How To Find The Best Vacation Rental Property For Your Next Family Vacation

The accommodations you’ll pick for your next family vacation can make or break the success of your trip. Regardless of how exciting the activities in your destination are, if you’re worried about the safety of your valuables left in your accommodation, you’ll have a hard time enjoying. Your accommodation can also affect your family’s comfort and convenience when traveling.

If you don’t want to stay in luxury hotels and resorts for your next family vacation, consider looking at vacation rental properties. This type of accommodation comes in different sizes and prices, making it very easy for you to find one that suits your family’s needs and budget.

What Are Vacation Rental Properties?

A vacation rental property is any furnished house, apartment, or condominium that’s rented out to tourists or travelers on a temporary basis, and acts as an alternative to hotels and resorts. Vacation rental properties are often privately owned, so the variety of this accommodation is inconsistent and broad.

You’ll be able to find different types of vacation rental properties today—from expensive private villas in the world’s most desirable locations to reasonably priced condos and apartments in the heart of bustling cities. Just like hotels, most vacation rental properties also offer 24-hour housekeeping, concierge service, and front desk check-ins.

Although uncommon for some, more travelers are now choosing to stay in vacation rental properties. Unlike five-star luxury hotels and resorts, staying in vacation rental properties is cheaper, especially if you book for a long-term stay. This type of accommodation also has a fully equipped kitchen, allowing you and your family to cook anytime. Vacation rental properties also provide a very cozy environment, unique amenities, and multiple bathrooms and bedrooms.

How Can You Find The Best Vacation Rental Properties?

Vacation rental properties are common today—too common, in fact, that you’ll likely see yourself bombarded with too many options. The number of options available is one of the reasons why travelers will usually have a hard time finding the best vacation rental properties. This is especially true for individuals who have never experienced staying in this kind of accommodation in the past.

If you share the same dilemma, this article can help. Here’s how you can find the best rental properties for your next family vacation:

Identify Your Needs

Before you start browsing websites such as https://tetonvalleyvacationrentals.com/ to look for the best vacation rental properties, it’s important to determine what your needs are. This information can help you narrow down your search and save you time from going around in circles when looking for vacation rental properties.

While on your search for vacation rental properties, the most important thing is to be as specific with your needs as you can. Do you and your family want a place to stay that has a swimming pool? Are your kids looking forward to staying in a place where they can sleep for long hours? Does any of the family members want to bask in breathtaking views outdoors? The type of vacation rental property you select should be based around you and your family’s specific needs. This will ensure that everyone will have a good time and stay comfortable throughout the entire trip.

Maximize The Internet

One of the best ways to search for the best rental properties is to look on the Internet. There are many different websites that are available online when searching for rental vacation properties in your destination. By searching online, you’ll be able to see many different types of vacation rental properties without having to leave your house.

Regardless if you want a basic or luxury home to live in while you’re vacationing with your family, there are plenty of websites out there that can help you find the perfect property with minimal effort and research on your part.

The next place that you should look for vacation rental properties is at local real estate listings. Many realtors will have listings available for properties that they’re leasing out. As long as you spend time looking around the listings of your destination, you may be surprised to find some amazing deals on the properties that are available for rent.

There are literally thousands of properties out there for you to choose from, so it shouldn’t be difficult to find a great one that suits your needs, as well as your family’s.

Ask For Recommendations

Choosing accommodations for your next family vacation is an important decision. Aside from significantly affecting the success of your trip and the comfort of your family, choosing the wrong one can cause a lot of stress. How do you think you’ll react when you arrive in your accommodation and later find out that it’s different from what you saw online? Do you think you can still look for other accommodations once you’ve arrived in your destination?

If you don’t want your next family vacation to be a nightmare, ask for recommendations so you can find the best vacation rental property. The experience of the people who have stayed in the property you’re eyeing to pay for can help manage your expectations and assess if this accommodation is fit for your family’s needs.

You can find the best vacation rentals through word-of-mouth. If you know friends and family who’ve stayed in the vacation rental property you’re planning to stay in, ask about their experience. This can save you a lot of time and hassle, especially if you don’t have any idea where and how to start your search. More often than not, all you need is a few referrals to find the perfect vacation rental property that you and your family are looking for.

