OT...packing for a beach house rental

[PEANUT1]

WOW....we are renting a beach house for the first time starting on Saturday. I can't believe all of the @!A* I have to bring....from linens, blankets, towels, food, beach stuff etc. I had no idea.

Just thought I'd share my stress

 

[LoveTwoTravel]

I'm surprised you have to bring linens OR bath towels... Usually those are provided as well as kitchen items (all of them). Now, you might now have every spatula that you have at home but you have everything you need.

When we rent at the beach we just bring clothing, beach toys and then grocery shop when we get there.

You may want to double check with your rental company b/c that's a lot of extra stuff to pack if you don't need to provide it.

Have a great time!

 

[XYSRUS]

HaHa-first timer! We rent a house on the Jersey shore every year. My husband thinks it's great...b/c he doesn't do the packing! I have 4 boys. I feel for you. Oh I remember packing highchairs, exersaucers etc. I really enjoy the beach, but for once, I'd like someone else to pack. Just make sure your DH takes you for some excellent seafood at a place with table clothes!

 

[PEANUT1]

I'm surprised you have to bring linens OR bath towels... Usually those are provided as well as kitchen items (all of them). Now, you might now have every spatula that you have at home but you have everything you need.

When we rent at the beach we just bring clothing, beach toys and then grocery shop when we get there.

You may want to double check with your rental company b/c that's a lot of extra stuff to pack if you don't need to provide it.

Have a great time!

yup...I checked. I have to bring all linens. There is a pile of stuff in my bedroom about as tall as I am

 

[pyrxtc]

WOW....we are renting a beach house for the first time starting on Saturday. I can't believe all of the @!A* I have to bring....from linens, blankets, towels, food, beach stuff etc. I had no idea.

Just thought I'd share my stress

I feel your pain, I did that last week and had to come home early for school stuff for my kids tonight. I ahve not unpacked yet, it' almost as daunting as packing ti up to leave in the first place. This is our third year doing it and next year I want to rent somewhere that has it all. packing all the linens stink!!

 

[brettgirl]

I will be sharing your pain......just checked our rental agreement for Ocean City Maryland and I too, have to bring linens, towels, paper products, etc. I need a list. Plus you want to pick up most of your unperishables at home on sale because they will cost you a fortune there. I can see it now with the top of the 4runner and a huge bag filled to the gills. Oh, and I am bringing an extra teen girl!

This is the reason I went to Disney a couple of weeks ago......now that was a vacation....no cooking, cleaning, making of beds......ahhhh, can I go back there again. Now I must face my life but in a different home with sand up in every crevise!!!! Are we having fun yet!!!!

Seriously, if you come across a list of some sort post it, and try to have a great time!!!!

 

[dougsmom98]

We rent a beach house in on the southern coast of Maine every summer, and there is a ton of stuff to bring. I always just pack the linens and towels... in laundry baskets. The place we rent does not have a washer or dryer, so I always end up doing laundry mid week and the laundry baskets come in handy. The beach towels get so dirty! I have also learned to pack my own nonstick frying pans and cookie sheets because we have never rented a place whether it be in Maine or Florida that had pans that didn't burn eggs or had cookie sheets! UGGH! We bring our waffle maker because that is practically the only time that I ever make them and it is a treat. It is fun to make a big breakfast before heading off to the beach. I used to bring a lot of food from home and it got to be overwhelming. Now, I just make a really good list of stuff we need and go shopping when I get there. Have an awesome trip. I hope you have good weather.

 

[megthewonderful]

As much as I love the beach, renting a beach house for the week is no fun for me. By the time I do all the packing, and then I cook and clean all week, we come home and I have to unpack, do the laundry, and clean. Where is the vacation? Hopefully you will enjoy the change in scenery and enjoy time with your family. That makes it all worth it!

 

[jcc0621]

We are going to be in Wildwood this weekend. I have packed more carp for 3 1/2 days there than I do for a 10 day trip to Disney

 

[Wendy5055]

UUUUGGGGHHHH!!!!

We rent houses w/dh's extended family in Cape Cod every year. I ALWAYS bring my own linens just because.

I bring:

1 Flat Sheet per bed
1 Fitted sheet per bed (see tip)
Pillows
Pillowcases
Mattress Pad (for at least my side...I'm like the Princess & the Pea!!! )

One tip: When bringing your own linens, bring a fitted sheet. You can just slip this right over the existing linens (if there are any) and pillows (I'm a nut...don't judge me!!!! ). This way, when you leave all you have to do is collect your linens and the bed are already made!!!!!

I also bring:

Bathroom rugs
Assorted Cleaners (bathroom & toilet)
Hand soaps (pump kind is easier w/Kids)
A caddy for shampoo's & shower necessities since the kids like to shower outside and we are "sharing" the house w/one other family group.

Towels
Wash cloths
hand towels
beach towels
kitchen towels (cheaper & takes up less space than all those paper ones!)

