Travel Asia

Low air fares to most holiday destinations and a plentiful supply of accommodation to rent, more people now take their holidays in self catering villas and apartments than package tours.

Staying in a private villa gives you more freedom than a hotel. You can ,have better control of your diet, watch your own TV, keep your own hours, and there’s plenty of room around the pool. The only downside is you have to tidy up when you leave – there are no servants to do that for you!

The boom in property prices worldwide has also provided a lot of accommodation to choose from, as owners have used equity in their homes to invest in a holiday home. Many owners stay in their holiday home during their vacation, then rent out the property at other times.

Is buying a holiday apartment a wise choice? First, let’s consider the alternatives. The stock market has being going nowhere for several years and many experts are talking about a long term downward move. Of course there’s always a savings account but the return there is very low. The value of property may go down in the short term but it has always bounced back in the past and buying at a cheaper price is attractive; and property, unlike some stocks and shares, will never go out of business!. Remember, you can use a second home for your own holidays, a benefit not supplied with a savings account!

Having decided to buy a holiday villa the next question is where to buy? Some areas attract holidaymakers all year round, and some just in the summer months. The weather is the reason of course. The Canary Islands are the preferred holiday destination for most Europeans as average temperatures vary little all year and an apartment or villa in Tenerife, Lanzarote, Gran Canaria or Fuerteventura should prove a worthwhile investment. Holiday accommodation here will attract visitors all year, so the rental income is going to be higher than you would expect from, say, a cottage in Cornwall. Florida too gets visitors in the winter especially if you buy a condo or villa near to Disney and the other theme parks.

If you decide to buy a holiday home you will of course need to advertise your villa to attract visitors. The best way is on the internet. Most holidaymakers now use this to book both their accommodation and flights.

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