Spring has sprung, summer has come and many people are now making plans for a December getaway – and trying to book their holiday accommodation.
“This has been a really tough year for most people, and those who can take time off are really looking forward to a break at the end of the year,” says Gerhard Kotzé, MD of the RealNet estate agency group.
“Popular holiday towns all along the coast are expecting a bumper season as people who have been living and working at home since April urgently seek a change of scenery, even if it’s just for a few days, and many tourism and holiday rental offices are already reporting that they are fully-booked for December and well into January.”
He says the fact that the schools are only closing on 15 December this year is adding to the pressure on peak-season accommodation and on top of that, many international destinations are still closed to South Africans, while many property owners have converted their short-term holiday accommodation to longer-term letting over the past few months.
Consequently, consumers need to be especially careful when making holiday bookings this year. “There are unfortunately lots of unscrupulous individuals out there just waiting to scam people who are desperate to find holiday accommodation at a reasonable price. Most of these people will aim to get you to pay a deposit for a holiday flat or house that doesn’t exist or that is not theirs to rent out, but others will use a bait-and-switch technique to get you to book and pay for horrible accommodation that is nothing like the photos they used in their advertisements.”
However, the following guidelines should help you to find your ideal holiday accommodation – and avoid the swindlers:
In short, he says, renting a holiday home does not have to be a stressful experience. “The better you plan and the further in advance you can book, the more likely that you will find exactly the place you need and get the best value for money, so you can enjoy your hard-earned time off.”
