Let Sanpdiper Rentals Be Your Eyes…

It may be a little overwhelming when you are a first time renter looking for your perfect vacation home.  Between the ferry reservations and packing a weeks worth of beach snacks for the kids, the last thing you want to be worrying about is walking into your vacation home and being disappointed.

In many cases, especially if you’re a first time visitor, you are renting a home that you have never seen before. Of course you can look at pictures and the list of amenities online but you are never really quite sure what to expect.

That is why Sandpiper Rentals , Inc. takes special care in making sure that none  of our clients are left in the dark when it comes to renting one of our homes.   All of our agents will not rent a home unless they have seen it first hand  This is just one of the policies Sandpiper Rentals, Inc. has in place to help  make sure all of our tenants feel comfortable that they have rented the  perfect vacation home.

By offering a first hand description we are able to help place you in the perfect vacation home. So whether you are searching for a home offering classic Vineyard charm or a more contemporary escape, our agents will not leave you in the dark! It is our commitment to our owners and our tenants to help provide you with an unforgettable experience!

‘Tis the Season: Time to Start Thinking About Your Ferry Reservation

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season! Although summer may seem to be light years away, now is the time to start making your vehicle reservations with the Steamship Authority.  It may be hard to believe, but space is limited and to help guarantee you a spot now is the time to book!

Beginning on January 19, the Steamship Authority will be allowing customers to make pre-paid reservations for travel dates starting May 20, 2010 through October 30, 2010.  All of this can be done online at www.SteamshipAuthority.com. Once there, you are able to complete a vehicle reservation application and obtain any other  information you may need.

What better way to help pass the snowy days of winter than by starting to plan your Vineyard getaway! As always, feel free to contact me with any questions you may have on vacation rentals or questions regarding your Steamship Authority reservation.

Click here for more information on getting to Martha’s Vineyard.

Fall Checklist for Summer 2010 on Martha’s Vineyard

The kids are back in school, the days are getting shorter and cooler…and it’s hard not to start dreaming about next summer on the Vineyard! Don’t worry, I don’t think you’re crazy, I think you’re very, very smart because planning for a fantastic 2010 summer on the Vineyard really does need to start now!

Here’s my checklist to keep you fully on top of things:

1. If you want the house of your rental dreams, book it now! The fall is actually our busiest booking time as folks scramble for primo houses. Our inventory is huge, our site has been updated and is beautiful, and we get new listings every day!

2. Make plans with friends and family as soon as possible. It’s much easier to plan a vacation for two, or even a family of five (who all do exactly what you tell them because three of them are kids!), than it is to plan for your extended family or groups of friends. The sooner you all get your schedules set, the less stress you’ll have. No one should have their summer planned yet – so you’ll be asking them to commit before you have to dance around everyone else’s commitments.

3. Ferry reservations. Yes, I know you can’t actually book your ferry reservations until February, but let me remind you how much less stressful it will be to plan the times you would like to sail (and sync them up with any other travel you need to do to get here) when you aren’t under the gun of opening day on the Steamships Advanced Reservations Line!! I recommend that you plan it out on paper and clip it to your February calendar. On the big day, just go online and book those tickets!

4. Same with the plane. You can book your plane reservations now and they do fill up! Also, unlike the ferry, airline fares are cheaper if purchased in advance.

5. If you’re really eager, create a list of all of the things you love doing on the island – include beaches to visit, restaurants, festivals and stores. This can be especially fun with the whole family as you reflect on the summer of ‘09 and get ready for the summer of ‘10. Then make a big calendar and start jotting down activities you don’t want to miss. You can even decorate it with pics from summers past. When the snow starts to fall, this beautiful calendar and homage to Martha’s Vineyard will be sure to warm you up…

Any other questions, concerns, delightful memories to share? Don’t hesitate to ask me!

Image credit: WillPosh

What Would Make Your Martha’s Vineyard Vacation Rental Even More Perfect?

You’ve been traveling all night to catch the early morning ferry that you were so lucky to get…but now what? You have a car full of kids and just want to get settled in your Martha’s Vineyard vacation rental home. Sounds easy enough, right?

