What do you look for?

<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by blott
Like most home owners, I'm usually looking out for things to improve our home for our guests
[/quote]
looking at the specs for your villa, i don't think there's anything that needs improving, especially considering your rental rates. which seem more than reasonable compared to many other villas i've looked at.

I'll chip in with a couple of odd observations-- we are still looking for our first villa, and I notice some of the villas with as many as 5 bedrooms, with plenty of space for 10 or 12 guests, only have tables that seat 4 people. I understand a small breakfast table, and a smallish table on the lanai, but if you have 10 or 12 guests, shouldn't you have at least one place to feed them? Same goes for coffee pot size. Why only have a 4 cup pot in a house for 12 people? [these small things are not decisive for us, just notable.]

Also, for us, references are a big plus. It is so nice to see guest entered positive comments on the website.

Also, a nice, comprehensive, and easy to navigate website. There are just too many rental homes out there to need to bother with an unattractive or hard to use website.

We will definitely pay more for a villa that meets our wish list. It's hard to figure out what "paying more" amounts to, though, when the prices range so greatly for essentially the same homes with the same amenities.

When we rented a villa for the first time this spring, I got the oppotunity to check with the owner all the bits that we were worried about...use of the pool, kitchen facilities, operating washing machine, diswasher, dining space etc. We got satisfactory answers for everything BEFORE I signed the paper to confirm the booking. So, I suppose everyone could try asking the owner about the facilities available.

One possible explanation of the small dining table could be the owners' assumption that guests either eat out or get take-away meals to eat informally around the house.

Thanks Lamina for your kind comments - we've acquired some extra facilities along the way since I first started this thread in February 2003. Owning a Florida home for rental is a 'never stand still' situation as far as amenities and facilities are concerned!

Lots of Florida homes have an informal dining area in the kitchen (nook/cafe) perhaps seating 4 or 6, a breakfast bar, seating 2 - 4 as well as a formal dining area seating 6 - 8 so dining seating shouldn't be a problem. As Nostromo suggests, it's always worthwhile asking the owner in case they've forgotten to mention something in their advert.

With regard to coffee pots, these are available in various sizes (ours is a 10 cup size - much above that and you start getting into catering equipment!) but individual owners will choose equipment that suits them and their guests best. As before, always ask if something's troubling you as owners would rather sort these type of queries out before your arrival, rather than to find that something about their home doesn't suit your party during your stay.

Almost all home owners will have references available from previous guests but, if they don't show these on their website, ask!

The beauty of booking a home via a site such as this (as opposed to via an agent) is that you can ask as many questions as you wish from the owner of the individual home and, because all the homes are verified, you can be sure that the person you're talking to does actually own that home.

I agree with Blott, if you are unsure about anything, just ask, thats what we are here for, on the odd occasion I have been asked for references from a prospective guest and we have passed on previous guests email address ( after asking their permission)

I have a friend who has just had someone staying in her very stunning villas and moaned all the time and his end shot was her villa was just too nice to feel comfortable in, her next guest couldn't praise it enough, in fact she sent both reports to me, so it just goes to show that everyone is very different in their approach to booking a villa.

Yet again we are searching for a villa!!!Having been now I know what is essential and what is desirable for us as a family. Would it not be possible to have a sorting order for amenities as it is time consuming to trawl through all the communities to find your dream villa!!! There is another site which does this so it must be possible, hope you dont mind me asking
We have to have
10 mins from Disney
4bed 3 bath
large pool/spa
pool table
PC+PLAYSTATION
It is desirable that we have
Lakeside
south facing pool
I can t seem to find all these features in the one house!!!so an index would help

I'm afraid we won't be doing this as there is a big danger that guests end up ticking pretty much everything and then they miss out on villas which may be perfectly suitable for their vacation but just do not have that "extra" the guest ticked but in reality does not need.

I'd suggest maybe using the keyword search part of the villa search page to location villas with specific amenities to narrow down your search.

<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by poet123
Yet again we are searching for a villa!!!Having been now I know what is essential and what is desirable for us as a family. Would it not be possible to have a sorting order for amenities as it is time consuming to trawl through all the communities to find your dream villa!!! There is another site which does this so it must be possible, hope you dont mind me asking
We have to have
10 mins from Disney
4bed 3 bath
large pool/spa
pool table
PC+PLAYSTATION
It is desirable that we have
Lakeside
south facing pool
I can t seem to find all these features in the one house!!!so an index would help
[/quote]

Hi Poet

It isnt allowed for owners to contact you via the forum, sorry. The best way would be to make a general enquiry on www.orlandovillas.com or www.villasflorida.com and list all your requirements in the box, make sure you state that you would prefer owners not to contact you unless they match your criteria. Good luck, Lesley

Just send out a general enquiry listing what you'd like, as Lesley suggests. There are a number of homes on this site that have all of those features plus many more extras, as well. The main problem may be that if you are looking for a high season date for 2005, that these homes are already booked.

Happy hunting.:D:D:D

Don't forget onlinefloridavillas it is part of the family !