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| Location –
Town – Do you want to be in the center of activities where you can walk or bike to restaurants, mini-golf, and shopping, or do you want total seclusion? Kitty Hawk and Kill Devil Hills are the most densely populated towns. Duck and Corolla, have a lot of very large homes, but not as much commercial development. Nags Head is less densely developed both commercially and residentially, but still has many homes within a short distance of attractions. Hatteras and Ocracoke Islands and the far northern Outer Banks such as Corova and Swan Beach are the most secluded. Distance to Beach – Is it important to you that you can walk to the beach? If you can’t walk, does the home have access to a private beach access, or will you need to use the public accesses? View – Obviously most ocean and sound-front homes have great views, but many times you cannot see the beach in front of the house from an oceanfront home because of the dune.  Sound-front
homes views could be blocked by vegetation so be sure to ask if this is
very important to you! Some homes that are not on the water still
have terrific views of the ocean, sound, or both! A house at a higher
elevation in the middle of the island may have a much better view than
one three lots back from the ocean.
Traffic – Is the house on a major thoroughfare or a quiet cul-de-sac? Construction – The Outer Banks is a developing area. If construction noise from the house next door will ruin your vacation, try to pick a home that is not next to a home under construction or a vacant lot! Size – How many bedrooms does the home have and how many people does it sleep? It may sleep eighteen and have three bedrooms, or sleep twelve people with six bedrooms! Can everyone sit down in the living area at the same time? Some larger homes have multiple living areas. This is particularly nice with large groups of more than one family. Finally, can everyone sit down to eat at the table at the same time? If not, is there additional seating at a separate table or bar? Amenities – If the house has a pool, how deep is it? If it is heated, is it heated sufficiently to be comfortable at the time you are visiting? Of particular importance to families with small children, can the pool area be accessed from the house, or do you have to go through a gate to get to the pool after you leave the house? Does the home have a hot tub or Jacuzzi? What’s the difference? (Generally hot tubs are located outside and a Jacuzzi is a tub with jets inside a bathroom.) Does the home have beach chairs, bikes, baby equipment. etc.? Did you know that several local companies rent these items for reasonable costs, and most will deliver to and pick up from your rental home? Does the home provide linens? If so, how many towels per person, and does this include beach towels? Does the home have a washer and dryer? Cost – Be sure to check when you make the reservation on costs involved in addition to the rent. These can include taxes, cleaning fee, reservation fee, pet fee, or others. Insurance - Many companies offer vacation insurance. The cost is based on a percentage of the rental rate. These policies cover some or all of the cost of your vacation if you are unable to come at all, or have to leave early due to illness, injury, death, or storm evacuations. Many rental companies will not refund money for days missed due to a storm evacuation if you do not have insurance. Company Policies- Be sure to ask about Check in/Check Out times. During the busy season most companies need all the time between check out time for one guest and check in time for the next guest to get the house cleaned and ready for your arrival. If you plan to arrive before check in time, be sure to have a plan of how to spend the time! Many local attractions offer specials on Saturdays! If you are visiting in the off season and want to check in early or check out late, be sure to ask permission in advance. If interested, ask about reserving for the next year. Many companies offer the option of pre-reserving for the next year. Be sure to check before you leave if you want to reserve the same home again, as some companies open the reservation to everyone if you don’t re-book during your vacation. Emily Workman is employed at Village Realty as Property Manager |
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