Snowbirds Florida
A vacation rental home in Florida is a popular choice for thousands of Canadian Snowbirds .
Send a General Enquiry to lots of villa owners to find a great long term rental rate, quickly and easily.
In addition residents of northern European countries also flock to the warmer areas of the States. There are many direct flights from areas such as Germany with Air Berlin flying direct to Tampa International on the Gulf Coast.
From January through to April many choose to take advantage of the sunnier warmer climate found in Florida. The Gulf Coast is a popular choice followed by the Orlando area. This influx of people for longer periods establishes second communities of seasonal residents.
Typically retirees, snowbirds are people who can afford to be away from their normal home for longer periods. Due to the length of stay the following points would be considered important by snowbirds staying at your home for periods of a month upwards.
• Community meeting points close by, perhaps via a church or activity e.g. Golf
• Close proximity to supermarkets as many cook at home rather than dining out every day.
• Good reliable Management Company who attend to things promptly at the home if required.
• Some “extras” within the home to make a stay more comfortable, such as books, games, comfortable loungers. Essentially a villa that you can feel at home in.
• Pool heating will normally be required.
• Pet friendly rental homes are attractive to snowbirds with pets.
So as a villa owner what would be the benefits of letting your home for a longer term to a snowbird?
· A full calendar, with no occupancy gaps between bookings normally associated with traditional 1, 2 or 3 week bookings. Remember if the villa is empty it’s costing you money.
· Reduced cleaning fees.
· Reduced management booking fees associated with each new booking.
· Reduced time in advertising and communicating with prospective renters.
Do bear in mind however that Snowbirds understandably are looking not only to get away from the cold climate, but looking for good quality accommodation that offers value for money, so you cannot expect to charge the same nightly rate as you would with for example a one week booking.
Additionally wear and tear on your home is another factor to balance in the equation. Most Snowbirds with be using your villa and all its facilities on a daily basis, such as cooking , rather than a group who come for a short time, but are actually out away from your villa most of the time visiting attractions.
So yes offer a competitive rate but do ensure that the income covers the extra usage of electricity, telephone, pool, wear and tear etc.
Do remember however that Snowbirds tend to want to return to Florida over and over again. They get to know other residents in the “community” and many wish to return to the same place over and over again every year. Therefore there may be a good opportunity to attract repeat regular visitors.
Tags: Snowbirds