Beach Vacation Rentals

On a dreary Saturday in February I was feeling quite depressed due to the cold, wet weather. We had decided not to take a winter vacation and waiting for our June vacation seemed like a long time. I thought maybe it would help my mood to do some planning for the summer trip. We had not made any solid plans of where we wanted to go so I started looking into beach vacation rentals.

My husband had been working very hard so his only criteria for a destination was that it be away from his office. As I started looking at beach vacation rentals I found that there were many possibilities to choose from. We had done a beach home rental in the past with a group of friends and found that it was an inexpensive way to spend time on the beach. By going with beach vacation rentals you usually rent an entire home, apartment or condo so you can cook your meals; which decreases the cost of eating out for every meal. You can also share the rental fees with others if you rent accommodations that have multiple bedrooms.

In looking at the possibilities with the beach vacation rentals I discovered that there were a wide range of prices depending on the geographical location as well as the size of the accommodations. The beach vacation rentals that were the most expensive were the ones that were located directly on the beach. If you are willing to be located within walking distance the price drops considerably.

The main thing to consider when locating beach vacation rentals that are off the water is where the public access is to the beach area. For many resort areas this is not an issue, however if you are renting in an area of private homes it may be difficult to access the beach.

Several of the beach vacation rentals I was considering were private homes. One was available for two weeks for a very reasonable rate. I contacted the owner and found out that they were going to be out of town for the two weeks that they were renting their home. The home was located directly on the beach and included full access to two bedrooms, two bathrooms an outdoor hot tub and the kitchen and living room areas of the home. The catch was they were leaving their dog so the renters would be responsible for feeding and exercising the dog daily. We like dogs so this seemed like a great way to have a longer vacation for a reasonable rate.

It is important to be clear when doing beach vacation rentals with private owners on what areas of the home are accessible and what the expectations are for cleaning. This couple had a written contract that was very detailed and provided contact information in case of emergencies. We are looking forward to our two weeks on the beach.