Holiday Villas in Lanzarote - 10 Top Tips For Successfully Renting Your Villa

There are now estimated to be well over 3,000 holiday villas in Lanzarote, and the biggest holiday rental sites have over 600 each on their books. With the recession hitting visitor numbers to the island to the extent of them being 20% down in the first 3 months of 2009, this is sombre reading for owners of holiday villas in Lanzarote, who need to rent their properties out for a large proportion of the year. It's very competitive out there!

So what can Lanzarote villa owners do to ensure they successfully let their properties in the current climate? We suggest the following 10-point strategy:

1. Furnish well - the trick is to invest in robust furnishings that look great and photograph well, but will also stand wear and tear. This usually means that buying cheaply is a false economy - remember you are furnishing a holiday home, not student accommodation.

2. Use great photographs and prepare them well. Before taking the picture, spend as long as possible staging the photo, arranging furniture and fittings etc, and make sure the lighting is right. Take exterior shots on a sunny day, and do not feature people in your photos. You could also consider filming a video tour of your villa - this gives an added dimension that photos alone cannot deliver, and may give you an edge. Again, however, make sure your filming is stage managed to emphasise all the best aspects of your villa.

3. If your photography and filming skills are not up to scratch, hire a professional! It will probably pay for itself in the first year.

4. If you are not planning to manage the villa yourself, spend time researching and appointing good Villa Managers. The key things you are looking for are high quality and reliable cleaning services (for the pool and villa), laundry, and being responsive and attentive to customer queries. Remember, these people are the equivalent of the holiday rep if you are not nearby.

5. Be realistic with your pricing. Review some of the villa rental sites that are already advertising, and check out some of your competitors in the same geographical area. If you are planning to charge more for your villa than they are, make sure the reasons are obvious in your advertisement!

6. Focus your selling copy on your real points of difference - with so many villas on Lanzarote, you need to have some unique selling points. These could be property features (for example hot spa, private pool), views (especially a sea view), proximity to other attractions (beaches, golf, nightlife etc). Make these USPs (unique selling points) STAND OUT in your villa advertising copy.

7. Advertise - these days, the internet is where people look for holiday villas, so choose sites that rank well for key search terms on Google. How many sites you choose to advertise on is a matter of affordability, but if you are looking for 20 or more weeks of lettings per year, we would recommend advertising on at least two, and preferably three sites, rather than relying on one advert.

8. Show an Availability Calendar - this is a double edged sword, because if it has lots of gaps, it doesn't look good! However, potential customers will need to know your villa is available when they want it, so we'd recommend it.

9. Respond to enquiries promptly, and always within 24 hours. Most enquirers will have written to a short list of villa owners, including you, so simply replying quickly should help you to convert more enquiries to sales. When replying to initial enquiries (which usually ask for confirmation of price and availability), again emphasise your USPs (the points that are unique about your villa), but do this succinctly and factually, without 'over selling'.

10. Add finishing touches - the Welcome Pack, luxurious towels and good linen will speak volumes when your customers arrive, and will encourage them to book with you again next year.

So there you have it - a suggested 10-point strategic plan for successful villa rentals in Lanzarote. Put this plan into action, and you should see the inquiries arriving sooner rather than later.

Things To Remember Before Renting A Cheap Car Hire In Lanzarote

Planning to enjoy a holiday in Lanzarote with your family and friends? You can have a more wonderful time and explore more of the island with your family, if you include a Lanzarote car rental on your list of "must haves" for the holiday; it should be the most important thing aside from your hotel accommodation.

Choosing to have a car rental means you can explore the many wonderful scenic spots around the island at your own pace and with great leisure. Some of the most beautiful places you should not fail to visit are the Cueva de los Verdes, Timanfaya National Park, and Playa Blanca; all of which are accessible by car, and are quite hassle free to drive to and visit on your own.

Hiring a car to be used while on your holiday on Lanzarote is very easy and convenient. There are plenty of options to choose from; since there are many well known popular car rentals with services on Lanzarote; most have branches near the Arrecife Airport so you can either rent as soon as you arrive, or you can book online in advance. There is a wide array of car types to choose from, so that you can find one that will fit your off-road adventure needs.

If you want to have the convenience of leaving the airport at your desired time, then you can pre-book your Car Rental. Lanzarote airport can be a very busy place and by pre-booking you will have transport available, without having to worry about the fixed schedules of resorts shuttles and buses. And most of all, you will also have the freedom to choose the places you want to visit, when you want to go, and you wont have to depend on the scheduled times and places visited by your hotel buses.

