Just thought I would come back and give a couple pieces of advice for anyone looking to rent.
First, let me say, we LOVED having the space, and being all together! That part was GREAT. We rented through VRBO and were in contact through the owner that way. All through the rental process, the owner was great! Lots of communication and all that. Then I started asking a couple questions...
Let me give our travel party :
Grandpa and Grandma: (it was their 40th anniversary) They got the master bedroom since it was their celebration.
Me and DH plus our two kids DS 10 and DD 9. We took a bedroom that had bunk beds and a twin with trundle that we turned into a king. Kind of squished, but worked out fine.
DB in-law and his GF and their two kids DNeph 3 and DNiece 3 mos. They took what we thought was a bedroom with a queen futon and a twin.It turned out the twin was really just a chair that turned into a bed (smaller than a twin).
Here is where we had the biggest issue. The ONLY TV in the house was in the "bedroom" that DBIL and fam were in. I quote the word "bedroom" because it really only had the accordion doors and should have been advertised as a den that could sleep people. Had we known this was the case, we would have never chosen this house. With the pictures shown, this was not obvious on the VRBO website. I found this out shortly before we left for the trip (days) and the entire family got upsite.
Turns out, it wasn't too bad. But we were not planning on spending the entire week at the parks and 10 people (three of them kids under 10) in one house trying to watch ONE tv which was in a bedroom being used by a family with a newborn- NOT ok. THANK GOODNESS for laptops and NETFLIX!
Add that to the fact that while we were there we could not run the microwave while using the stove or dishwasher. If we did the power in the house went out! I kid you not! It happened FOUR times!!!! The owner of the house had to come out EVERY day we were there for SOMETHING!!! Then, on the fifth day we were there, we get back from the parks and there is a HUGE notice on the front door that if the water bill isn't paid by the next day that would be cut off!!!!
My whole point in this, is MAKE SURE YOU READ THE REVIEWS! I read them, but didn't even realize the dates. All of the reviews on the house we stayed at were from two or more years prior to our stay!
I attempted to leave a review on the VRBO site. When you do this, it is sent to the owner to review it first. The owner denied my review stating I never stayed there at all. VRBO came back and said if I sent them a copy of the signed contract and two communications between me and the owner they would post the review. I have done that and am waiting for them to post the review. I am glad they have this as a back up so owners cannot deny reviews just because they are not "glowing".
All of this being said, I am not adverse to trying again. As a matter of fact, I am looking at renting again, but am going to definitely do my homework more next time around!!!!
Hope this helps!
) is just how peoples' experiences are in renting rather than staying at a hotel nearby.
