Planning a vacation and searching for an ideal vacation rental is exciting and fun. And, it’s supposed to be easy, right? Sometimes looking for a vacation rental can be time-consuming and frustrating. But vacationers who have used our Power Search are delighted to see how easy it is to find their ideal rental on Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard, or Nantucket.
Here’s why…
First, on the “Where” page, you can select multiple areas or towns at a time. You can choose an entire area, such as Outer Cape, or multiple towns, such as Hyannis, Dennis, and Centerville. Or even Nantucket and Chatham. Not having to search one town at a time is a real time saver.
Once you’ve selected your location(s), you advance to the “What” page where you can indicate the number of bedrooms (or a range), the number of people in your party, and your maximum price. Only one of these fields is necessary, and keep in mind that throughout the Power Search, the more fields you fill in, the fewer results you will get.
Next, the “When” page asks you select the season and length of stay. If you are looking for a summer week, you can select up to four different weeks. (The search results will show you the homes that are available for any of the weeks you selected.) Again, not having to begin a new search for a different week is a huge time saver. You can even select a specific start day of the week -- for example, a Sunday to Sunday rental might work better for you than the typical Saturday to Saturday.
Finally, the most fun is the “Amenities” page. Choose among 22 amenities, many of which are important to Cape Cod and Islands vacationers, such as outdoor shower, air conditioning, high-speed Internet, linens included, and pets considered.
But the most important amenity to vacationers is the distance to the beach. You can choose to see homes that are on the beach or walking distance to a beach (1/2 mile or less). You also have the option of on the water (as opposed to on a beach) or water view.
And then…. voilà! You are presented with the listings that match your specific needs and are available for the week or weeks you are interested.
You can view your search results in two ways: as a list or plotted on a map.
List View
The list shows a thumbnail picture and some basic details of the rental. Because price is important to many vacationers, the default presentation is by price, from most expensive to least, for the particular week you are looking for. You can choose to change the order to least expensive to most, or according to when the calendars were last updated. The calendar updated presentation is particularly important as the peak renting season approaches and homes book quickly.
By clicking on the “SAVE SEARCH” button, you can save your search criteria as a specific “vacation.” You will establish an account with a username and password, enabling you to return to MyVacations at a later date. All of your information and Favorites will be saved for you.
At that point, you have the option to select “favorites” from among the search results, record notes, rate them, and share your vacation with friends and family, who in turn can rate them and record notes as well. Sounds fun, right?
Map View
Viewing the rentals on a map enables you to zoom in and out of any area (from the entire region to within a few blocks), viewing each listing that meets your search criteria relative to such landmarks as the beaches, the center of town, or other points of interest to you. By clicking on a pinpoint, you can view details in a popup or as a preview with even more information. Or, you can click through to see the entire listing. You can save your favorites either from the preview or the listing itself.
The best part is that you can choose to view only your selected favorites on the map, even checking a box to see the nearby beaches. Surf’s up!
If you are planning last minute, or looking for a special offer, look for the purple and rose colored messages on some listings. Many homeowners post an Owner Special to highlight a price reduction, special weekend rate, cancellation, or special offer. A Last-Minute Availability Alert highlights an available week within the next 4 weeks, and is often accompanied by an Owner Special offering a discount.
Modifying and Saving Your Search
Change your mind in terms of location, price, dates, or amenities? At any point, you can modify any of your search criteria for your saved “vacation,” or you can create a new vacation using new criteria. Your vacation(s) will be saved for you so that you can come back at any time and pick up where you left off.
Homing in on Your Favorites
Once you’ve selected your favorites, you can record notes, rate them…
…and share your vacation with friends and family, who in turn can rate them and record notes as well.
When you are ready to inquire about a property, either call or email the owners of the rentals that interest you. You will find their name, phone number, and blue “send email” button on the property listing. When you email an owner, you will be asked to describe the general makeup of your party and any special requirements. This information will be included in ALL email inquiries that you send related to your Vacation. You will also be able to include questions specific to each listing before sending your inquiries.
So, are you ready to get started? Let our Power Search help you find your ideal Cape Cod, Nantucket or Martha’s Vineyard vacation rental!