What to do or not when booking a villa

[JayneL]

I've been hunting through hundreds of villas and although there are still a lot on my 'short' list I am getting closer to booking.

I've never booked independently before and thought I'd better ask what info I need to get from the owner and what should I expect them to want from me.

I would hate to get there and find the villa doesn't exsist.

Would it be better to go through an agency or is it ok to deal straight with an owner.

I'm a bit worried about having to pay out that amount of money without any safe guards.

Thanks

Jayne

 

[mike230652]

Jayne

Assuming you've located the villa on a dedicated villa site ( such as the ones supplied from fellow DIS'ers ! ) I can't see any problems.

Most villas will very likely have their own web-sites, so you can get more info from there. The owner will doubtless be contactable by e-mail ( and very probably by phone ).

We've always booked independent villas....Portugal, Spain & USA for many years, never once had a problem.

mike

 

[JANNYANS]

Booking direct is better for you -at least you will know where the home is and who better to ask any questions you may have of than the owner? Agencies do not know each individual home.You should ask any questions you like of the owner to put your mind at rest and all they will ask in return is that you take care of their home. You can check the existence of any villa -once you know where it is as each county has their own site
You still have the safeguard of the british law system behind you as once you have signed a contract its binding (this also goes for cancellation on your part as well )

As to the safeguard of an agency -there was one who was taking deposits from customers right up until the day of their holiday -and they had no homes for them so no safeguard there

I am an owner and have been doing this for 6 years so if you want any further help or assurance get in touch

 

[lisagirlyUK]

Hi,

do you have a link for your villa?

Thanks

 

[JANNYANS]

Hi Lisagirlyuk

click on the www button under my post

Jan

 

[lisagirlyUK]

I'll have a nose now

 

[JANNYANS]

hope you like what you see

 

[martina857]

I always find it much easier to get the information you want from the owner, if it is someone acting as an agent they tend to tell you what you want to hear whether it is correct or not. The owner I think, would be embarased to tell you things about the place that were not true. I have rented now heaps of times from private owners and every villa has been lovely.

I think really that location for me is the most important thing, I do not want to have to drive miles and miles to get to the action, so it will always be the Splendid China area (RIP ;-)) Then the actual location of the villa within the resort, mainly for us "is it overlooked at all" I now will not rent a villa unless it has a view, wood, lake I don't mind so long as it is not another villa !! Inside they are all pretty much the same, particularly on the newer resorts, it then just boils down to the individual owners taste, I don'y really care if it has one extra DVD in the 3rd bedroom or if it has pink leather sofas instead of cloth, they really are all so similar that location has to take priority!!!

For the last couple of years I have booked my villas with private owners from www.emerald-island-resort.com and then more recently www.floridahomesandtravel.com I have also booked car hire 3 times through the latter and cannot praise them highly enough.