VRBO~~a question

[Dedejf]

I am wondering if most owners are willing to negotiate either the weekly rental rate or the extra amount they charge for heating the pool. We are going right after Thanksgiving weekend and staying for ten days. (Nov. 26-Dec. 6) Should I accept the rates they email me back with or ask them to negotiate? And I also want to add that Disboarders are the best! You've helped me more than any other source of WDW information. Thank you! Thank you!

 

[4eyedbuzzard]

Some owners will negotiate, some won't. Generally, the nicer the property and more historically successful they've been the less they are willing to negotiate. They'll wait and hope to get another booking and let it go at last minute rates the closer they get. It's a business gamble on their part, but long run it may pay off as a policy.

If you have several properties that might fit your needs, I'd give it a shot especially on a ten day rental. December is pretty slow. Tell them you really like their property, and although you have other less expensive options, you wanted to give them the chance to offer a more competitive deal. Perhaps you can get the 10 days for the price of a single week and/or pool heat, taxes, etc. The worst they can say is "No". The only negotiating problem is that the closer you get to a date, both the owner with availability and the renter are under pressure to make a deal - and BOTH know it. It's kind of a Mexican Stand-off. Who is going to flinch first?

 

[isla bonita]

All you can do is ask. All they can say is no. I would ask.

 

[sweetpeakaris]

I would ask, you just never know. Wont hurt to ask.

 

[Mainebound]

I am wondering if most owners are willing to negotiate either the weekly rental rate or the extra amount they charge for heating the pool. We are going right after Thanksgiving weekend and staying for ten days. (Nov. 26-Dec. 6) Should I accept the rates they email me back with or ask them to negotiate? And I also want to add that Disboarders are the best! You've helped me more than any other source of WDW information. Thank you! Thank you!

It doesn't hurt to politely ask. I always do -- but only with a property that I am pretty serious about actually renting -- almost always with success. Sometimes you like a property but you notice competitors are asking a few hundred less for basically the same thing for the week. You can honestly point that out to the owner from whom you want to rent. And if you are really serious about a property, you can email that you would absolutely rent the property immediately if the pool heat were thrown in (only say it if true, of course).

All they can do is say no. good luck!

 

[KayR]

Whilst we all want to get the best deal, I would like to give you another perspective.

Vacation homes are great value for money compared to hotels. Rates overall have not increased for years despite increased costs (this year insurance up 40%, property taxes up 40%, utilities cost more, you get the picture and those companies do not allow the owners to negotiate). I sometimes see the great 'deals' that some people are getting and wonder how the owner can afford that rate? Are they subsidizing your vacation? Are they maintaining the home propertly? Don't get me wrong - you you get a great deal from someone that is great. I totally understand the wanting to get the best price.

We price our home in line with similar homes and taking into account the amenities both in the community and the resort as well as the location. We make enough to cover our costs and put back into the home in terms up upkeep and upgrades. (Just repainted the inside of one home, put in new carpet and a new plasma 40" TV - this is a home that is under 5 years old, but we want to keep it in top condition). We don't put in any huge markup that we can routinely say "Oh yes, I can discount". We may for last minute deals (that is within 2-3 weeks of a trip).

If asking for a discount, be reasonable. Don't offer 50% below asking price - 5% is more likely to be accepted. If comparing another home, look at the amenities that the home offers, location, size of home etc. Make sure you are comparing similar properties. Comparing the price of a 7 bedroom home on Emerald Island or Formasa Gardens to a 4 bedroom at Crescent Lakes is not a good comparison. Even something simple as a view cost money (a lot premium) so saying "I like the view from your home better than the home that is surrounded by 5 other homes (less privacy from the pool area) can you match the price?" - be prepared to pay more for extra amenities!

Good luck,

--Kay

 

[mbb]

This is always a hard one for DH and I...

Appreciating the value of a villa vs. a hotel room is like comparing apples and oranges...accommodations both...both are great, offer different things, and both so enjoyable.

Like others have said, it never hurts to ask, politely...because if you don't ask, you don't get.

