The 5 Biggest Mistakes Travelers Make When Planning A Luxury Vacation Home Rental

Planning on renting a luxury vacation home? No more tiny hotel rooms, sharing a pool or bumping into strangers in the hall. The money you save, the privacy you’ll enjoy and the great experience you’ll have will likely change the way you travel forever. You’ll have the best vacation of your life if you just avoid these common pitfalls.

Fatal Mistake 1 – Booking Your Reservation at the Last Minute

The longer you wait to reserve the higher the risk of having to settle for a home no one else wants. Do you have your heart set on the beach on your birthday? To avoid disappointment make your reservation 3-9 months in advance especially for peak Easter, Christmas and New Year’s weeks. It’s true, you may find a last minute deal but it will probably be your 3rd or 4th choice. Decide whether your priority is the perfect vacation rental home or the take-what-you-can-get discount home.

Fatal Mistake 2 - Neglecting to Check the Weather

What will the weather be like where you’re going? Will you have to strap yourself to a lamp post to go shopping in Thailand? Will you be trekking the Himalayas during monsoon season? In tropical locations the rainy season may have warm and sunny days with showers in the late afternoon. Early and late rainy season months may help you beat the heat. One perk of off season travel is the rates are cheaper. Ask which months are the rainiest and avoid them. The capital city may be 4,000 feet higher than where you’re planning to stay.

Fatal Mistake 3 - Failure to Ask for Details

Does beach front mean a hilltop ocean view with a 20-minute drive to the beach or will you be a mere one-minute walk from wiggling your tootsies in the sand? Is the neighborhood noisy? You may want to be conveniently located but you don’t want to be kept awake all night by the loud bar next door. Are concierge and housekeeping services included or are they a separate fee? Does the price include taxes? How big are the rooms? Don’t rely on photos alone. A wide angle lens can make a closet look palatial. Don’t assume anything. When in doubt, ask.

Fatal Mistake 4 – Not Fully Exploring Your Online Resources

You may have found a vacation rental on an online directory like < Homeway.com but check for a link to a personal web site (or Google it) and you may find more in-depth information such as room descriptions, guest reviews, more photos or even a virtual tour. Directories are great resources but have built-in limitations. The homeowner may have a blog or a YouTube page.

Fatal Mistake 5 - Not Trusting Your Gut Feelings

Are you not “clicking” with the homeowner or rental agent? Are you getting vague answers to your questions? If it’s a rental agent are your 1st, 2nd and 3rd choices unavailable and does he keep directing you to other homes in other areas? It’s extremely rare but there are a couple of unscrupulous independent agents who steal photos and info from homeowner sites, post them as their own then use them to bait and switch clients to their handful of “real” homes. One agent claimed to represent over 130 homes when he actually represented 9, 5 of them were his own. If it doesn’t feel right, look elsewhere.

Paradise Awaits!

Evelyn Gallardo is a Baby Boomer who first strapped on a backpack in the mid-seventies and trekked through most of South America. She continues to explore the world and writes extensively about travel, Costa Rica and vacation rentals.


Author: Evelyn Gallardo