USA Hurricane Rentals: Find Disaster Housing

Question: With USA hurricane rentals, how do I find disaster housing quickly?

Answer: There are tricks used to find hurricane rentals and disaster housing quickly.

Storm chasers, media staff, relief workers, and refugees all need quick rentals when a disaster strikes. There are tricks that some use to insure comfortable lodging at a reasonable price, and they do this even after motels for miles around are full. The Atlantic and Gulf coasts are popular vacation rental spots; disaster housing can be achieved nicely in a private owner home.

Private home owners advertise completely furnished houses to vacationing travelers all year long. These nicely furnished homes often go for less than a motel will charge for a tiny room. Would you like a condo, beach front cabin, house, or mansion to vacation in? They are all available for rent from a private party. Forget about using the services that everybody else flocks to when they need hurricane rentals quickly; rent from an owner.

Private vacation homes advertise their hurricane rentals and disaster housing online with vacation planning sites that run free ad boards. Places like ArrangeYourVacation.com and others online have volumes of vacation home ads with pictures and owner contact information in them that make finding lodging in heavily desired hurricane rentals areas quick for those needing their disaster housing instantly.

To find a home, go to a vacation planning site; type in the town that you would like to stay in, and click search. Many 4-5 bedroom houses, in nice neighborhoods, that are fully furnished and equipped will cost about 100.00 per day. If traveling with a group of people, this cost becomes extremely reasonable very quickly. Almost all homes have completely equipped kitchens in them so that dining out is not a necessity.

For people that have been evacuated, these homes have an added attraction: many allow pets, and come with locking garages. When renting a vacation home to use for disaster housing while traveling with a pet, ask the owner what pet related paperwork is necessary to show before exchanging any money. Some rentals require proof of a recent trip to the vet and pet groomer for a flea bath before an animal is allowed to stay.

When traveling in hurricane areas, carry a portable radio that can keep you apprised of weather and evacuation alerts as they happen. Packing belongings into airtight plastic containers instead of suitcases will give extra protection if water becomes an issue. Read hurricane area rental agreements carefully. Agreements will often have instructions on how to handle evacuations and reentry into the private neighborhood.

Before embarking on your trip, some find it helpful to speak to an insurance agent about travel insurance. Insuring your vacation while visiting areas with hurricane rentals and disaster housing will cover any storm related damages or cancellations due to medical emergencies while staying in a private owner home.

While policies are often cheaper to buy online, it is important in this situation that you speak to an insurance representative while buying the policy so that both sides understand the exact circumstances that this policy is being purchased for if you are entering or evacuating from a problem area.  

September 7th, 2008 Posted by Catherine | United States, Vacation Rentals | no comments

Vacation Rentals by Map

Image via CrunchBase

Vacation Rentals by Map? Chances are you have used a map recently to find a friend’s house for a birthday party, mapped out a local theatre or instructed your car navigation system to help you find a location. Google maps, Mapquest and Microsoft Visual Earth maps - they are here to stay.

ArrangeYourVacation.com is powered by Google Maps!

We have integrated a google map in each vacation rental listing that can show your visitors the exact location of your vacation rental property. Right now it shows a default location that doesn’t match your exact location. So you have to log in to your account and adjust the exact location of your vacation rental.

There are 3 easy steps to follow to accomplish that:

1. Log in to your account and go to “My Rentals”
2. Click on the link “Map & Location” for your property
3. Adjust the location with simple drag and drop of your computer mouse

That’s it - your exact location is shown on your listing!

To have a map on your vacation rental listing is essential! Why? Because they are a tool that travelers are asking for and they really help vacationers decide where they are going to spend their money and time.

The ArrangeYourVacation.com website is powered with Google Maps and will be adding new features to help travelers and vacationers find vacation rentals by map and nearby attractions. Look for some very cool traveler resources to help market your vacation rentals more effectively.

September 7th, 2008 Posted by admin | Website News | no comments

Marketing your Vacation Rental to Families with Teens

Vacation Rentals For Teens

Guide to teens friendly homes, villas, cabins and other vacation rentals.

Often, families pack up and travel with their children, which can sometimes include teens that had rather be anywhere than on vacation with their parents and/or siblings. It’s just part of growing up….children love going on vacations, but as they get older, they had just soon stay in their own city so they can hang out with friends instead of being stuck somewhere for a week or more with their own family.

Providing a vacation rental home that is teenager friendly may make them feel more comfortable, which will likely give the entire family a more pleasant vacationing experience. Be sure to express the benefits of lodging in your vacation rental in your listings. Include the teen friendly size of your home, amenities, and local attractions that could interest adolescents.

Even when on vacation, teenagers want their own space and independence. This is usually impossible in the car ride on the way to their vacation destination, especially if it’s loaded with other people, luggage, and other necessities. If you own a larger home, be sure to reflect that, and that everyone can have their own sleeping space, and maybe own bathroom if you really can deliver on that! It would be nice to know that they can have their own area when they reach your property. Having a back porch or gazebo will provide teens with a place to hide out from parents, and call their friends to check in if they wish to do so without having their privacy invaded.

Teens usually cannot entertain themselves as many younger children can, so be sure to provide some nice amenities for this reason. Include a DVD player in the living room or one of the smaller rooms, along with a small assortment of DVD’s. Nothing extravagant, just maybe 20-30 movies of different genres. Having a video game system with a few games would also be nice, as most teens are interested in gaming these days. Other things you could include are drawing paper, pencils, and young adult books. Also be sure to offer cable TV…this isn’t a necessity just for teens!

In your listings, highlight any attractions that are nearby, especially those that would entice bored or grumpy teenagers. Things like movie theaters, bowling alleys, skating rinks, and malls should be noted. Also, note which activities would be safe for teenagers to partake in by themselves. Having a little time away from the parents while traveling could ease the entire vacation.

As with any potential renters, your job is to make your rental property feel like a “home away from home.” This has to be displayed in your listings and photos, which are the first things your guests will see about you and your location. Making a good first impression and offering things that will suit families will allow you to have a successful vacation rental business.

September 6th, 2008 Posted by admin | Vacation Rentals | no comments