A traveler should consider every avenue before selecting any old place to spend their holiday. It doesn’t matter if you’re heading down to the seaside or flying across the pond to Portugal, you have to do plenty of research before you rent anywhere.
Like anything in life you have to weigh up the priorities, and the pros and cons of a holiday rental. Before you start looking for your holiday home, you have to decide where it is you’re travelling to. It’s important to choose somewhere that caters to everybody, especially if you have children. If you have to decided to go to Portugal, to rent in Albufeira is a great option for the whole family.
So, what is it that you want? What are your priorities? Create a list of rental options that will serve your every need. It doesn’t matter how farfetched, just write down everything that you need and then you can subtract the ‘wants’ and sometimes unnecessary desires.
You should always weigh up the pros and cons of villas, resorts, privately managed properties and other accommodation options. This way you know you’ll be getting exactly what you want. Comparing the advantages of renting a holiday property through a management company, and renting directly through the owner is a personal choice.
Whilst making the decision it’s important to perform thorough research online. You should have access to multiple photographs so that you can view the exterior and the interior of the property well. If there’s no pictures, or only a few, my advice is that you shouldn’t go for it!
You should look closely at everything and read through every detail about the property. Before booking your rental you should establish contact with the owner or company and enquire in person. You can email if you like, this way you have records of every conversation and note exchanged. As the holidaymaker you should ask about all amenities, sleeping arrangements, kitchenware and everything else that comes with renting a property abroad.
Google Earth is also a wonderful thing, and a great way to really look at the area surrounding your preferred rental. You’ll be able to see whether there’s a pool nearby, what activities surround the property and if you’re close the beach or restaurants. It’s important not to just take the word of the rental company or owner, make sure you’re one step ahead at all times.
The great thing about the internet is that you can read reviews and testimonials. These will always give you a great insight into the property and what it’s actually like to stay there. Of course, there are a few slightly awkward people that moan at the slightest little thing, but you’ll be able to pick out the finicky people from the actual problem reviews.
Finally, check the guarantee and refund policy. You never know what could happen on the run up to your holiday, so it’s always best to be prepared. If you’ve paid upfront, will you get a direct refund back or will you have to pay a supplement? Or if you’ve put a credit card down as deposit and pay on arrival, will this still come out if you can’t make it? Make sure you know the ins and outs of this, and always keep a record!
