Vacation Rental Owners – Frequently Asked Questions

August 31, 2007 | By admin In All,Calpe | Comments(0)

Why should I rent my vacation home?
Renting your vacation home could be a good source of income if rented frequently.  Some owners prefer renting just a few weeks each year to off-set the costs associated with the home.  In addition, some owners rent out their vacation home to keep it from sitting empty when they are not using the home themselves.

< ?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />Will renting my vacation home decrease its overall value?
No, it will not decrease your property value.  However, you may have to replace and repair things more frequently.

What type of people rent vacation homes?
Most vacation home renters are homeowners themselves, so they usually know how to take care of someone else's home.

When will the home rent?
Nearly all homes are located in destination areas that have a definite "high" or busy season. Vacation rental homes tend to be rented most often during this high season. Summer is high season in most locations; however, winter is high season in ski areas. The less you use your home during high season, the more your home will be rented and the more income you will earn.

How do I get started?
You can rent your vacation home by yourself or you could hire a local property manager to do it for you.

What are the benefits of renting my vacation home on my own without a property manager?
You can make more money by saving the management company commissions (up to 50%).  Also, you will have complete control of the guests who rent your property.

What are the cons of renting my vacation home on my own without a property manager?
You will need to dedicate some time in advertising and managing your home. You will also need to research and adhere to all local regulations and pay all required taxes and fees.

How much time does it take to rent my vacation property home on a daily basis?
You must have some extra time, because you will need to advertise, answer phone calls and emails, and manage the property.  Expect an average of 2-3 hours per week.

Can I keep on checking the house while it is being rented?
This may vary upon your agreement with the guests.  However, you should not t be so emotionally attached to the home and become a nuisance to your guests.

What are the best ways to advertise my vacation home?
The Internet is by far the most efficient place to advertise your vacation home.  There are many vacation rental websites that offer listing services.  To find the ones that are more appropriate for your vacation home, just go to Google or Yahoo and type a keyword or phrase that you think vacationers will type in order to find your home.  For example, if you have a luxury vacation rental in California you should type “Luxury vacation rentals in California."

How do I handle maintenance and cleaning?
You can hire a maintenance company to handle the cleaning and repairs for you or you can do everything yourself (may be with the help of a housekeeper).  Finding a good housekeeper is highly recommended because, besides cleaning, they are the ones checking up on the renters and making sure that there is no damage or theft.

Filed under: All,Calpe

Frequently Asked Questions from Vacationers

August 19, 2007 | By admin In All,Calpe | Comments(0)
How do I know vacation rentals are legitimate?
Ask for references and a list of past renters from the vacation rentals property owners. If possible, it is also suggested that you visit the vacation rental property in advance.

How do I book a vacation rental?
Property owners have their own preferred methods of making reservations. Contact the home owner and be sure to communicate your arrival and departure dates, the number of people in your party (include the number of adults and/or children) and any special needs you might have. To protect the homeowner and the renter, we strongly recommend the use of a vacation rental agreement. The agreement should clearly outline the rental period, the cost of the rental, any special considerations and the terms and conditions related to cancellations and refunds.

What type of deposit and payment due dates can I expect?
Typically, the rental agreement requires a booking deposit of 10% - 50% to confirm the reservation, with full payment expected eight (8) weeks prior to arrival. It is important that all payments be submitted as specified in the rental agreement in order to avoid losing your reservation and/or your booking deposit. Additionally, you will also be asked to provide a refundable security deposit either at the time of booking or upon arrival. Specifics related to the security deposit, including property maintenance, damages and additional fees such as telephone charges, should be detailed in the rental agreement.

Where can I find details on check-in times, pets, etc.?
Within the rental agreement or lease you can expect to find terms related to check-in and checkout times, maximum occupancy, pet policies, cancellation conditions, and maintenance of the rental.

How are cancellations and refunds handled?
The cancellation policy associated with your rental agreement or lease should clearly communicate penalties associated with canceling your contract. Note that cancellations due to weather conditions are not usually permitted unless specified in the rental agreement.  Travel insurance can protect your vacation investment if unforeseen circumstances require you to cancel your trip.

What about travel arrangements?
The owner should be able to advise you on your travel arrangements, including the most convenient airports, car rentals, and alternative transportation options. Special parking requirements and parking passes should be detailed in the rental agreement and included in pre-arrival instructions.

What type of pre-arrival instructions should I expect?
In addition to directions to the property, you should be provided with either a key or the name of the person who will greet you at the rental, as well as, the name and telephone number of some one at the location who you can contact if anything goes wrong. If a security deposit is due on arrival, the expectation is that it will be paid in cash, local currency, check or traveler’s check.

