 

[Hasil72]

Lauri,

I'll be interested to see what should and shouldn't be in the contract since we are renting direct from an owner as well. We've rented before but through a mgmt company. Here's what I've done so far. We also found a 4BR/4 BA in Windsor Hills we liked and found that the prices run the spectrum. The one we chose is $1350 for our week in November including pool heat and tax. I emailed the owner expressing interest, he replied confirming that the week was open and emailed me the booking form. I printed it out, filled it in then mailed it back with a 20% deposit. He also sent the terms and policy for rental. Once my check is received, I'll get a signed contract. I just sent it on Saturday to the UK so that's as far as we have gone in the process.

As for what to bring, I think there is a thread on this with a ton of suggestions. I'll try to find it and send it to you. Here's a start. Most homes will provide enough basics to get you started but you'll need...

toilet paper
paper towels
napkins
paper plates
garbage bags
foil
soap, shampoo, etc.
toothpaste
sun screen
laundry soap if you plan to wash while you're there
dish soap/dishwasher detergent/sponge or dish rag
coffee filters
Clorox/Lysol wipes wipes

some homes have hairdryers, some don't
if the villa has a grill, find out if you'll need charcoal or if you have to fill the propane tank
floaties for the pool
we find ziploc bags helpful
bring a small insulated bag of some sort to take frozen water bottles or juice boxes to the parks


And here's that link...
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2050054

Have a great time!

Lisa

 

[SandraLee]

Well, we found a 4BR/4BA in Windsor Hills that the whole family seems to like. We will be booking for 2 separate 8 night stays, for $200/night, including taxes and pool heat. Is this a good rate?


Lauri

I've been looking for a 4BR/4BA and the rates seemed much higher than that one. Would you be willing to tell me the link to the house? Or, send it via PM?
Thanks.

 

[Tiffa]

try justfloridavacations.com we are using them for the second time this year...love love love the rental house.. the space the washer the pool

 

[klhammon]

Does anyone know if pool heat in mid March is a must? We rented a house for 7 days but I didn't pay for the pool heat in advance. The property manager told me that we could call her once we are there and she can turn it on if we need her to but I would really rather not spend the extra money if I can get away with it

 

[Lauri]

Hasil72, Thanks for the info and the link. It's really amazing all the things we use that we just take for granted.

SandraLee, I'll post the link shortly. I'm just waiting to hear from the managment company, and I want to make sure everything looks OK before I recommend them.

Lauri

 

[4Seasons]

Does anyone know if pool heat in mid March is a must? We rented a house for 7 days but I didn't pay for the pool heat in advance. The property manager told me that we could call her once we are there and she can turn it on if we need her to but I would really rather not spend the extra money if I can get away with it

Yes you would need pool heat in March if you intend to use the pool.
I've seen alot of deals lately that include pool heat in the rental.

 

[Mama Steph]

Hi all, brand new to the site but have been lurking for a while. I have been researching vaca homes a bit and am waiting to hear back but am finding some for under $150 night through Florida-Disney Rental Homes. I have found some others in that same price range so $200 seems high. I have no experience with this though so should I be concerned about the cheaper ones I am finding?

 

[Hasil72]

Hi again. Just wanted to point out that what time of year you are traveling and what development the home is located in makes a huge difference in the price. Also, owners have the freedom to create their own seasons. For example, we're going Nov. 14-21 (classified as "regular" season in WDW resorts) and the owner we're renting from (in Windsor Hills) considers that "low" season at a great rate of $170/nt or $1175 for the week including tax.

We looked at other homes (also in WH) for the same time period and some owners rate that as "mid" season at a higher rate. We really liked another 4BR villa as well but it was almost $350 more before tax. We decided that a newer kitchen and leather furniture wasn't worth the extra $. It's all a matter of personal preference I guess.

Good luck to everyone!

And thank you Lauri for the travel insurance thread.

 

[texaslady22]

We have vacation homes rented for 1 week in February and 1 week in July--both of them are less than $800/week including taxes and pool heat. Both are 4 bedrooms with a private pool.

You may want to shop around a bit--we emailed tons of places on vacation homes by owner (vrbo) and our quotes were anywhere from $600-$1500 for a week!! That's a big difference!!

 

[miztigg]

we got 1400 for the week in feb however it ws 6 bedrooms with 2 of them being master suites wih garden tubs. then they had a kids apt which was 2 bedrooms and a sitting area. that fee included all taxes and pool and spa heat. i got mine from vacation ears.com. good luck we loved stayin in a house.

 

[Lauri]

Wow, I'm reading people's responses now, and feel like I should have bargained more. We got 8 nights for the price of 7, with pool heat and taxes included. And we're aoutomatically repeat customers, as we booked a 2nd week for a few months later at the same time.

Windsor Hills definately has higher prices than other developments. When I originally started looking, I was looking through All-Star Vacation homes, because it just seemed "safer" than dealing directly with an owner. And those prices were $100+ more per night than what I will be paying.

I dealt directly with the owner until it came time to paying and receiving the rental agreement. At that point, I dealt strictly with the management company, and everything seems just as safe, only less expensive.

Lauri