I'm buying a Disney home - opinions needed

[sames1]

I'm buying a 3 bedroom home near Disney world and I'm so excited. I have been going to Disney World since 1971 and it's about time ( past time ) that I did this. I have to rent it out to make the payments unfortunately, but I want to make it nice for others the best I can.

What kind of things do you look for when renting a home?

 

[isla bonita]

Congrats to you. We purchased ours 1 1/2 years ago and are loving it. It is hard work and expensive undertaking but it is all worth it. Good luck with your new baby.
isla bonita

 

[JANNYANS]

I have had mine 7 1/2 years and have have been through the bad times and the good .It is hard work to run it successfully and takes a lot of my time up but it is good to have the home there for our holidays .My main advice to you would be take an interest in the running of it .Pay your own bill,get your own bookings and don't put it in the hands of a management company for anything but the general looking after it - the pool,garden,cleaning,etc.Get your own licences in your own name and you will be better off.
As far as what to put in it the basis I use is -it is my home so what would I need to ensure my stay there is as comfortable as possible and go from there.
Good luck with it and if you would like to talk over anything get in touch.

 

[Cherylzw]

I would also like to congratulate you on your new home. This has been my first year of owning my vacation home near disney and so far it has been a lot of fun. A lot of work but a lot of fun too.

Also, I agree with Jan, make sure you are a hands on owner, if you can. Being able to know who is renting your home is a big plus for you.

As for what is wanted in a vacation home, just think of what you would want available to you if you were vacationing there. If you cannot do everything as once, make a wish list and each year add something new.

Good luck and best wishes with your new home.

Cheryl

 

[mbb]

Another DISBoard Disney homeowner..Congratulations!

We're so thankful that nice people like y'all will let my family of barbarians stay in your homes!

Just kidding..I don't know how we would would ever go back to a hotel room again - thank goodness we don't have to

King size beds in the mstr..
Cable TV's, DVD players, a gaming system with a few games, and CD player
Pool towels that are a different color
LOTS of facecloths
...and an "orange juicer"..we love the fresh squeezed!

Enjoy your new home, and don't forget to let us know when it's ready for rental!

 

[ducklite]

I just want to give you some advice that you might not want to hear...

Don't plan on renting it out for more than about 20 weeks a year. There's a lot of competition out there, and every day more and more rental homes open up. If you need it to be pretty much fully occupied to make your nut, you're going to run into a problem.

Which development did you buy in? Does the home have a pool? (Pool homes tend to be more attractive as rentals)

Anne

 

[CarolA]

I actually was going to post what Anne did.

Anyone who considers one of these should be prepared to pay for it all on their own. ANything can and will happen. Remember 9/11 and the MAJOR MAJOR drop in tourism... things like that can't be predicted.

I looked into a rental home in Hilton Head a few years ago and walked away just because I didn't want to be streched thin if things went bad.

 

[JANNYANS]

I always say to new owners if you can afford to run 2 homes on what you run one on now then think about it .Your home could be empty for 6 months but you will still have bills to pay .The guaranteed rentals you may be offered rarely if ever come to fruition so you need to be able to cover the on going costs from your present situation.
But its still a nice thing to have -a home you can use when ever you need it .

 

[kfeuer]

A few things I like when I'm looking for a place to stay:

Big-screen TV and DVD player in the main living area, smaller TV's and DVD players in the bedrooms

Nice furnishings and some color on the walls--not bright colors mind you, but a nice neutral beige looks so much warmer then white walls in every room.

Big master suite with jacuzzi tub

Pool w/ a hot tub

A computer with internet access is a nice bonus

Overall, just put some personality into the place. Oh, and nice towels

 

[Stacy's a freak]

My parents owned a vacation condo for many years in Myrtle Beach, SC. They always said the same thing, don't plan on the rental $ to pay for it (probably obvious, but it can't hurt to reiterate it).

Mostly, I just wanted to post a little tidbit about a nice thing to do. My parents put a little journal in the condo and invited people (renters, family, whomever was staying there) to write in it. This was a nice personal thing for the renters to list comments/suggestions/cute vacation stories. It was also nice for my parents as the owners to get some feedback and tips. Also, this helped them figure out that the rental agency they were using were less-than-honest (to be P.C. about it) about how often it was rented. It turns out that a family had rented it, written in the journal, but that the rental agency DID NOT tell my parents that it had been rented!! God only knows how often they did this before they were found out. So, this is another vote to handle the rentals on your own.

I also agree about personal touches ... wine glasses, DVD Player with a small selection of DVDs, multiple TVs, are all nice things to have.

Good luck!!

 

[mareed]

King size beds in the mstr..
LOTS of facecloths

Just wanted to second these items. We've rented several condos/homes and always look for a King in the master. This is the first thing used to narrow down our list. I've started bringing my own wash-cloths (or facecloths)! Our last stay in a 3 bed/3 bath townhome only had 3 wash-cloths in the entire place! And I bet they were ones that other guests had brought and just left!