Vacation Rentals

[GoCubsGo]

I'm going to be doing some travelling this year, hopefully a fair amount after May but obviously as any traveller will tell you the majority of their cash is allocated towards housing. I've heard a lot about house swaps and private apartment/condo/house rentals but never really thought I'd be interested. Apparently there is some decent savings in doing this. Has anyone ever does this?

For example, I found Cyber Rentals online and it looks pretty cool. Anyone can go online and compare hotel accommodations to the cost of a private rental and see if there is any savings.

Can anyone recommend any other site or perhaps tell me some things to do and not do when looking? Some of the cities I'll be in are Jackonsville (for work...so that is paid for), NC, NYC, and eventually I'll head up to Canada because I'm out of maple syrup.

 

[RBMaraman]

I've rented houses/condo's in Florida before. Sometimes you can save money, and sometimes you end up paying the same or more as a hotel. There are some things to consider.

If you don't like cleaning your own place, you won't like the rental. The places I've rented have had VERY strict guidelines about usage. Like, on the last day: you have to wash all the sheets and make the beds, clean all the bathrooms and kitchen, vacuum all the rooms, and replenish all the supplies you used. If you don't mind wasting over half a day of your trip on this stuff, then go for the rental. If you don't do that stuff, or the owner gets numerous complaints from the next visitors, you will get charged some kind of fee. Versus a hotel, where you can make a huge mess, and don't have to worry about any cleanup.

Also, the only way you'll really save money is if you are going with a good size group, like more than 4 people.

To me, a rental is just too much work. When I take a trip, I don't want to do any work. My philosophy is, if I can't afford to stay in a nice hotel and treat myself, then I save up and take the trip when I can afford to.

 

[GoCubsGo]

The cleaning is something I considered but I am rather clean anyway so it's never been an issue for me. While in Hotels I make my own bed. perhaps not as perfect as a maid would do, but I do it because it's habit. For a group it is probably cheaper, you're absolutely right. I guess it would have to be rather specific as far as terms go if something we're up to par with the owner. That is a good point.