Book A Vacation Rental For Your Extended-Family Vacation
Posted on: 29 July 2016
A group vacation is an excellent way to bring together family members in a relaxed atmosphere, away from the responsibilities of everyday life at work and home. A vacation rental is the perfect accommodation for such at trip. Room for room, vacation rentals typically cost considerably less than hotel rooms, and you get a lot more for your money. In addition to having multiple bedrooms all in the same accommodation, you also get larger living areas and a full kitchen where you can prepare meals and dine together. In some cases, you can even request a mid-week clean for an additional fee, saving you from all but the most basic housekeeping during your stay.
Although an increasing number of vacationers have fallen victim to phony vacation-rental listings in recent years, you can avoid the risk of being scammed by renting through a Realtor. Real estate brokerages and realtors are legally and ethically accountable for their business practices, which helps to ensure that you'll get a high-quality property at a fair price, and excellent customer service in the event there's a problem during your stay.
Here are some tips for successful trip planning:
Appoint Someone to Take Charge
Put one person in charge of making the arrangements and keeping tabs on payment due dates and other aspects of vacation planning. Other family members can research restaurants, activities and points of interest. While it's helpful to have a general must-do/must-see list to save time after you arrive, keep the itinerary loosely structured.
Choosing a Destination
If your group is large, you may need to work toward agreeing on where to go. Get the ball rolling by having family members toss their ideas into a hat. Pick one winner and one backup if your family agrees to accept the results, whatever they happen to be. If some discussion is needed, narrow the choices by whatever criteria are important to your family. Driving time, for instance, may be a factor for elderly family members or those with very young children.
Paying for the Trip
Once you've selected a destination, set a budget. Consider opening a bank account specifically for your family vacation, and have your family members deposit their share of the cost right away. This ensures that the money is available when the planner is ready to book, and it reduces the temptation to overspend.
The larger your family, the farther in advance you'll need to book. In fact, you may need as long as two years, especially if large rental homes aren't the norm in your destination. As your check-in date approaches, meet with your family members to hammer out some ground rules such as responsibility for picking up the keys, for meal preparation and clean-up, general housekeeping, child care and other day-to-day tasks that can cause hard feelings if not handled fairly.
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