View Full Version : New to renting
Debbie Cunningham
22-06-2004, 02:55
[msncool]Hi I new to all of this. I really want to know about renting from owners overseas.
Hi Deb
Welcome to the forum!
Well... if you choose to rent from one of the verified owners on the sister sites on the top of the forum pages, then you know you're going to get what you booked! We're all a pretty friendly lot so we're happy to help with any info you need.
If you're concerned about payment, then we all have a US$ bank account so you can pay by check and some of us accept credit cards and/or PayPal.
So, renting a Florida home is really easy, probably costs less than you think (certainly less than crampted hotel rooms) and you get a whole great home with a private pool to enjoy for your Florida vacation - what could be better than that?
If you have any questions, please just ask and we'll do our best to help.
Hi Deb, Ditto what Blott says! Any questions- just Holler!!!
ctgirlscout
22-06-2004, 04:25
Most of the owners, including US owners, have property managers to help make your stay go smoothly. As was stated above, all the owners on these sites are verified, so you know exactly what you're booking. Good luck with your plans!
Hi,most owners are happy to answer any questions that you have prior to and after booking and as the others said all will have a management company based locally to help you out if you need it while you are there. Good luck with your renting.
Hi Deb
I would say the most important thing is to ask the owners any questions you can think of - we all love to talk about our properties and you will be confident that you're going to arrive at a villa that has exactly what you want!
We rented for the first time from this site in April/May.
The best recommendation I can give is that within 1 second of walking through the villa's front door, hotel rooms were a thing of the past.:)
The extra space, especially if there are more than two of you, adds so much to the holiday. The private pool is a big plus too. In fact the whole homely feeling makes you so much more relaxed which is as it should be on holiday.
Brizzle
exactly right,once you have rented a house you will never look back to hotels(my personal oppinion of course):D
Tracey K
20-08-2004, 02:22
We booked a last minute holiday once, they put us in a villa after a mix up and we loved it so much that we had to buy our own!
The villas in Florida are all fabulous - you will be able to find something there that fits your requirements. Any owner loves to talk about their home and wants you to have a great time whilst you are there so will do anything to make you feel at ease with the whole process. It may be daunting renting off an individual that you have never met but don't forget they are willing to trust you with their beloved home...
I would definately recommend you take the plunge and book a villa.
Nostromo
20-08-2004, 11:17
<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by Debbie Cunningham
[msncool]Hi I new to all of this. I really want to know about renting from owners overseas.
[/quote]
A lot of the Villa owners are actually British and many contribute to this site. Even otherwise, the villas and owners from this site are thoroughly checked out and you can get very helpful advice through these forums.
Prior to our visit this Spring, we had always stayed at Hotels. After hiring a villa for the first time though this site for 3 weeks, we will do nothing else in future. OV is the best thing since sliced bread and google. :)
heathercobbett
20-08-2004, 12:36
Sit down with your family and make a wish list.
Look through the O.V. sites and select some that meet your criteria.
E.mail the owners for availability.
Then telephone your chosen owner (tells you a lot more than an e.mail)
Then relax and look forward to a great holiday
Nostromo
20-08-2004, 15:08
And when things start to go batter than you expected (they will), don't look at the gift horse in the mouth. There will be no catch.
This was our first time in a villa and it was great wish we had done it before, we did not find this site until we had booked our villa, but it was OK I would def book through these next time - unless by then I have bought my own!
I second everything that has been said. I'd always stayed on WDW resorts but when my children (a boy and girl) became teenagers, a hotel room with 2 queen beds wasn't viable. This forced me to look at villas and as everyone says once you've stayed in a villa, you'll never go back to a hotel room! After 4 villa trips, like an awful lot of people, we're now buying our own!
We too stayed in WDW, I liked that for the ease of getting into there parks, but the villa for everything else
We have rented from this site twice now
one owner was in the Uk and this years owners lived New York way. never had a problem
with either. The owners here are very friendly and answer every question you ask,
This site is also full of people with a wealth of knowledge as well, as has been said
just ask away and im sure all will be answered
With our 6 children we stayed in a Villa 2 years ago and have never looked back! Bought one after our first stay as the children had such a blast and Dan and I actually got to stay in the same room!!!
And with 6 children- it was probably the best option for us [msnwink]
As an owner I agree with all that said.
We have styed in WDW and previously a villa in Kissimmee, even thenit was a villa everytime, so we wnet and bought one.
All owners will answer any queries, villa related or not, and here on this and related sites are all verified!
Go for it[8D]
I think I speak for everyone one who has a villa that are on these sites in saying that our homes in Florida are our " dream come true " homes and for some of us the only way we would be able to do it is to rent them out , so we all hope that we get really nice people to rent them as much as the renters want really nice people to rent them from ! We all love our homes and look after them as best as we can, we have that added interest in them that the big companies don't have !
heathercobbett
23-08-2004, 12:20
The bliss of getting up and having a swim in your own private pool.
Then take your breakfast(made just as you like it) out on the deck.
The pleasure of all having your own room(possibly with your own T.V/)
The joy of happy contented children (for whom you are building memories for life)
The money you save preparing simple meals in your house (all houses have large cooers,fridge freezers a microwave and dishwasher)
The fun you will have exploring the mammoth supermarkets with their inexpensive quality food (and catering for fussy appetites)
The relief you will feel at not constantly being on the go all the time (there is so much to do in your house you wont feel the need to be at the theme parks every day.
