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Fifteen Questions to Ask Before You Book a Vacation Rental Home

So you want to book a vacation rental home . . . good choice! If you're a first-timer, you probably have a million questions. The best place to start is to visit a respectable vacation home marketplace like HomeAway.com. The website will explain all the "hard" logistics like contacting the owner, making payment, checking in, checking out, cancellation policies, and so forth.

However, there are other questions you can ask in order to maximize your vacation experience. Here are a few suggestions from Christine Karpinski:

· What's the best route to take in order to avoid traffic?

· Do you have a DVD player? What movies do you have on hand?

· What kinds of "extras" do you have that I might want to know about, and where can I find them? (A lobster pot under the kitchen sink, board games in the hall closet, a sand bucket and shovel under the kids' bed, etc.)

· What restaurants do you recommend? What are your favorite entrees there?

· Which grocery stores are the best?

· Where are the best golf courses? Hiking trails? Picnic spots?

· What are some fun, "non-touristy" activities we can do?

· What linens do you provide, if any?

· What "conveniences" do you have on hand? (i.e., hair dryers, toothpaste, shampoo, soap, laundry detergent, etc.)

· What kind of cleaning chores, if any, should we do before we check out?

· Can you provide directions to the nearest hospital, just in case?

· What places of worship are nearby? (In case you want to attend services.)

· What kind of dog-friendly activities are there to do in the area? (Assuming the owner allows pets.)

· Who do I contact if there is some sort of problem while I'm here--for instance, if the water heater stops working or the power goes out?

· Is there anything else you can tell me to help my family have the best possible vacation experience?

Christine Karpinski is the director of Owner Community for HomeAway.com and author of How to Rent Vacation Properties by Owner: The Complete Guide to Buy, Manage, Furnish, Rent, Maintain and Advertise Your Vacation Rental Investment and Profit from Your Vacation Home Dream: The Complete Guide to a Savvy Financial and Emotional Investment.