How to Pick the Right Timeshare to Purchase

Timeshare ownership is a great way to have a guaranteed week of vacation time somewhere every year without having to fork out all the money for a hotel or resort. However, purchasing the right timeshare can be a difficult task, and there are a number of factors to consider that will help you pick the right timeshare to buy.

Purchase the Right Timeshare: Where Are You Most Likely to Go?

The first question to ask is where you are most likely to go when you want a vacation. Ideally, your timeshare will be in this place. Although it is possible to trade into other timeshares (this will be discussed later), it is often simplest and least expensive if you just stick to using the timeshare unit that you purchased initially.

When considering your vacation habits, think about a place that has annual appeal, rather than somewhere you would only like to go once. Also consider how much it costs to get yourself there (by plane, car, ship, etc.) and how much it costs in food and entertainment once you are in that place.

Purchase the Right Timeshare: Good Trading Network

Even if you have a timeshare in the perfect location, there is a good chance you will want to travel elsewhere sometime during your timeshare ownership, and this is where a trading network comes into play. Many timeshares, such as those in the RCI network, can be easily traded for a week in a different timeshare within the network. Other timeshares are in smaller networks, although they can sometimes (for a fee) be traded into a bigger network, depending on the management.

Purchase the Right Timeshare: Trading Value

Depending on how often you are going to trade your timeshare, you might want to consider its trading value. This is based on the time of the year that you are in your timeshare, and whether that is a high or low appeal in that area (winter in Minnesota is very low appeal), in addition to what the area is in general.

A timeshare that is in the Caribbean, where people love to travel all year long, or in Orlando with all the theme parks, is going to have a higher trading value. If you anticipate using your timeshare to trade into different locations, you will be much better off with a desirable timeshare that will have more trading power in getting into desirable locations.

Purchase the Right Timeshare: Size

The last main thing to consider when deciding between timeshares is what size unit you want to get. Pretty much all timeshares with a living room have a pullout bed in the sofa, making room to sleep two more comfortably. This means that a one bedroom unit can be plenty of space for a family of four, although if you prefer to have the kids in their own bedroom, or have the possibility of bringing another couple along, you might want to consider getting a larger unit.

One slight benefit of smaller units when you use your timeshare to trade is that if you are trading into a resort that doesn't have units that size (if you buy a studio and the smallest they have is 1 bedroom), you will get a free upgrade, which is a nice perk.