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Like most home owners, I'm usually looking out for things to improve our home for our guests but what do you look for when renting a Florida home?
Will you make your decision based on price, location, facilities or outlook or is there something else you're looking for from your holiday or vacation base?
We recently booked a villa on the Gulf coast. For us we looked for something not overlooked at the rear because our own villa at Highlands is like that. It was then someone who was flexible about midweek bookings, then number of bedrooms and then price. We found a lovely home in Hudson and can't wait to go.
I've been to Florida quite a few times but only rented a villa last two visits.
For the first villa location wasn't an issue as we had no idea where it was (we'd always stayed on Int'l Drive). But on the second visit we did return to the same place (Lindfields). Price is a factor but I must admit that if I saw a 4 bed/3 bath for cheaper than I paid I would be suspicious as to the quality.
Outlook was not a concern for any of us (3 couples and 1 child) but it was nice in the second villa to have a fence surround because of the privacy and would look for similar in our next place.
Another 'nice' thing was in the first villa we had a "Welcome Pack". But saying that most of the things in it were of no use but it was the thought that counted!!
We have stayed in two villas and are about to stay in our third. They have all been different.
We look firstly for a villa that is central to Disney, International Drive and Highway 192. We have to have a fully heated pool, and a nice modernish interior. It is nice to have a pool that is not overlooked (at least one way). The extras are definitely a seller. We need a washer/dryer/dishwasher. It would have been nice for the children to have pool toys, a stroller, a high chair, a car seat, toys, books and videos. These are great to have in the villa but are definitely not the selling point.
Last year at Chatham Park we really liked the fact that it had a patrolling security guard.
All that and of course guaranteed sunshine!!!
Security would be a big draw for me knowing that when you come back at the end of the day everything will be o.k. also knowing someone is about if any thing should go wrong ie illness of course location, villa size and creature comforts are also important
hi,
we have always stayed in villas but never reterned to the same one not because they were not any good, mainly because we always book late to get the cheapest flights and have to take whats available, but there are definate things we look for, a screened pool is a must, the position of the property in relation to sun shine, (its no good if your always in the shade!) a management company on hand in case anything needs fixing this is especially important when we rent direct from the owner, size is important we preffer a bedroom each, a washing machine and dryer is essential as I hate coming home with cases full of dirty washing and although not vital a fenced garden for privacy, and a cover on the pool, we've found that it retains a lot of the heat overnight and makes it great for an early morning swim! Some of the features commonly offered that don't really influence our decision is TV, Playstation, games rooms, because if we are home were in the pool!, we do like having inflateables for the pool it keeps the kids busy!
hope that helps
Kelly:D
This is my first post here so please bear with me :D
My family stayed at a vacation home two years ago for two weeks, 2 adults, 2 young children, we are all from Alaska, winter is the best time for me to travel both because its cooler and I'm off season.
Last time we went it was perfect, home beatiful, quiet, clean, about 6 miles from WDW and easy to get to, this time I would really like to stay longer,have more luxury, possibly 3 weeks, would dearly love to have a jacuzzi, widescreen and most important internet access for my laptop.
What I mostly want is security, no noisy traffic or near areas of traffic noise. A king size bed would be great,a large master tuo and a fully equipped kitchen, my family is very food conscious, the kids and myself have certain food allergies so we must prepare our own meals, also a large heated pool because pools are basically unknown in Alaska:D
I would also like to have rental car options included, our next stay is being planned for about 12/01/2003-12/18/2003 but have not found a home yet, we rented from Families First last time, they were very good. I want a few more extras this time for a more memorable effect.
If a owner wants to they may contact me about a rental for above dates and wishes, thanks!:)
Daniel
if you put a general enquiry into the site with your wish list on it i am sure you will get someone with a home that meets your needs :D
Daniel, as owners we are not supposed to contact you in this way. That is part of the site rules. However, if you send a request as Ann suggests, then anyone with availability for your dates is able to contact you.