Well….here’s the thing. The family that was in the house before you is spending the morning cleaning up and packing, and then the cleaners come in and do their thing – so really…that 2:00 check-in is there for a really good reason. And we just can’t make an early check-in happen.

Also, in case you’re new to the vacation rental world, you’ve picked a very specific house to spend your vacation in – so we don’t work like a hotel, where we’d have the flexibility to put you in the first room available. You’re waiting for your special house!

So, let’s get back to you – you’re still in your car with your entire family! And, even though we can’t check you in early, I’d love to help you with that ‘open time.’

I’d like to hear from you…actually all of us at Sandpiper Rentals would, so tell us:

• Is a hospitality booth on the beach something you would use and appreciate?
• Would you go to the beach with the car packed to the gills, get salty and sandy before you’ve gotten settled into your house?
• How about a gift certificate to the ice cream store?
• Usually, you come to our rental office for directions to your house, the key and a welcome packet. Is there anything else that would be helpful?

Let us hear from you! You can either leave a comment below or email me directly!

Image courtesy of Pasma

Which Should You Book First? Your Vacation Home or Your Ferry Reservations?

It is a frequently asked question!  Most renters that make the Vineyard an annual vacation destination are now in the decision making process of when, where and how.  Because The Steamship Authority will be opening up vehicle ferry reservations for the summer months soon, many regulars are now trying to fit together the puzzle pieces.

Historically the primary turnover day for weekly rentals has been Saturday.  We now see almost half of our owners use Sunday as the turnover day.  This has occurred for a couple of reasons.  The steamship authority is no longer able to handle the volume of cars being brought back and forth on Saturdays alone and owners have also been having difficulty finding a cleaning crew that can turn over that number of rental houses in one day.

We also now see a few owners consider mid week turn over days for the same reasons.  Many of our tenants tend to like this as it gives them a full weekend on the island instead of having to pack and leave on one of the busy Saturday or Sundays.

When making your Martha’s Vineyard vacation plans you should try to book your rental home in advance of your ferry reservation so you know what days you will need to travel on.  If this is done far enough in advance you should not have a problem come travel time!  Many of our owners will try to be flexible on the turn over day as it gets closer to season if they can.  Many of their weeks will be boxed in with prior bookings.

It always pays to plan ahead for your Vineyard vacation!

How Does the Steamship Authority Work?

For those of you that have been to the island of Martha’s Vineyard, you know that the process of bringing a vehicle along on your Vineyard vacation can be very trying if you don’t know the process!  Our island population goes from around 15,000 year round residents to 100,000 August visitors.  You really do need to take a ferry to and from the island.  It is a 45 minute ferry ride from the Cape.

Once you have booked your Vineyard vacation rental, you will need to work on making arrangements for getting here.  The Steamship Authority does not take reservations for the summer season until sometime in January.  This year they open reservations online and via mail on January 20th.  Mark your calendars!  They will open the phone lines up on January 27, 2009.

Sometimes it feels like you have won the lottery when you get just the right times for your reservations for your August vacation.   The process can seem unbearable much of the time but following are some tips that might help:

• Go online to the Steamship Authority and sign up for your profile number and pin prior to making your reservation.
• Go online as soon as you can on January 20, be patient as you may get bumped off the site due to high volume.
• Book any time you can on the day of travel or as close to the day of travel and request to be wait listed for your preferred times.

You should know that the wait list system does seem to work out for most travelers that are reserving their tickets this far in advance.   The steamship has represented in the past that they do not completely book all of the boats so they will have some flexibility.  Things do shift around but you may not know for sure right up until travel time.  They do also have a day of sail number you can call to try to change your reservation while you are on the road.

I once had a customer call and book a house one Saturday in August, drive down and get right on the boat and arrive at my office to pay for their vacation home and pick up their key, all in the same day.  This is not the norm and I do not recommend you wait to see if this works but, please realize that some of the systems that may seem very flawed can work well in the end!