Tag Archives: florida villa

Hints and Tips – How to find the perfect villa to rent

Posted on by

One thing is certain when you are looking for a Villa to rent in Florida – there are a lot to choose from. So how to choose? What to look for? Here are some tips to make sure you get the best accommodation out there.

A pool to start with, that’s a must-have. After a hot day in the sun then it’s great to come back and dip your toes in a pool. It’s ten times better than a games room and children love splashing about with inflatables and beach balls.

The pool should definitely be south facing if you’re staying during any months apart from the middle of summer. Arriving home to a shaded pool that inevitably has a damp feel to it isn’t a great way to enjoy the mornings or evenings.

A hip roof leading on to each edge of the pool is a nice-to-have. A hip roof means that the slope of the roof is at it’s lowest point all along each edge, and it rises into the middle of the house. Sounds picky, but these types of roof maximise the amount of sun by blocking out the least amount of light.

Large shaded lanai / patio to eat on and drink out of the sun and in the shade, everyone hates the feeling when they can’t get out of the sun without hiding inside the villa.

Large pool area, who wants to be crammed into a space that can hardly fit any sun loungers in?

Spa. Not a must-have, but if you had a choice would you rather be relaxing in a spa or sinking into a pool with your beer floating away?

Not overlooked. Plants and orientation of neighbour’s pools shouldn’t make you feel like you’re being watched – you want to be able to let your hair down!

A double bedroom for each adult couple, with a private en-suite. You’re on holiday, why should you settle for anything less?

Centrally located open plan Kitchen. The adults shouldn’t be left out of the fun whilst preparing meals and drinks.

Air conditioning – need I say any more?

Wireless internet for free Skype and finding the best bargains and planning your trip day by day.

Cable TV! Just in case you switch the telly on. Really?!

As luck would have it, it just so happens that Dave’s Florida Villa has all of these, and more, so no need to keep searching for every possible variable. Book your stay today to avoid disappointment.

Villa details added yesterday

Posted on by

I had a bit of spare time yesterday, waiting for the Turkey to get fat and so on.  So I decided to raid the inspiration banks and fill out the Barbera Drive page on the main website to get our Tuscan Ridge villa well and truly on the map.

We’ve added details of the Tuscan Ridge community, the location close to Disney and golf, the features of the house and the key selling points.  Let’s face it, it’s a crowded market and you’ve got to have most of the “must have” features to get bookings in place.

Our villa has the key element – a south facing oversized pool and spa.  Heated, of course.  You can wake up in the mornings in the master suite, draw back the blinds and have the sun beaming onto the large lanai area to greet you.  Grab a cold orange juice from the fridge and slide the master suite’s doors back, and you are instantly waking up in style in Florida!  I feel more relaxed already.

For those staying in the queen end suite, it’s not that bad either.  Walk through your own shower and en-suite room (closed off from the rest of the villa) and open the door onto the pool area.  Straight out into the sun!

If the sun is too hot, why not stay put in the main family room, or kick back in the 2nd living room?  Both have ample space, and a dining area each.  Plenty of books to read if you get bored (really?!) and lots of guides to the area.  You will be well and truly spoilt during your stay.

Lesson One – don’t gamble with FX rates

Posted on by

Today I learnt a lesson in FX trading. Don’t try your luck. I’d been holding out to see if the rate will increase over the last few days. It did. But when do you stop holding out? Reading the news suggests one thing, the market does another. I put a nice buy point in at which to book a trade, missed by about 0.001, and then the market has slipped continually since. So I waited and rebooked at a much lower rate, only to miss out by an equally small amount as the GBP USD fell again.

Brilliant.

I ended up simply ringing the broker and booking it, fed up of gambling and guessing. This is a house purchase after all.

Total difference in the rates and the amount I was transferring came to about 1,500 dollars.

Consider this a lesson learnt, Mr FX. Ouch.