Outer Banks Vacation Rentals

Its' that time of year again that we start making plans for our summer vacation and spring breaks. With the beautiful beaches with their wild horses on the shore and fun activities like windsurfing, sailing, water skiing, jet skiing, canoeing, kayaking, golfing, miniature golfing, going on lighthouse tours, shopping, going to restaurants, marinas, and hang-gliding all make the OBX a popular destination. If you are planning to take a vacation to the Outer Banks in North Carolina this year, you will need to plan ahead for your Outer Banks vacation rental to get the best deal. Of course the standard fall backs of Expedia, Orbitz, and Priceline all can find you good deals, but you may have special concerns such as finding a pet friendly rental. Here are three companies that you can use to find a good deal on a rental.

To get the best deal, make sure to ask if your property has direct access to the public beach, is the house off of a main road, and if it is within walking distance or not. You do not want to find out you were actually within a hundred feet but it is not actually a walkable path. Try checking a few different dates to make sure you are getting the best bargain - there can be several hundred dollars difference depending on the date of arrival. Find out in advance where you are supposed to pick up the house key and drop it off to avoid taking unnecessary time out of your vacation.

Some good Outer Banks vacation rentals deals can be found from people who rent out homes or condos themselves, but this is the also the most likely way to result in some type of problem since no one checks the standard of the house in advance or guarantees that you will get what you paid for. However, lots of information is posted about the rental house, including pictures and price ranges and availability dates. A good website to find such deals is OBX Vacations. This is also a good option if you wish to travel with pets, but some houses specify that they are non-smoking and do not allow pets or are not wheelchair assessable, so inquire with each owner separately for these concerns. The search feature at this website allows you to look only at properties by desired arrival date, availability, distance to Beach, weekly rental rates, number of Bedrooms, and access to Pool, pet-Friendliness, wheelchair Accessibility and more. Many rentals found here have a hot tub, sleep up to 12, are right on the water, and range in price from around $850 - $2990. Their website allows you to register your email to find any good deals or last minute offers on a discounted Outer Banks vacation rental deal.

The second company that has good deals on Outer Banks vacation rentals is ParaMount Destinations that is a full service Outer Banks vacation rental company. Rentals run around $1000 and up and they are very popular for destination wedding accommodations. The houses each have a ParaMount Destinations designation on them and all details are specified in advance. They are furnished nicely; often sleep up to 10 - 12 people comfortably, but any special requests for pets must be specified in advance. Extra costs include insurance and administration fees but they are all outlined in your contract. Visit their website for more information on rentals.

The third place that has good deals on Outer Banks vacation rentals is Corolla Light, an OBX resort that caters to families and offers many activities within the resort so your family will have something to do on rainy vacation days. There are several houses and villas near the water and trolley service to those that are not right next to the water. To arrange a rental via Corolla Light, visit their website by clicking here. The Corolla Inn within this complex is pet friendly, but is furthest from the water. The Inn ranges from $79 to $329 a night. Discounts can be found by asking about the "inn savers" rooms whereas the resort villas and homes vary depending on size and proximity to the water and rec center. All homes have a minimum guaranteed amenity list and each individual home write-ups reflect a list of extra amenities they specifically offer. For example, one home closest to the water and near the rec facilities sleeps 12 people, has six nice bedrooms, 6 full baths and 2 half baths, ranges from $5900 to $7900 in season, and as low as $2800 off peak. Typical amenities available at this price include a rec room w/wet bar, full size refrigerator, ice-machine, ping-pong table, TV/Stereo, bedrooms with ocean views, deck access, a complete entertainment center, gas fireplace, children's videos, ping pong table, wireless internet, Community pool, shell cleaning table, elevator and hot tub. If the individual home allows for pets, there is a pet fee.