You can obtain a rented car either at the airport or off-site, depending on your choice and which would be more convenient for you. If you opt for an off-site car rental, a representative will meet you at the airport and transport you to your desired off-site location. You can save more if you go to an off-site location to collect the car. This is because the company would need not to pay the extra overhead of renting premium space at the airport.

There are some things to remember before hiring a rented car in Lanzarote. First and foremost, make sure to get car hire insurance. There is always the possibility of some little fender-bender accidents, and if or when this happen, the insurance company can take care of everything without you having to stress or worry.

Secondly you will need a temporary or international drivers licence. If you have any questions, you can always ask the personnel at the insurance company to help get you the paperwork you need to have a temporary driver's license. The traffic laws and street signs in Lanzarote are not that different from those of Europe, Spain and Germany so driving should not be any problem.

Car rentals on Lanzarote come at quite affordable and reasonable prices. So when you book for your Lanzarote holidays make sure not to forget to inquire about Car Rental. Lanzarote is a great place to visit and I can assure you, that you're going to have a wonderful stay in the Canaries while on Lanzarote.

Renting Villas in Lanzarote

Renting villas in Lanzarote, or on any of the Canary Islands, is a great way to vacation with friends or family. While there is something to be said for all-inclusive resorts, if you want to save money, getting a villa in Lanzarote is a smart choice.

If you are not familiar with Lanzarote, it is the Eastern-most of the Canary Islands. It is right off the coast of Africa and near Spain. In fact, it is considered part of Spain, so normal European Union rules apply. Because of its proximity to the equator and Africa, Lanzarote enjoys mild weather for most of the year. All the Canaries do. Lanzarote is particularly blessed with little rain and a nice breeze that bring warm air from Africa.

It is not as well known or traveled as some of the other Canary Islands. It is more of an outdoorsey persons vacation spot. Yes there is shopping and great restaurants, but the island is known for its flora, fauna and ecology, not for its nightlife. So renting a villa on this beautiful island is even more special. Be assured that not all holiday villas in Lanzarote are created equal. Some cater to family-style vacations. Some advertise their amenities, like a swimming pool or proximity to the golf courses. Others describe the beautiful, tranquil landscape and on Lanzarote it is still possible to feel a million miles from the rest of the world.

Rural villas are popular. You can feel like a millionaire for about $1,000 a week. Villas that are closer to the towns will cost about the same amount of money. On the island, you really aren't far from anything, no matter where you stay. Most villas are going to include a pool, television, computer access and garden.

When you get ready to start researching villas to rent in Lanzarote there are a couple of good tips to help you save time and money. First and most important, how many people will the villa hold and how many are you allowed to bring. Most rental agencies will charge by the person, to help defray costs on water, electricity and cleaning. While those charges will add to the cost of renting, you will be saving money on food, entertainment and pocket expenses like tips by staying out of the hotel/resort scene. The last tip is the most important: be sure to get an emergency contact from the rental agency. The heat could go out or the water heater could burst and you need a 24/7 phone number to call if that happens.

Luxury villas in Lanzarote generally rent by the week and you can expect to pay $1,500 to $2,000 a week.. By renting a self-described luxury villa you might not save much money, but you will enjoy privacy, quiet and a wider choice of meal options. Having a pool is nice. Having a private spa is so much nicer and for many couples and families, that makes all the difference. If you go in the off season, you may actually find a deal on a villa that is cheaper than what you would pay at a resort for the same quality of accommodations.

Most villas in Lanzarote are going to sleep 8 comfortably. The price will probably increase slightly for the maximum number of guests, but not enough to keep this option from being an amazing way to vacation.

If it's just the two of you and you want to stay in town, you can rent an apartment or duplex in the capital city of Arrecife for about $300 a week. This might be a great alternative to renting a large villa. Many of the apartments offer access to community pools.

Searching for villas for rent in Lanzarote is simple, much simpler than even 10 years ago. You don't need a travel agent. You just need a computer to research the options. Much like our parents did with brochures, you and your spouse can flip through the websites and compare prices, pictures and amenities. In the end, you many decide to still go the resort route. It all depends on your likes and dislikes. For example, for someone who hates to cook, the prospect of having to make meals in a villa could seem like no vacation at all! Whatever your final decision, a stay on Lanzarote will be worth the effort. Before the trip even ends you will be planning your next visit.