Asking on open forum means that anyone could offer you a villa, and it may not be from a verified owner advertising on this site. Be wary of anyone who has sent you their villa/villas details so far.
I'm sure that you will find somewhere lovely and memorable.
Sorry, I respect the board and as soon as I figure where to post it I will, found this board about 4 am this morning before I went to work so I only glanced through it, and most definately yes I want only a reputable home.
I thank all those owners of their replies in my mail, I have narrowed my search down a bit and now awaiting availability of the dates I requested, If I had only known of these fabulous homes last year I would have booked then instead of buying a laptop for $3000:D
A factor in my decision rode on having internet access, two years ago while staying near Orlando I paid for one month from a local ISP, they stole my credit card number and charged me over $900 worth of AOL and ****, and we need access for my work and my wifes family contacts.
Hi Daniel
Click on this link: http://www.orlandovillas.com
and then look at the "Find Villas" section or the "General Enquiries" section.
You can then send out an enquiry with all of your requirements.
Have a wonderful time!!
When booking my one and only florida holiday for the family, I was left in charge of finding a suitable villa by "Management" and so, I went for seclusion with sunshine first (obviously), then location in relation to theme parks et al (although they all are purdy close), then rooms/facilities and then price (ok, i've got more money than sense - he he). We were originally a party of 8 but are now only 4 so we could cut down the cost by going for a 3 bed. I am very pleased with the villa I picked.
Brian.
Thanks Carla, still looking for the best home, I really want the internet access for a requirement and then a large pool, so far nothing yet and I may change my date to the month of january for our visit, in that case I would book for the whole month if possible.
January, particularly after about the 4th or 5th when the Christmas/New Year people have gone home, will open up a lot more villas for you Daniel, as generally it is the Americans who holiday during this month, and very few of your countrymen and women plan so far in advance, so you should get the pick of the crop!! :D:D
Brian, with your "handle" you definitely need the seclusion!!!!
Make sure that you use plenty of sun cream. :D:D
LOL:D;):D
I was thinking along the same lines Carla - and just in case anybody is interested the weather in Florida is gorgeous today:D:D - just wish we were'nt going back to the UK on sunday - actually if I could take the weather with me....................
Carla / Caroline,
Thnks for that advice [:I]
I cant wait until we get out there.
Regards,
Brian.
:)
I just sent a deposit for home #3 for 28 nights in january, its going to be a big difference if its our normal -20 to -40F here in Alaska and then we all travel to 70-85F[:0]
Last time I spent 4 days just readjusting to pollen, ozone, and the warm humidity. In south central Alaska just north of Anchorage is whats calleed the Matanuska-Susitna Valley where we live, its semi-arid so its very dry year round, most rain happens mid july to mid august and we usually get less than 3 feet of snow. We have no air pollution, no ozone,no factories and refineries and almost no heavy traffic so our air is pure, dry and never stagnant and it can be very windy so if it gets too dusty the winds pick up.
So summing it up going to Florida is a pretty big change, I think it was the ozone that made my bronchitis flair up but it was worth being in a warm climate and swimming, our winters start in sept and run until may,so easy to get cabin fever when winter is 6 months long, even now or lakes still have frozen surface ice though it has gotten up to record high of 62F.
We rented a villa before from a management company which meant we had no idea where the house was until we arrived and had to pick up the keys from a management company. Having said that the villa was lovely.
This time we booked with an owner from this site and the difference is huge. We really needed a cot and high chair and the playstation 2 was a big plus for my husband (they never grow up do they???).
The biggest selling point was the personal service from the owner. Being able to communicate by email and ask questions makes you feel you are paying for the use of a family's home rather than from a faceless business.
As Villa Owners that is just the kind of service we pride ourselves on!! We all like to make it a personal thing.
Have a great time :D
Daniel
Thanks so much for telling us about your corner of the world-I was really fascinated. It sounds idyllic if a little too chilly for my liking. I often wondered how people live in the colder parts of the world. I'll be honest-I think I would find it very difficult.
