hidden costs?

[questions]

First off I want to let you know how interesting this site is.
We are planning our first visit to Florida next year and as we we are a group 6 adults and 3 children we are planning on renting a villa.
To tell the truth , the prices sound to good to be true. We have rented villas in Spain and France and the prices were at least 3 times what I see here.
What we are looking for is a villa with at least 4-5 bedrooms and minimum 3 baths. I have seen some very nice ones here ( much larger, but big is good! ) for only about 1000 $ a week.
Is this right? What are the hidden costs here? I know there is 12 % taxes but what about the rest?

Another question we have? How hard is it to find a maid or someone to help around the house ( cleaning, cooking ). How much would that cost us? Per hour or day?
If these prices are right then we will be looking out for something for 3 weeks next summer.
Or is the summer to hot? Would it be better at Easter?
thanks for any replies. Can't wait till the summer , it all looks so inviting!

[sunshine state]

Hi there and welcome to the boards first off what month are you deciding to go because you can usually get some pretty good prices and as for maids when i hire a villa they usually clean it for you when your at the parks they will come in and do a bit of work like changing towels etc.

check this out http://www.orlandovillas.com/

It might be some help on what prices are like.

[Ann]

Hi
there are no hidden costs in the prices and you will find a nice 4 or 5 bedroom for $1000 per week
if you see a home you like put in an enquiry and ask the owner your questions
each owner is individual and all will answer your quireies some will be able to help with maid service some may not you have to ask
i hope this helps and i am also sure you will find the standard of homes very high

[steph_goodrum]

Hi and welcome to the forums. I don't think many villa owners include a maid service as standard. If you are staying for longer than a month you may find a mid stay clean included in the price quoted.
I'm glad you agree with us how reasonable our villas are, you'd be surprised the no of people who compare them to the price of a hotel room at maybe $120 a night and forget they are getting the equivalent of 3 or more rooms.
Most owners quote their prices to include everything except taxes and pool heating, taxes are obviously compulsory, pool heating is optional. There may be the occasional owner who will charge for some extras but they will always tell you exactly what you are getting for your money so you don't get any nasty surprises.
If you can go at another time other than summer you'll probably enjoy the weather more, May and October are nice times to go. Easter although weather wise is nice is the most popular time of the year and the parks are very crowded , also the flights are sold out quite quickly.

[huckleberry house]

Hi
Yes it is amazingly good value for money in Florida.Some of the prices quoted already include sales tax as well.The only extras would be for pool heating which varies from house to house and which you may need at Easter but probably not in the summer when it is much hotter. Although I use it then as well as it helps keep the differential down between air temperature and water temperature.Maid service is not normally included but most owners would be able to sort out that service for you as an extra and price would vary depending on how much you wanted doing and how often(although I have not heard of any providing cooking services)I would advise you to book as early as possible as the times you mention are peak times and fill up fast.
Lesley

[Debs]

I can only repeat the above comments - most owners could organise a mid stay clean for an extra charge and again pool heat would in most cases be an extra cost. All owners list their charges fully - there are no hidden extras. But peak seasons do get booked early so I would urge you to book as soon as you can. Try putting out a general enquiry then you can see the homes that have availability.

[floridadreamvilla.co.uk]

Sunshine State

I have to disagree with you with regard to maids coming in and changing towels etc.

Most (if not all) villas do not have the facility of maid service and guests self-cater. (This usually involves takinging breakfast and an evening meal night at a restaurant or diner! such a hard life!!!)

Properties are thoroughly cleaned before a guest checks in and then on checkout but if you want anything between arrival and departure then this probably could be arranged but there would of course be a charge. The Management Company should be able to arrange this for you.

Villas offer a "home from home" - back here at home in the UK I'm still waiting for my bed to be turned down and a chocolate on the pillow before retiring to bed but it's never happened yet.

Sarah

quote:Originally posted by sunshine state

Hi there and welcome to the boards first off what month are you deciding to go because you can usually get some pretty good prices and as for maids when i hire a villa they usually clean it for you when your at the parks they will come in and do a bit of work like changing towels etc.

[chrisj]

Sarah

You just want to be pampered dont you

[fiona]

I think everyone has covered most things, except the High Season gets booked up really quickly, lots of people will be full for Easter next year already (probably booked at least a year in advance) and almost the same for the summer. So get in quick to get the choice of villa you want!

[Funshine]

Hi and welcome! Personally I would advise either May/June or September/October for your first holiday in Florida. These shoulder months are very nice, weather is fabulous - not too hot and certainly not as humid as July/August. The theme parks will still be busy (they're always busy) but the queues should be a little lighter as these periods are slightly quieter than mid summer or Easter.

You are absolutely correct - Florida homes are very reasonably priced by comparison to Spain/France and there are [u]no hidden extra costs</u>. And I totally agree with other owners comments that as soon as you have decided what time of year you would like to visit you should start making enquiries - its very easy.

Regarding maid service - this will include cleaning the villa and changing beds, it will not include cooking or a waiting service. You can book maid service in advance with the home owner or arrange through the management company.

Also, don't forget to view the sister site to this is: www.villasflorida.com where you will find superb quality villas, townhouses and condos to rent.