Ken Oliver

Hilton Head Vacation Rentals - Finding the Right Home Away From Home



Posted: Friday, July 24, 2009

by Ken Oliver
Ken Oliver Hilton Head Real Estate

Hilton Head Island is a unique and beautiful vacation destination.  It combines many of the amenities and conveniences normally only found in major cities with the natural beauty of the island with its marshes and beaches.  The island offers anything a golf or tennis enthusiast could ever want, and for everyone else the island offers parks, bike paths, walking trails, extensive shopping, numerous restaurants, and miles of beaches.  Needless to say, to get the most out of a Hilton Head vacation, you have to stay more than a day or two.  Unfortunately, this also means massive hotel and restaurant bills which can potentially make a long vacation unaffordable to those of us who actually have to ask how much something costs before buying it.  One great way to enjoy the island for less is to take advantage of a Hilton Head vacation rental property, allowing you to stay in a house or condominium for less than an equivalent hotel stay. 

Before jumping online and searching for Hilton Head vacation rentals, it is important to follow several steps in order to get the best Hilton Head vacation rental property for your needs.  First, you need to decide how much you are willing to pay and what kind of vacation you want.  Do you want a small house on the beach or would you prefer a condominium with a breathtaking ocean view?  Do you need a place for your kids to play when you're not on the beach or will they be satisfied with whatever you can bring with you into the condo?  You also need to consider how many people will be sleeping in the house or condo so that you do not violate terms of a potential lease agreement.  You should also research the various Hilton Head communities to decide which one is the best fit for you.  Finally, you need to decide whether you would be more comfortable renting from a private homeowner or from a rental management agency.

If you decide to pursue a Hilton Head vacation rental through a private homeowner, it is important to develop a relationship with the homeowner.  You should meet in person or at least talk on the phone, as you can't tell everything about a person just through email.  There is a greater amount of risk for both parties, so if you don't like the homeowner you should not pursue the rental property.  There is more protection offered if you decide to get a Hilton Head vacation rental through a rental agency, but even then you need to be careful to ensure that you are not being taken for a ride.  You need to find out everything you can about the rental agency.  You need to know their history as a company.  You need to find out if they are a member of the VRMA (Vacation Rental Managers Association).  If they're not, do not work with them.  You should also double-check to make sure they don't have excessive complaints on file with the Better Business Bureau.  While no vacation is absolutely guaranteed (you can't predict the weather six months ahead of time, for instance), taking these steps will help you to avoid a preventable disaster.  Finding the right Hilton Head vacation rental for you will help you to have the best possible time at the best possible price during your stay on the island. 


 

Ken is a Hilton Head Real Estate professional with over 29 years in the business. Ken is happy to call this beautiful resort island, famous for it's beaches, dining and natural setting, home for decades. To see current properties for sale visit Ken-Oliver.com.
This Article has been viewed 33 times. (Not updated in real-time.)
No comments yet.
We want your comments! If you can read this, you don't have javascript enabled, so you can't use this comment system. Please enable javascript.