I'm from the north of england where we have fairly mild winters on a good year and mild to hot summers-if we're lucky. We had about 3 days of snow in Feb-but we get lots of rain!
I watched the film Insomniacs-with Al Pacino-which I believe depicted Alaska-if not filmed in Alaska-and felt frozen the whole time watching it. The scenery was spectacular though.
I hope you have a wonderful time in Florida-and it doesn't make you ill-you don't need that!
Orlandobabe, it is different living in Alaska. For starters our state is more than twice the size of Texas with a population of around 750,000 for the entire state and 400,000 just for the largest city Anchorage.
Its mostly white people with the native indians like the Athabaskans, Tlingkits, Aleut (AL-ee-ute) and about a couple more mostly live north and along the coast.
We have no "slums or ghettos" but a lot of people that homestead out in the bush or interior where there are no roads. I hav'nt seen a colored person in years, its mostly rednecks where I live :D and thats 50 miles north of Anchorage in the Mat-Su Valley, it was settled in the 1930's by several hundred Norwegion families.
Almost everything is flown in or shipped by barge, if I need hobby supplies, paint or specialty items I must buy on the internet, land is cheap sometimes its free but thats way out in the middle of the bush and you must fly in to it. My home sits on 8 acres, two story house around 2,000 sq. ft. I think, its always expanding, paid $55,000 for it, have less than $6,000 on the balance. I moved here in 1992 from Lake Tahoe,NV where I was a marine engineer on the Tahoe Queeen a large paddle type of sternwheeler cruise ship.
Since 1995 I have been a mechanic, welder, electrician, plumber and concrete mixer driver at a company called Consteel the largest concrete batch plant outside of Anchorage. I work sometimes year round often outside when its -40, usually we only get 5 good months of warm weather from 50-70 degrees with over 20 hours of daylight. Working days are sometimes 6-7 days of 12+ hours.
Thats right, in the summer sunrise is at 3:30AM, sunset about 11:30, inbetween its light enough to not use headlights driving. Everything grows on a fast scale, potatoes 2 feet long, cabbages 5 feet across, carrots the size of baseball bats. Thats also when the tourists arrive, we get swarms of HUGE land yachts, bigger than highway bussess towing a car, its a long long hard drive of about 2,000 miles up the Alaska Highway through Canada to get here, most is gravel, one road only, I have driven it three times, very hard on the vehicles.
Cost of living is a little higher, but housing is very affordable as per buying a house, renting though is high. Wages are way above scale for skilled people and those that must work outside in winter. I do OK in that area;)
Almost all Alaskans of at least one years residency get whats called a "Dividend" its money from the state for revenue of the sale and investments of oil, usually its about $1,500-$1,800 but can go higher as it does every year. So about 1/4th of Alaskans by my guess use this money for winter vacation, many opt for either Hawaii or Orlando, we plan for it every year. Also many own homes in Arizona like my employer and is there from around jan-april.
Winter is long, dark, dreary,and can be depressing because of so little daylight and thats the complete opposite of summer. I have a full home theatre, 53" widescreen TV, satellite, DVD and well over 200 movies, XBOX 3 computers and games for the family, myself I build model tanks, planes, trains and also my gunsmithing.
It takes people that are hardy to live up here, whiners and slackers won't cut it through the first winter, have seen them come and go year after year. Living here can be dangerous, we have bear both the small black bear and the monster Grizzlies, they are everywhere. Herds of moose roam in town and around. I always carry a firearm when I am outside the house especially in the springtime when the bears come out of hibernation and are foraging for food.
Alaska I think is a good place to raise a family, sure we have drugs and kids shooting kids and occasionally a drivebye shooter but much much less than the urban cities in the lower 48. Only reason I would leave is because of the brutal winters and thats just for a couple of months.