What happens when I arrive at the vacation rental property?
Some owners send you a key in advance, some actually live on site and will meet you, and some arrange for their representative to meet you at the property. Make sure you are given details of someone you can contact if something goes wrong. If you are delayed, it is courteous to inform the owner.

What if there is a problem during my holiday?
It is in your best interest and the owner’s interest to fix any problems immediately. Contact information for the owner or their local representative should be included in pre-arrival instructions and posted in the rental. The person you have been directed to contact will be your best resource to quickly resolve any issues.

What happens when I leave the vacation home?
Check-out policies should be part of the instructions you were provided. Since cleaning standards vary, it is important to know how much the owners expect you to clean up prior to departure. When you are ready to leave, the vacation home owner or their representative should check you out of the property, and assuming there is no damage, will refund your security deposit, either on the spot or within a couple of weeks.

Filed under: All,Calpe

Don Cayo Golf: The Altea Golfcourse

August 8, 2007 | By admin In Altea,Altea Apartments,Altea Villas | Comments(0)

Lots of people that rent an Altea holiday villa or an Altea holiday apartment do so because of the privaleged golfcourse of Don Cayo.

The Don Cayo Golf Club was founded in 1974 by Luis Campomanes Asumendi within the “El Aramo” Urban Development Project on the skirts of the Sierra de Altea mountains. The course sits within the municipal area of Altea, a Mediterranean town standing out for the beauty of its historic town centre and its special sunny atmosphere. This has made it one of the favourite Mediterranean hideaways for artists, who come to work and live here from many parts of the world. Thanks to its special charm, Altea was chosen as the site for the Fine Arts Campus of the Miguel Hernandez University of Alicante, and it has a new Fine Arts Palace and a UNESCO Music venue as well.

Don Cayo Golf

A privileged enclave

The course nestles between the Sierra Bernia and the Mediterranean Sea – an idyllic spot in which to enjoy the beauties of nature. But apart from picturesque surroundings, it boasts an incredibly attractive design, making it a superb place for a great game of golf.
The course is owned by the Don Cayo Golf Club and its members, set up as a non-profit sports association. The Club is therefore semiprivate, and its members share the fai¬rways and facilities with fee-paying golfers who come to visit.

Course improvements

Over the last two years, the club has become one of finest in the province, thanks to improvements in maintenance, upkeep and even course design. Special attention has been paid to the fairways, the slopes, the surrounding pine trees and landscaping, and new marble sand bunkers have been introduced along the course.
These initiatives were completed by a remodelling of the itineraries, so the course opened last spring with 18 new tee-offs, packing two completely different rounds into one 9-hole course. The two options are marked in different colours on the course cards and the greens.

With its revamped design, Don Cayo now enjoys a new lease on life. Players never have to repeat a single hole, making the game much more fun. Among the most significant no¬velties are par changes at 4 holes, hole 5 was reduced by 100 metres, the fairway at hole 1 has been modified with 4 new bunkers flanking its right side, making the dog-ieg more challenging despite the removal of a bunker formerly located right on the fairway.

Future reforms

All these improvements have been made under the new management team, with Alexis Garcia-Valdes as manager and Rosa Sastre as greenkeeper, giving golfers the best they could possibly devise. And another new stage will be completed over the next 3 years, with the renovation of the irrigation system and the future installation of a new water purifier that will enable a large lake to be created within the layout.

Once all this work has been carried out, there are also plans to renovate some of the greens.

TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION

Opened:1974
Number of holes: 9
Number of routes: 2
Par: 72
Layout of 1st round: yellow and red bars
Metres 1st round: yellow: 2638m | red: 2406m
Layout 2nd round: white and blue bars
Metres 2nd round: white: 2824m I blue: 2535m
New course value: Gents: 69.6 j Ladies: 72,6 New slope: Gents: 126 | Ladies: 126 Metres: Gents: 5462 I Ladies: 4938
Designer: Gregorio Sanz and Pedro Barber (1974), and
Alexis Ga~Valdes (2006)
Fees: 18 holes: €50.00 I 9 holes: €35.00
Services:
Practice Green j School | Club hire | Buggies | Restaurant
Putting Green j Store | Changing Rooms j Bridge
Information:
Sierra de Altea Golf s/n
Urb. El Aramo, Ctra. de Callosa Km 1
Altea la Vieja. 03590 Alicante
Tel.: (+34) 965 848 046
Fax: (+34) 965 846 519
Email.: doncayo@ctv.es

Filed under: Altea,Altea Apartments,Altea Villas