When it comes to renting the perfect summer luxury home for your vacation, it gets late really early. Like, lots of people book in January for July. However, despair not if you haven’t locked down your luxury rental just yet. Our ace correspondent Julie Chang Murphy is sharing 5 expert hacks on how to rent a luxurious vacation home, in the service of helping you get your dream summer luxury rental for this post-COVID season 2022.
tips on luxury vacation home rental in the post-COVID summer of 2022
If you’re feeling the travel bug buzzing around your ear, you are not alone. In 2021, it was all about taking a trip closer to home. As we heard from so many family members and friends, “I’ll literally go anywhere.” Random cabin in the woods of Pennsylvania? As long as we don’t watch any horror movies! Beach house in the schizophrenic April temps? Nothing a parka and cup of hot cocoa can’t solve! But, this year, with vaccinations up and Omicron subsiding, we’re all dreaming a little bigger.
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According to The World Travel & Tourism Council, travel and tourism in the United States will reach prepandemic levels in 2022. But it’s not just any trip that will do. Expedia is calling it the year of the GOAT (“greatest of all trips”). In their survey of 12,000 travelers in 12 countries, the company found that 65% of respondents are planning to “go big” on their next trip.
How to find the best luxury summer vacation rental home this post-COVID season 2022.
After losing two years, there’s an urgency to finally take those exciting and immersive vacations. And one of the best ways to do that is renting a luxury villa and making your stay as homey as possible.
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5 hacks to get the best summer luxury vacation rental home 2022
If you haven’t already, check out our overall guide to scoring your ideal summer rental home. And when you’re ready to level up from that, read on for our 5 best tips and hacks for booking that luxury beach house for your pod.
1. Get a broker
You can definitely take matters into your own hands and scour sites like VRBO and Airbnb for luxury accommodations. However, when you’re talking long-term stays of 1-3 months in hot spots like the Hamptons, Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard, a local broker’s expertise can go a long way. Who amongst us hasn’t been led astray by misleading photos and false expectations of an Airbnb’s actual location?
According to East Coast real estate gurus like Nancy Grady, a licensed associate real estate agent at Brown Harris, renters should check out www.outeast.com in the initial stages of research as it gets a direct feed from all area brokerages. Then a broker will do as brokers do and scout out the locations and do virtual tours. Of course there is a fee; but just think of all the money we’ve saved from eating at home during the height of the pandemic!
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2. Research local rental companies
Particularly in the luxury home rental hunt for summer 2022, dear reader, Google is your friend. Once you narrow down your location, find the homegrown real estate companies in that area. Many homes in exclusive beach communities are not listed on nationwide platforms at all.
Instead they work with local companies that manage a large number of properties in that area. Popular travel guru, The Points Guy, recommends calling them directly “to talk through your budget and what you want from a beach house. They may be the experts on the inventory in the area and, even if you don’t book through them, the call may really help narrow your search.”
Photo Credit: Oasis Collections.
Another benefit of going through a local management company is the quick response time and professionalism that you can expect when things go wrong. When our family rented a month-long home on Anna Maria Island and the refrigerator stopped working, the local management company had the personnel and resources to fix it in just a few hours.
3. Go off the beaten path
In the past, it was all about location, location, location. Everyone wanted to be beachfront or as close as possible to a hot spot. But, if there’s one thing we learned during COVID, it’s that there is lots of appeal in going where the crowds aren’t. Be an influencer and early adopter – discover the next desirable location before anyone else.
How to find the best luxury summer vacation rental home this post-COVID season 2022. Photo Credit: Boutique Homes.
It might also help you stay active. Consider renting a golf cart, bicycles, or kayaks to help you get around and soak up some much-needed outdoor time.
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4. Beyond Airbnb
It might seem like we’re anti-Airbnb in this post. But that’s not the case! It’s just that everyone is using it which makes inventory scarce. Especially for those precious summer months. Luckily there are other websites and apps in the game catering to the luxury rental market.
How to find the best luxury summer vacation rental home this post-COVID season 2022. Photo Credit: Kid and Coe.
Afar Travel Magazine recommends checking out rental site Boutique Homes for architecturally memorable gems. Kid and Coe is a luxe home rental site that prioritizes the needs of families and kids. The Oasis model combines the best of stylish, contemporary home rentals with hotel-level amenities. Think cushy towels and bedding, a concierge, and access to local fitness studios, spas, and private clubs.
5. See you in September?
If your bucket list can’t be achieved in the summer months, September 2022 is looking mighty fine. After all, we’ve already waited two years – what’s another 2 months? For city dwellers, that means having a little patience. Consider a staycation while the city streets are emptied and then decamping to the beach when everyone else returns. The weather is typically still warm enough for all of the same activities and the house of your dreams might finally be available.
How to find the best luxury summer vacation rental home post-COVID 2022. Photo Credit: Out East.
Matt Daimler, general manager of Out East, enumerates the perks — ”the traffic dwindles, which means an easier commute out east, quieter beaches, and a better chance of snagging that usually impossible-to-get dinner reservation.” If you’re still working from home, we say it’s a no-brainer!
how to rent your dream luxury vacation home in this post-COVID summer 2022
Those are our 5 expert hacks on how to rent a luxurious vacation home, so you get your (well-deserved) dream summer luxury rental this unusual post-COVID season 2022.
In short, summer need not be cancelled! Start early, manage expectations, be up for something a little different than previous years and you just might have the time of your life. Stay safe out there, dear reader! And have a wonderful summer 2022.
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For access to insider ideas and information on the world of luxury, sign up for our Dandelion Chandelier Newsletter here. And see luxury in a new light.
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Crediting her training as a cultural anthropologist at Wellesley College, Julie has immersed herself in various industries in the last 15 years including fashion design, event planning, and fitness. Julie lives in New York where she loves trying every ramen and dumpling restaurant with her husband and three children. She finds joy in bold prints, biographies of fierce women, kickboxing. And spending way too long finding the perfect polish color to express her mood.