The Furniture...I'd want nothing that looked like a hotel room...when I've been looking at the Villa's the first thing I look at is the Master bedroom...is it something thats bit different....then the TV....because my family would die without a large TV.....a PS-2...extra TV's in the bedrooms for the kids....a hot tub....we have little interest in a pool....so that could be big ..small..or not there at all.....I have to say if the owner puts in little touches here and there.....then that would be the place for me.....:)Quote:
quote:Originally posted by blott
Like most home owners, I'm usually looking out for things to improve our home for our guests but what do you look for when renting a Florida home?
Will you make your decision based on price, location, facilities or outlook or is there something else you're looking for from your holiday or vacation base?
Same here about renting a "home", and my thoughts are exactly like chrizzy100 about certain minor luxuries like a jacuzzi, doesn't have to be a huge affair, even just something in an oversized bathtub is fine with me. A bigscreen TV is a definate plus. The only other thing I could possibly be interested in would be a simple universal gym, Walmart sells one that uses different tensioned bungee cords for under $100 I think it was. What recently sold me on renting a villa for 4 weeks was having internet access and a PC.
The main points we looked for were
1. Had to have a pool, as we plan to spend a day at the parks, and relax the next day.
2. A villa not too near Disney
3. Security IE House alarm/safe/Gated community
4. A BBQ as we love having a barbie
5. Obviously kitchen with all the bits
6. Telly and Radio etc, I love background music kids love the
telly
We found a Villa, that was next to a park, Ideal, but it wasnt available. Got emails from other owners and the reasons we picked
the one we have is
Has its own pool, Far enough away from Disney, Has an alarm and BBQ. Also has a games table in the Garage, Son says it was the telly in his bedroom ??. The Bedrooms are upstairs which we like the idea of. Perhaps thats the mad dog english blood we have.
Also the Villa looked great in the pictures, inside it looks open and fresh. Cant explain but you either like the look of a villa or you dont, this one stood out for some reason.
The plus point and this may sound odd, is the owner lives in England, This is the first time we have booked direct with an owner, and the fact they are in the same country made us feel better and safer if something went wrong. Not that we wouldnt in the future book
from someone in America.
Hope that hasnt offended any american owners as I say it is the first time we have done this.
Chris
fascinating insight into a very different way of life Daniel. I love hearing about stuff like that (wouldn't want to live there though;))
Well to tell you my perspective on society is this....its all a big mess:D but living in Alaska gives me more security knowing that being isolated so far north and having a generally inhospitable climate for over 6 months keeps out would be terrorists, also a lot of lowlife find they cannot find a haven here either, its too hard to survive for losers and bums.Living here is demanding, you cannot rely on year round employment, myself my yearly income often is less than 6 months, its long hours, above average pay but it gives me rest time in the winter often 3-4 months long! My goal is to eventually own a home in Florida and live there 3 months a year, finish my pilots lessons, continue with my inventions, build a boat or airplane etc. Living in Alaska is probably the best place short of Hawaii but there is far less people here, a whole lot less. And buying a home or land here is really affordable, my house is two stories, maybe 2500sq ft or so, 8 acres and I bought it for $55,000, its paid for....A lot better than a $400,000 home in a tiny lot with a lot of building restrictions. To each his own I suppose:D
I didn't know you were learning to fly Dan? I'm a private pilot myself and have to say it's one of the best ways I have of relaxing and getting away from the stresses of daily life.
Are you learning in Alaska and if so what do you fly? I'd guess there are a lot of crystal clear days for flying up there?