We have pared our kitchen supplies down to:

DH's favorite frying pan
My teapot
Coffee/tea mugs
flat spatula

Then the FOOD!!!!!!!!!! I shop at our discount grocery store for most of the food ahead of time becaus I HATE going grocery shopping on my vacation.

Add all this stuff to the boogie boards, sand pails, boat, bikes, scooter, and I'm not sure where my 13 year old niece is going to sit!!!!!!! Not to mention her "stuff" too.

I never have looked at renting a cottage/house as a vacation...it is just the same thing as being at home only with sand and salty water thrown in to make eveything pleasant!!!! I still like to go though...

 

[a1tinkfans]

Not sure WHERE you're renting BUT some places area VERY expensive for food.
We thought we'd go get some bagels and oj with a pack of cream cheese one morning.

It was $28. for 1/2 gal of OJ, 1 doz bagels and 1pkg HARD, not even soft cream cheese! OUCH!
Needless to say, now we have someone coming to "visit us" drung the week, bring them.
ITS STILL ALL GOOD!!!

 

[RumpleMom]

I understand, we rented a beach house at the Outer Banks once. What a pain.

Now we go to Disney's Hilton Head Island Resort or Disney's Vero Beach. All of the stuff is there for you.

 

[PEANUT1]

I know what you mean about the food. We plan to eat out 2x and out to breakfast once (there is a waffle place right down the road). Otherwise I am bringing lots of food. I am making a pot of gravy with meatballs and sausage right now....ahhhh it smells so good. That will cover 2 of our dinners. I am bringing lunch meats, mac and cheese, burgers, hot dogs, steaks etc.

I do have a few people coming to visit parents, nieces, sister, etc. All are coming different days. Hopefully they will not eat all of our food

Your list looks similar to mine...I know its a lot of work but it will still feel like vacation to me because instead of cleaning and doing housework, I will be relaxing, reading and hanging on the beach/boardwalk.

Looking at the weather, the weekend looks a little rainy. I guess we'll be going to the movies.

 

[tripplanner]

We are renting a beach house for the 4th of July Week. We rented the linens and the towels from the rental agency. They bring them to the house and pick them up at the end of the week. We just have to put them on the beds. As far as other stuff. Here's my list:

Toilet Paper
Paper Towels
Hand Soap (3 - 1 for kitchen and 2 for the bathrooms)
bar soap (2 for the bathrooms)
Tide
Kitchen towel and wash cloth (didn't rent since it's an extra package)
Dishwashing liquid
Cascade
Beach Towels
Laundry Basket

We are buying lunch and breakfast stuff when we get there. It will all be stuff that we can fix without cooking like cereal and sandwiches for lunch. We'll eat all of our evening meals out.

 

[PA Princess]

I can so feel your pain! We have rented beach homes in Ocean City, NJ for years, and I always say those trips are a lot of work. I love the trips, but lots of work. The last two years we have gone to the Pocono Mountains and rented a house...yep, just as much work.

I really think it would be so much better if we could stay for 2 weeks...make the loading and unloading days further apart. Course for us that would mean having to give up another vacation like our week and Disney, and I just haven't been able to do that yet.

It is always funny to me how much less stuff we take on a Disney trip. I often feel like I am forgetting things because it is just so much less stuff than when we rent a house.

Happy packing and traveling to you!

 

[PEANUT1]

thank you all for sharing my misery. I really shouldn't complain though should I? I bet their are plenty of people who would be happy to go to the beach for a week.

 

[MrsPooh]

OMG, I'd be really unhappy if I had to pack all that stuff. We rented a beach house in FL for a number of years. Our rental was froma private owner and it was awesome. Nearly everything we needed was there. It included towels for baths and beach, bed linens, paper products, washer/dryer, all kitchen necessities and basic spices & cooking stuff like flour & sugar, even first aid supplies. All paper products were included and they had shampoo/soap available in case you didn't bring your own. The garage had beach toys, boogie boards and bicycles for our use. Basically we brought only what we would have had to bring for a hotel stay and bought food for meals once we arrived. I did bring my own laundry detergent & beach towels.

Most previous guests did what we did and left leftover non-food items for the next guests if needed. Guests also left notes about local attractions, coupons and other things for future guests. We left craft instructions and supplies we had left over. One year we purchased a pass for a local National Park that was good for a week but we bought it on our last day so we left it for the next guest to use.

Plus we paid just over $1000 for a beach front 3 bed/2 bath house that would sleep 8. The cheapest hotel room price I found in that area was over $200/night and we would have needed two rooms/night so hotel would have cost nearly $3000 and we would have had less space, no extras and had to purchase all meals out. It was wonderful!

Sorry you've got so much to pack but enjoy the trip.

 

[bigbabyblues]

Don't forget garbage bags......we learned the hard way one year.

 

[tam626]

I feel your pain! We got back last Saturday from a week at a beach house. You will forget something, it's impossible to remember everything you need! Have a great time though.

 

[tripplanner]

Don't forget garbage bags......we learned the hard way one year.

I'm glad I came back to reread this thread. I had forgotten garbage bags. I've added them to my list. Thanks