Check The Prices

One of the most important things that you’d want to think about when finding the best vacation rental property is price. While it’s always important to pick the right place for your needs, paying an exorbitant amount of money just to stay in a nice accommodation isn’t the best idea for the family. You’ll be spending a lot of money for the vacation alone, and spending more for your accommodation isn’t worth it, especially if there are cheaper options available.

A good rule of thumb is to choose a vacation rental property that has reasonable prices, and offers high-quality or additional services and also be sure you’re calculating prorated rent. If you’re planning to stay in a vacation rental property near the beach, for example, make sure you pick an accommodation that offers free surfing lessons to kids, or discounted rates for water activities. This kind of accommodation can provide value to your money, and ensure that the entire family makes the most out of the trip!

Determine The Size

Another thing you’ll want to check into when it comes to your vacation rental property is the size. You don’t want to spend any time in a property that’s too small for you and your family, because none of you can stay comfortable in it. If you want to know the actual size of the property, reach out to the owner and ask for the exact measurements. Don’t solely rely on the pictures you see on the internet as these can be deceiving. A vacation rental property that looks spacious and wide in the pictures don’t always translate the same dimensions in reality.

Moreover, you should also think about the number of bedrooms that a property has because you’ll want to make sure that you have enough room for your entire family when going on a vacation. It’ll be challenging for anyone to have fun during the trip if everyone is forced to stay in only one room. How can the family sleep comfortably if this is the case? Where will you place all your luggage?

By knowing the actual size of the accommodation, you won’t have any problems finding the perfect vacation rental property for you and your family.

Try To Negotiate

As mentioned, vacation rental properties are typically privately owned. Often, the owner of the property lives in another home near the rental property or can easily be contacted through SMS or email. The ability of the guest to directly communicate with the property owner is one of the reasons why travelers are now choosing to stay in vacation rental properties.

Since you’ll have the chance to directly communicate with the property owner, make the most out of it by trying to negotiate. Conducting negotiations is actually an accepted practice when finding the best vacation rental property. Doing so might be nerve-wracking at first, but as long as you muster the confidence, negotiating with the owner can help you save more money in your accommodation.

When negotiating with the owner of the property, you can start by asking for a cheaper deposit or weekly rent. If you’re going to stay in the vacation rental property for weeks or months, try asking if you can get an additional day free of any charge. As long as the property is available and you put in a little practice weeks before the vacation, you’ll have better chances of getting positive results from your negotiations.

Pick Your Location

For you to find the best vacation rental property for your next family trip, pay attention to where it’s located. The location of your accommodation should be considered as this can affect your convenience, as well as your family’s, throughout the entire trip.

Ideally, the rental property should be located near the airport, where you can easily find affordable transportation services. Moreover, it should also be near the major attractions of the area where you plan to visit during your vacation. A vacation rental property near the airport and tourist destinations will make it very easy for you to roam around without having to spend a lot of money. Depending on the distance, you might even choose to walk from your accommodation to the locations in your itinerary.

A good vacation rental property should also be near amenities necessary for your vacation. If possible, choose to stay in a vacation rental property that’s near supermarkets, malls, pharmacies, and hospitals. These amenities will allow you and your family to enjoy the family vacation because everything you can possibly need—food, medicines, and emergency care—is right around the corner.

Don’t Forget About Your Safety And Security

More often than not, families who go on a vacation together will leave their valuables in their accommodation to visit different locations around the area. It’ll be hard for you to enjoy your trip if you’re going to carry your luggage around. You’ll have your hands full in looking after your family, which is why you would opt to leave your valuables in your accommodation and then roam around while only bringing the essentials.

If you don’t want to worry about the safety of your valuables as you’re traveling, only choose to stay in a vacation rental property that’s safe and secured. The best vacation rental properties will have 24/7 security cameras and locks to the guests’ rooms. A 24/7 concierge service and roaming security guards are also essential.

Aside from the security measures implemented in the property, it’s also important to look around the area to check if it is actually safe to stay in. Are there nearby police stations? How is the crime rate in the area? Are there lamp posts at night? For you to find the best vacation rental property, it’s not enough that you only focus on what the accommodation has to offer; you should also pay attention to its surroundings as this can affect your family’s safety and security when traveling.

Make Sound Decisions

You’ll never run out of options when looking for vacation rental properties. Regardless of where the family is heading to next, you’ll be able to find countless options, especially if you maximize the internet. However, if you want to make the most out of your next family vacation, you shouldn’t choose the first vacation rental property you come across; instead, you should consider several other factors before deciding.