I went and had a look at the villa's to see what I was looking for on the outside....because its how the outside looks that makes you want to see more of the villa.....I found I only look at places that look like Villa's....big arches....large arched windows....single floor or with Masterbedroom on the ground floor....no ranches because I live in one now.....no houses...because I've lived in one before....I'm looking for that look that says hot weather...:)....most of the villa's here have that outside look.....that's when I go and see what they have inside....we spend little time at any place we use in Orlando....we get up and out by 8:00 in the morning....and get back around 11:00 at night....but we have older kids so we can do that..I'd maybe want the pool more if I had younger ones...(but my friends kids never wanted to leave the pool ...they got over tried playing in it in the evenings and made life between the families uneasy...but I think the pool is a plus if you have rules about using it....if there were going to be a next time I would rent a small villa just for us....I don't think I'd share again..just to get a bigger place)...where was I... ok..so the odd rest days...would be spent out of the sun and heat watching films...playing PC games....reading in the bedroom...the thing I love best ..:D.thats why I love a nice room....and to use the hot tub before bed....I'd also want some kind of internet....web TV would be fine.....with all the walking I do...I can live without my gym...for a few weeks....it still goes back to the look of the Furniture.....those little extra touches win me over everytime....:)Quote:
quote:Originally posted by Daniel Ramsey
Same here about renting a "home", and my thoughts are exactly like chrizzy100 about certain minor luxuries like a jacuzzi, doesn't have to be a huge affair, even just something in an oversized bathtub is fine with me. A bigscreen TV is a definate plus. The only other thing I could possibly be interested in would be a simple universal gym, Walmart sells one that uses different tensioned bungee cords for under $100 I think it was. What recently sold me on renting a villa for 4 weeks was having internet access and a PC.
I just realized what I would really miss from home...my recliner!:D
Flying is fantastic in the summer when sunrise is currently 4:15 am and sunset is 11:47 pm and inbetween its twilite bright enough you do not need headlights to drive. I was flying a Cessna 150 back in 1992 when I first moved here and was still single, then I got married.....so that changed things.
I guess I am feeling some sort of motivation, I just bought three different Breitling watches, an Aerospace and two different Superoceans, got them from Ebay at good prices and two are excellant condidition and one is a bit scuffed up but operates wonderful. For other readers a Breitling watch makes an excellant pilots watch, they are the Mercedes Benz of quality and normally retail starting around $2,000 and up. Another hobby I have is giant scale radio controlled aircraft, my current project is a 1/4 scale Ryan STM with an 88" wingspan from an old Byron kit. I have modified an old chainsaw engine to fit in the cowl, its 60cc and is a tad bit oversized so I may use a 46cc instead but I have to buy a new chainsaw and convert it. What would really be nice is to build an ultralite or a full scale kitplane. Would rather fly in Florida in the winter, its a bit TOO cold in Alaska.
Daniel I have found your postings amazing- need a penpal? Against forums rules I guess!
I have printed the parts about the giant cabbages etc for my kids- fantastic!
Yes Daniel-I had missed your other postings -and again really fascinating.
I'm just imagining going into town-and finding it over-run with moose! That would be a bit different-and those huge vegetables-without GM modifications too.
I also like the idea of the government giving you all a share in the oil-I've never heard of that before. I live near lots of petrochemical companies-I wonder if they would be prepared to fund our trips to Orlando-lol!
Those house prices sound like a dream-even without converting them from dollars into pounds-but I suppose you need a perk for putting up with the harsh winters-keep the tales coming-we love to hear it.
We nearly got killed by a moose running across the road infront of our car in Yellowstone....they are HUGE.....the car could have gone under its body......Quote:
quote:Originally posted by orlandobabe
Yes Daniel-I had missed your other postings -and again really fascinating.
I'm just imagining going into town-and finding it over-run with moose! That would be a bit different-and those huge vegetables-without GM modifications too.
I also like the idea of the government giving you all a share in the oil-I've never heard of that before. I live near lots of petrochemical companies-I wonder if they would be prepared to fund our trips to Orlando-lol!
Those house prices sound like a dream-even without converting them from dollars into pounds-but I suppose you need a perk for putting up with the harsh winters-keep the tales coming-we love to hear it.
That I would like to see Chrizzy-the moose I mean-I didn't think that they would be bigger than a cow!
