What to buy

"Holiday villas" and "holiday apartments" are often used as generic terms to describe other types of holiday accommodation. Types of holiday accommodation are varied: villas, apartments, holiday cottages, condo's, chalet's, log cabins, chateaux, manor houses, converted farmhouses or tree houses.

A rental property could range from a simple cabin in a state park to a six bedroom beach front house along the coast. It could be a small ski chalet or a spacious villa. The most important factor when finding a holiday home is that you like it and that it suits your needs. However, as with location, if you are planning on renting your holiday home you need to consider the needs of your guests. Regardless of the size or type, there are several items that need to be considered, and this is where your checklist for holiday rentals will come in handy. It is important:

• If it is large enough for your target market
• Does the property have a pool
• Is there good access to local amenities and the airport
• Is it child friendly
• Is it suitable for the elderly or disabled

By ensuring that your holiday rental meets the needs of your guests you can maximize on its rental potential.

If the demand exists and you are able to quantify it, invest in an apartment rather than a house. The main reasons for choosing apartment over a house are: apartments attract a mobile population and are always in high demand, particularly in city-centre areas; apartments require less maintenance, reducing annual expenditure; apartments are usually less expensive to buy and easier to sell; upper floor apartments are more secure during void periods; apartments generally occupy less space and therefore require less furniture, carpets and equipment; a garden will require attention during void periods; an apartment balcony will not.

Houses have some advantages too: in rural areas, small family houses with a garden may be in higher demand than apartments; apartment blocks may have a service charge for maintenance and common area upkeep which will have to be paid whether the property is occupied or not; the cleanliness, decoration and general condition of the external aspects and communal entrance hallways will be controlled by the management company, whereas with a house the owner is usually directly in control; apartment owners are often prohibited from letting their property.

While considering buying a holiday home you should consider your holiday home to have: fitted kitchen; private bathrooms;parking; good decor; the carpets, curtains and furniture should be clean and in good condition; keep the grounds of the property neat and free of rubbish.

Hot offers

Sunny Beach, Bulgaria | Sunset Kosharitsa
Prices from 126 € pW
Vienna City, Austria | Leopoldsgasse Apartment
Prices from 595 € pW
Sunny Beach, Bulgaria | Sea Grace
Prices from 0 € pW
New York City, USA East Coast | Home From Home In Manhattan
Prices from 350 $ pW
Flic en Flac, Mauritius | Beach apartment
Prices from 315 £ pW
Orient Bay, St. Maarten - Saint Martin | Apartment Majorca
Prices from 550 € pW
Diani Beach, Kenya | Taj Riviera House
Prices from 500 € pW
Lucca, Italy | Appartamento Giorgione
Prices from 700 € pW
Eleuthera, Bahamas | Paradise Point Villa
Prices from 585 £ pW
Ag Nikitas, Greece | Myrto Apartments
Prices from 490 € pW
Vienna City, Austria | Kundmann Apartment
Prices from 700 € pW
Frohburg, Germany | The house near the lake
Prices from 343 € pW
Kalkan, Turkey | Villa Maya
Prices from 150 £ pW
El Altet, Spain | Altet
Prices from 210 € pW
Beadnell, England | Heron's Flight
Prices from 475 £ pW
Castelnuovo di Garfagnana, Italy | Tenuta La Fortezza
Prices from 150 £ pW
Mt Tremblant, Canada | Deer Cottage
Prices from 1750 £ pW
Sankamphaeng, Thailand | Paradise Villa 1 (flat floor living area)
Prices from 390 € pW
Sankamphaeng, Thailand | Star Villa & private pool
Prices from 450 € pW
Palheiro Village, Portugal | Golf Apartment with sea View
Prices from 810 € pW
Sankamphaeng, Thailand | Paradise Villa 2 (sunken floor living area)
Prices from 390 € pW
Selcuk, Turkey | Garden House
Prices from 395 £ pW
Payangan, Indonesia | Nandini Bali - Jungle Resorts and Spa Ubud
Prices from 5000 $ pW
Forio, Italy | Baume Room
Prices from 750 € pW
San Francisco, USA West Coast | 2 bedroom Castro Flat with Parking
Prices from 1250 $ pW
Aylesbury, England | Little Barn - a delightful self contained barn conversion
Prices from 350 £ pW
Alaior, Balearic Islands | Sa Roca
Prices from 300 € pW
La Roquette sur Siagne, France | La Bertherie
Prices from 1200 € pW
Ag Nikitas, Greece | Afroditi studios
Prices from 210 € pW
Los Narejos, Spain | Oasis house
Prices from 300 £ pW
Sanxenxo, Spain | Paradise Apartment
Prices from 300 € pW
Castellammare Del Golfo, Italy | Sicily house
Prices from 400 € pW
Thomastown, Ireland | Waltons Grove
Prices from 1600 € pW
Perissa, Greece | Santorini Apartments
Prices from 600 € pW
Alora, Spain | Lemontree Farmhouse
Prices from 1200 £ pW
Cefalu, Italy | Villa Deodata
Prices from 400 € pW
San Vivaldo, Italy | Pian delle Querce
Prices from 900 € pW
Lucca, Italy | Appartamento Verdi
Prices from 1000 € pW
Lucca, Italy | Casa Boccaccio
Prices from 1320 € pW
Lucca, Italy | Casa Modigliani
Prices from 2934 € pW
Lucca, Italy | Casa Parmigianino
Prices from 450 € pW
Lucca, Italy | Casa Verga
Prices from 600 € pW
Lucca, Italy | Villa Fattori
Prices from 1147 € pW
Lucca, Italy | Villa Tiziano
Prices from 1900 € pW
Montecarlo - Lucca, Italy | Appartamento Bramante
Prices from 750 € pW
Veneri, Italy | Casa Manzoni
Prices from 800 € pW
Corralejo, Canary Islands | Atlantic Gardens Apartment, Corralejo, Fuerteventura
Prices from 200 £ pW
Milan, Italy | Mini-loft in central Milan
Prices from 750 € pW
Rodney Bay, St. Lucia | Blue Skies Apartments
Prices from 0 $ pW
Rome, Italy | Antonella's Holiday house
Prices from 203 € pW
Meia Praia, Portugal | Vivenda Mendes
Prices from 525 € pW
Como, Italy | Super modern apartment in Como historical centre
Prices from 1500 € pW

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