The help and advice you will get from your owner ,who can tell you about things other than the theme parks.
And guess what? all this will cost you less than a couple of hotel rooms!
Heather mentioned above "happy contented children". That's what did it for me! I stayed in a hotel only once - and then I discovered the Joy of the Villa and never looked back!
SunLover
23-08-2004, 18:06
The great thing about booking a villa direct with an owner is that you can choose exactly what elements you want in your villa from the huge selection available via the family of Orlando Villas sites.
Do you want a south facing pool ? TV's in every room ? A computer system ? A games room ? Etc etc. These things are all available for you to select.
So enjoy the planning, because when you deal with honest and well informed owners like the ones on this site, that when the fun and excitement really starts :)
Agree with all said above. The best thing about renting from an owner on a site like this is that the communities are recognisd as being of a good standard. All the properties in those communities are of a certain standard too. We rented on the internet a long time ago and did not know the location very well. When we got there we turned around and found somewhere else to stay as it was in a dodgy area and the grass was 3 foot high and the community pool was closed "for chemicals" whatever that means.
Like most other owners on this site I have sent long emails to various potential guests answering all sorts of questions. I am happy to do this as when the guest finally gets to my home they know all it, and my community, has to offer
Sue
CarolAnn
06-09-2004, 20:39
I think it has got to be a villa then:):D[8D] The choice is yours!! Work out what you want from your holiday, and select from the sister sites above to suit your holiday group. Any general queries about villa holidays or Orlando holidays? Bound to find the answer her too:)
Best wishes
I echo everything Heather says. You cannot beat the Florida villa for a holiday. You can please yourself, eat when you like, have a lovely pool to come home to and the villa has everything you would wish for and more than you have at home in lots of cases. It is a totally relaxing time - I would never holiday in a hotel again in Florida. Plus it is all so easy to book and so much choice - no worries and someone on hand when you are there if you need help. Go for it girl:D
Lisi
How could anyone prefer to sit in a hotel room instead of having the freedom of your own beautiful villa with private pool BLISS !!!!!!
Cruella DeVilla
10-09-2004, 12:34
Pina Coladas on tap to!!!!!!!!!
Steak on the bar-b-que ! glass of wine as you are watching the sun set !! aaaaahhhhhhhhhhh
huckleberry house
10-09-2004, 13:19
<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by Genie
Steak on the bar-b-que ! glass of wine as you are watching the sun set !! aaaaahhhhhhhhhhh
[/quote]
Thats a plastic glass of wine I presume Jean [msnwink]
Lesley
Cruella DeVilla
10-09-2004, 13:25
:D:D
Or one of the cartons and stick a straw in it!!!
CarolAnn
14-10-2004, 20:16
[laugh][laugh][laugh]
chrizzy100
14-10-2004, 20:51
<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by Genie
How could anyone prefer to sit in a hotel room instead of having the freedom of your own beautiful villa with private pool BLISS !!!!!!
[/quote]
All people are different and like different things....
I've just got off the phone from our Christina who is in FL right now telling me about her holiday from hell 2 years ago in a villa....I was offering her my place ...shes booked into a hotel for the next 2 weeks.....but shes happy where she is......no driving.....in reach of everywhere she wants.....no housework cooking or cleaning......she takes care of her father...and works 9 hours a day at her job..and wants nothing around to remind her of all that work.......shes been renting villas and hotels for years with her best friends family....but the last time in a villa drove her insane......its a long story ..which I will not go into here..but it had everyone on edge.......
Not that I will EVER share my place with family again after last Christmas.....friends are fine......but my mother can turn a place into a war zone in an hour......I know I'm a slob on holiday.....but this was my home not a rental room....[msncry]
steph_goodrum
14-10-2004, 21:21
Chrizzy
I'm sure Christina is in a minority and without knowing the ins and outs of the story why a villa drove her mad, I have to say I'm sure she is in a minority.
Everyone we have known who has stayed in a villa has said never again will they stay in an hotel when there is the option.
The value for money is unbelievable when you compare it to hotel prices, and everything like Playstations, internet access etc , if available is charged by the hour.
Debbie
I'm sure you will have reservations about trusting an owner abroad with your hard earned vacation money, and we all fully understand them, but believe me the homeowners have as much to lose when trusting their beloved homes to strangers.
The amount of damage that has been caused to some peoples homes has to be seen to be believed but we all hope that it wont happen to us and I'm sure I speak for many other homeowners who have become firm friends with their guests after so much correspondence, several of mine keep in contact and let me know how the family are doing and ask after mine etc.
I'm sure you wont have any worries and after the first time will hopefully have a lot more confidence, I'm sure you'll be a convert, after all why pay a travel agent to choose where they send you, when you know your family best and can choose a home that will be perfect for them?
Debbie's original question was regarding renting from overseas owners and luckily some guests who have used this site to book a villa have responded positively, (Thanks guys!!).Unfortunately their positive responses have probably been negated by Chrizzy's hotel 'vs' villa comments. Let's hope that in the US like here in the UK the TV is full of those "Holiday from Hell" type programmes which are almost always featuring hotels. We all know there are good and bad choices for any decision we have to make in life.
Debbie, there are many villas owned by US as well as UK owners you could send out a general enquiry and see where the responses come from.However,as all the homes on this site are verified you should feel confident in whatever you choose:D