Nor did I. Don't you learn a lot on this Forum:D:D
Sounds like you all need a dose of http://www.mooseworld.com to me! ;)
They have real long skinny legs.....and this one was huge.....I don't know if they all are....Quote:
quote:Originally posted by orlandobabe
That I would like to see Chrizzy-the moose I mean-I didn't think that they would be bigger than a cow!
One thing I looked for is that there's enough sofas & the dining table seats the number of people using the villa - you'd be amazed how many villas sleep 10 but only have 2 sofas & a tiny table with 4 chairs squeezed around it! I know you eat out a lot & are often hardly in the villa, but it's nice to have the option to eat at home! Have to say the ones on this site seem pretty good in this respect though. BTW postings about Alaska were fascinating - maybe I'm taking my holiday in the wrong place!
We usually look for at least two King/Queen bedrooms as we are two couples (although the house we rent is four bedroomed). I would like to rent a house with a computer with internet access so I could email pics home to the family.
It's nice to have a pool that isn't overlooked but not essential. Nice pool furniture is a must. A little selection of books (I usually leave the ones I have brought with the owners ones to give them a new selection when they go).
We normally find that the Master bathroom has all mod cons but we would like it if the second bedroom had a separate shower cubicle too or an at least a fixed screen round the bath rather than a shower curtain. We have found that the smaller bathrooms usually have a very small bath and are fairly basic. The ones with two Masters are usually the very big ones which would just be too much for two couples.
I do like dealing with the owner as you get to trust each other and I have always liked the owners we have dealt with (although never having met them personally). The owners we currently rent from sent us a nice thank you card for renting their villa which was waiting for us on our return, which I thought was a lovely touch.
Having read my own post I think I sound really picky but I am just answering your question with my own thoughts! :D
A lot of people don't have fixed screens around a bath because they can make it easier for mold to grow.....take this from an ex house cleaner....:D....I still always wanted one myself till I saw the damage done to my bathroom here...so I never replaced our one....a good shower curtain on a good rod is a 100% better in keeping mold away....one that can be taken down and washed in the machine.... a closed walk in shower is easy to clean....so you don't seem to get the same problems.....just my 2 cents......:)Quote:
quote:Originally posted by coombsyl
We usually look for at least two King/Queen bedrooms as we are two couples (although the house we rent is four bedroomed). I would like to rent a house with a computer with internet access so I could email pics home to the family.
It's nice to have a pool that isn't overlooked but not essential. Nice pool furniture is a must. A little selection of books (I usually leave the ones I have brought with the owners ones to give them a new selection when they go).
We normally find that the Master bathroom has all mod cons but we would like it if the second bedroom had a separate shower cubicle too or an at least a fixed screen round the bath rather than a shower curtain. We have found that the smaller bathrooms usually have a very small bath and are fairly basic. The ones with two Masters are usually the very big ones which would just be too much for two couples.
I do like dealing with the owner as you get to trust each other and I have always liked the owners we have dealt with (although never having met them personally). The owners we currently rent from sent us a nice thank you card for renting their villa which was waiting for us on our return, which I thought was a lovely touch.
Having read my own post I think I sound really picky but I am just answering your question with my own thoughts! :D
Quote:
quote:Originally posted by chrizzy100
Originally posted by coombsyl
We have found that the smaller bathrooms usually have a very small bath and are fairly basic. The ones with two Masters are usually the very big ones which would just be too much for two couples.
Ah I now I understand! I didn't realise about the mould problem. I must admit that the villa we rented with the fixed screens was years ago on Lindfields. I suppose owners have learned by their mistakes and now have the curtains.Quote:
quote:A lot of people don't have fixed screens around a bath because they can make it easier for mold to grow.....take this from an ex house cleaner....:D....I still always wanted one myself till I saw the damage done to my bathroom here...so I never replaced our one....a good shower curtain on a good rod is a 100% better in keeping mold away....one that can be taken down and washed in the machine.... a closed walk in shower is easy to clean....so you don't seem to get the same problems.....just my 2 cents......:)
Thanks for explaining. :)