At the same time, finding a home with a great owner, that you feel comfortable with, the house has all the things you want and need for a wonderful vacation - to me, that's worth lots

...but budget is always the deciding factor! LOL!

When we send out a general inquiry to one of the sites we like to work with, we always try to respond to owners with a note of why we are choosing not to book with them.

Sometimes, it's because of the bedding arrangements...sometimes it's that we need a long distance phone package, wifi, location, and sometimes it's plain ole $$.

But we do let them know why we're not booking with them - and I like to think that might help them know what's important to some renters.

HTH! and let us know what you find and decide!

 

[Dedejf]

I appreciate the various opinions and viewpoints you have all expressed and I want to thank you for taking the time to communicate from your perspective. Most of us who do not know the Orlando/Kissimmee/Disney area well, do not know what communities have better reputations and are more upscale so it would be impossible for me to determine where I want to stay based upon that criteria. I am not sure even where each one is located relative to WDW. Therefore, I am wondering if there is a site I could access that would have the various estates and subdivisions outlined in one fairly compact map. Also one other question. What is more valid and reliable when determining driving distances~~minutes or miles away from WDW or other destinations such as SeaWorld, the airport, etc. Again, thank you!

 

[FLParadisevilla]

Try www.orlandovillas.com they have maps that show all the neighborhoods. I can say if you want to be close to the parks, here are some of the closest neighborhoods.

Indian Creek
Rolling Hills
Formossa Gardens
Emerald Island
Windsor Hills
Windsor Palms
Oak Island Cove
Sunset Lakes
Indian Ridge
Indian Ridge Oaks

 

[sympatico]

Here's a couple of maps of the area. The first one doesn't have Windsor Hills marked but to the left of the middle there's a blue dot just under the 545 road marker - that's where Windsor Hills is.
http://www.1stfororlando.com/Location-map.htm
There's also this one , it may take a minute to load.
http://www.thedibb.co.uk/villa/map.htm

Usually I go by how many minutes it is from one place to another. It may not be too many miles but by the time you take traffic lights and traffic into consideration you'd have a more accurate measurement with the minutes.

 

[Dedejf]

The maps are exactly what I needed and knew someone would know where to access them. THANK YOU!

 

[mbb]

This one is good too...outlines restaurants, stores, etc as well as villa developments

http://www.kissimmee-us192.com/

 

[horseshowmom]

Let me add to what others have said.

I am a budget shopper. Basically, what I want is a clean, comfortable place to stay at the very best price I can get.

Some people want elaborate themes, gamerooms, etc., and that's fine for them, but I'm primarily interested in a good price (as long as I have what I listed above).

I would send out an additional email stating that you've narrowed your list down to several properties and are trying to get the best price. Tell them that you understand that they may not be interested in discounting their price, but if they are, to please let you know.

This does work. The last house I rented I got for $480 total (4BR/3BA gated community with a screened pool, and there were only 4 of us). It did not have Disney themed rooms (didn't matter to us), but it was very nice and very comfortable.

 

[mungo]

Here is my ten pence worth on what we look for in a vacation home:

A gated community
Peaceful and quiet
not overlooked at the back or certainly well spaced out so the pools are not backing up on each other
south or sw facing pool deck to catch them rays
most importantly an owner that I build a rapport with.

not interested in fancy resorts with clubs and things I won't use, and cost is a side issue, I don't usually go for the most expensive, nor do I go for the cheapest, how they answer my questions and how they look after their villa is more important. After all I am parting with my hard earned cash for two weeks . I've got to like it, it's no use me NOT wanting to spend any time in it because they don't make any money to update it, etc I do like to relax while I'm away, its not all hustle and bustle at the parks.

The first time we stayed in Florida, we stayed on I Drive, and we hated it. Now before anyone flames me, cos they like it, it wasn't for me, it was basic, it smelt of damp, and we spent all of our time in the parks, as it was so horrible. we were shattered after the first week, luckily for us our second week was a cruise, and that helped us relax and chill out. We have stayed in vacation homes ever since.