looking

[Ray&Sarah]

As Liesa says Bethany you'll have fun searching for the perfect villa for you, there is alot to choose from.[msnsmile2]

[taffy]

I have been looking for a villa for Sept 06. I thought i knew what i wanted and which area to stay in, but i have gone around in circles looking for THE ONE. There are just so many to choose from. Just when i think this is the one, another comes my way. So at the moment i am no further forward than i was 2 months ago.
Can i just say this though, you say that owners are not allowed to reply direct, we have to go through the forum search, for our protection.
So how do you know that these villas are what they are in the decription given by their owners. What i'm trying to find out and i don't mean to offend anyone !!!there are owners who have 2 or more properties, so do they furnish it for renters and anything will do.
I am not out to offend anyone it's just a question that i'm asking.
Can i also take this opportunity to thank everyone who has responded to my request for a villa previously.
Regards
Taffy

[Newhomebuyer]

The owners on these forums are individuals who take great pride in their villas whether they own one two or three. They are prepared to deal ditectly with their guests because they are proud of their homes.
In order to advertise on the three sites we have to have our villas verified. We have to prove that, that is the villa we own.John and Roger have several ways of checking on this.
Nobody will think you are being offensive in asking questions about the villas. In fact owners on this site are all willing to answer as many questions as you like about their homes if you have made an official enquiry
If you have heard about villas which are 'just for renters' and have that feel on the interior this may be because you know someone who has rented through a tour company and not an individual home owner who gives their personal number and name and is not a faceless organisation who allocate on arrival.
Enjoy choosing your villa.

[SunLover]

Sadly it is often the case that the "allocation upon arrival" villas offered, as Angela said, by "faceless" tour operators, do give the villa owners such as those on the 3 OV sites a bad name, because whilst we are all working extremely hard to offer superior accommodation at a fair price, people who have been stung by these tour operators in the past, assume that ALL Florida villas are going to be the same low standard as the one they were previously forced to endure.

Nothing could be further from the truth with the villas advertised on the OV sites.

They are all owned and run by private owners who take an immense amount of pride in their dream homes in the sun. These owners have chosen to be honest and up front about their accommodation, and deal with their clients personally, since they have nothing to hide, and really do believe in the high standard of the product they are offering.

By doing so, and effectively cutting out the middle man (the tour operator), they are able to reinvest in and upgrade their properties on a regular basis. Have you ever wondered why they never show you photos of "allocation upon arrival" villas ?

And as for those owners who have more than one villa purposely allowing one of the properties slip to a lower standard purely for use by the rental market, what would be the point ? These owners still have mortgages, taxes, utilities to pay regardless of rental income. So why allow your property to fall into decline when clearly you will not achieve the rental income to cover the running costs?

Tour operators give the impression that we legitimate owners are overcharging for our accommodation. This is complete rubbish. All that is happening is that tour operators are taking advantage of the less savvy owners by utilising their villas and literally paying them peanuts. The result : owners being forced to sell because they cannot pay their way, or villas become so worn out due to the high wear and tear, that guests feel cheated when they arrive. And so the cycle continues.

The only way to break this cycle is to book direct with a verified villa owner, who will offer you a personal and friendly service throughout, and supply you with superior accommodation which is constantly being upgraded and improved year on year.

[Snapper]

<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by taffy
So how do you know that these villas are what they are in the decription given by their owners. What i'm trying to find out and i don't mean to offend anyone !!!there are owners who have 2 or more properties, so do they furnish it for renters and anything will do.[/quote]
Hi Taffy,

One thing you can do is ask the villa owner directly as many questions as you like to make sure that the home is as described. Ask how recent the photos are, or what has been done to the villa recently to keep it in tip top condition, or how often the owner visits it to check on it, etc. If anything is important to you don't be afraid to ask to make sure you get the best holiday possible.

[Cruella DeVilla]

Taffy, just have a look at some of the links under the owners signatures and you will soon see in regard to furnishings it is not a case of anything will do.

[wrpac00]

Just to reinforce what others have said, it is our second home so it is going to be decorated to our tastes and theme but it is certainly not geared just for renters. We have decked our place out with everything we would want and expect from a home from home.

It was quite pleasing that our last renter said to us that she felt like she was walking into someones home. She had stayed twice previously at 'allocation upon arrival' villas and found them very clinical and not welcoming.

[Lynne S]

The guests who stayed in our villa over Christmas rang to say they couldn't understand us wanting to rent out our villa as they thought it was much too nice.

They did however ask could I pencil them in for Christmas 2007....This is the best compliment we can get[msnsmile2]

Our villa is 12 months old and we have visited it 4 times during the time to upgrade and add lots of extras, I think you will find most homeowners do this as we love and enjoy our second homes and want gusets to love and enjoy them just as much.[msnsmile2]

[LiesaAnna]

i have seen it first hand with you Lynne, we were strangers before we chatted on this forum about florida and villas, and now we have met, i have seen just how passionate you are (and Dawn) about your wonderful villa, its lovely, and i am sure all the other villa owners on this site (and its sisters) feel the same about their villas as you do Lynne!!

All of the villas I have every stayed in matched the photos in the adverts[clap][clap]

Like Liesa Im not a villa owner so I suppose more unbiased, but I can say you wont' go wrong with the villas on here, look carefully at the photos, slideshows and virtual tours they give you a good feel for the villa then make your choice[msnwink]