CaribbeanDays

Renting a Caribbean Villa: How to Find a Vacation Home

I am not a cold weather kind of girl. I grew up near the shore, spending my weekends with friends and family members at the beach. As a result, I developed a love for the sand and ocean, a love I was determined to share with my family when we set out to get a Caribbean villa rental.

My husband grew up near the mountains. He spent most of his youth skiing and snowboarding. However, he was not hard to convert. While he still loves the occasionally trip to the mountains, I have him hooked on the beach as well. For our honeymoon, we went to St. Lucia and had a fantastic time. Ever since then, we have been dreaming of leaving our home state again to take a relaxing vacation filled with sun, surf and family.

Our children have spent many days during their first few years at the beach. We finally decided that the time was right to take a family vacation to the Caribbean. I am a planner, and I could not be more excited about figuring out the details of our trip. The first step for me was to find a villa for our family to share on vacation. We settled on Saint Martin as our destination, and I took to the Internet to find a good place to stay. If you are also interested in renting a place in the Caribbean, use the following tips to secure a great villa - they made the process so much easier for me!

Search Early

As soon as you know you are going on vacation, begin looking for a place to stay. Good properties are often booked six months or more in advance, which is why it is so important to get a jump on things. I began our search about nine months ahead of time, and I sometimes felt that was even a little to close to our date. There were several properties that I came across that I thought would be perfect but were not available on our chosen date. Therefore, if you can begin the search a year in advance, that would be preferable and should give you the best possible options.

View Pictures Carefully

Do not rent a property without having the opportunity to look at pictures of the space. That said, remember that pictures can be misleading. They could be old and out of date, showcasing a property in its former heyday. They could be digitally altered to make the space look better. That said, pictures can give you a good idea of what to expect. Look to see if there are any (recent) reviews of the property as well. That should give you an indication of whether or not the pictures match up to reality.

Use a Travel Agent

If you are having a hard time finding a villa that you like, or you are concerned that you may rent something that turns out to be much different than you thought, use a travel agent. Many travel agents specialize in certain locations. If you use an agent that often books the Caribbean, he or she will likely have some recommendations for you when it comes to where to stay. Since they have booked travelers in those properties before, and therefore know what they are like through second-hand knowledge, there is less of a risk for you. Plus, if you get there and do not like what you see, you can contact your agent and have them work to ensure you end up where you want to be.

Spend Time With The Contract

Once you settle on a property that you like, take your time reading through the contract. Some people are so excited to get their vacation rolling that they just sign it without much thought. That is not the best way to do things. Instead, make sure the fees are clear and you understand what you have to pay in the event of damages.

If the contract does not list everything included in the rental, make sure the owner sends that information to you. For instance, does the property have a pool? With young children, sometimes it is easier to allow them to take a dip in the pool before nap rather than heading down to the beach. Therefore, that is always an important consideration for me.

Some people get very stressed at the idea of looking for a vacation rental home. However, it does not have to be that way. If you plan well, you can find the property of your dreams that also meets all of your needs while you are away from home. Simply be methodical in your planning, use the Internet to your advantage and take your time. You will be relaxing on the beach in no time at all!

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