We went out for a 3 week holiday and didn’t have the slightest idea where to begin and having 2 young children with us didn’t help so we came home and a couple of years later happened to see an advert for a Florida property show in York. That was near enough so off we went, we came back armed with lots of information and later that year arranged to fly out without the kids to have a proper look.

We stayed on the Manors North at Westridge and ended up buying the identical house off-plan on the Manors south which at that time was all sand! The location was ideal for us, close to the shops and not too far from Disney world, of course there is a lot more along the US27 now.

We realised that we wanted a home with a west or south facing pool, not overlooked and not adjacent to the highway and because we bought off plan we were able to choose our lot, albeit at a premium but it was worth it.

Then came a whirlwind round of choosing carpets, tiles, furniture, shape of the pool, colour of appliances and what seemed like a thousand choices to make in that one short week. We also chose to have a 2nd en-suite bathroom instead of a utility room and patio doors in the master bedroom.

Then came a fairly stressful few months waiting for the house to be finished and taking a few tentative bookings on the strength of a completion date. We finally completed in September 2000 and nothing can compare to the feeling of owning your own, spanking brand new home in the Sunshine state.

It’s not all been plain sailing and everytime we go we replenish, re-stock, replace, to keep the house in mint condition. All in all it’s worth it and we still get that same great feeling as we walk in through our own front door.

Surrounding the villa is conservation woodland and “Poohshouse” backs onto it. From the pool area you can see the beautiful butterflies and numerous red admiral birds feed from the bird feeder. Buzzards fly high over the area and an owl or two has been seen on the branches of the trees by the pool area as well as the small eagles. it is so relaxing to get up early morning and sit with your coffee and listen to the birds and the wild life.

In October, the houses are decorated in the Halloween theme and we have to make sure that we have plenty of sweets ready as the whole estate gets involved and whole families come dressed up, knocking at the door to “Trick or treat”. So far we have been lucky not to have had a trick played on us. (Thank heavens for Wall Marts endless supply of sweets, dressing up masks and witches hats, which I might add is open 24hrs of the day).

In December the whole estate comes to life again with all the villas decorated with twinkling Christmas lights over bushes and candy stick lights in the ground, there are blow-up snowmen, and even reindeers on the roof. Each year there seems to be competition to see who can get the brightest of displays and all friends and neighbours get involved in decorating the houses.

On New Years Eve we all head off to Disney for the New Years Eve firework display. AMAZING NIGHT although very packed it is nice to see the firework display and the excitement for both adults and children.  

The facts are simple, if you put the pool heat on for guests then they have to have an Add on to their cost. And you as the villa owner pick up the cost. The sun shines most days in the Sunshine state, so why should we not take advantage of this Free source of heat and energy. Plus the fact that it is the green option, and no CO2 is produced.

I looked at the villa next door to Mickey’s Woodland Retreat, and saw a sign that was advertising a solar company that had just fitted solar paneled pool heat to the villa. I asked the neighbours what they thought of the sun heated pool and they were very impressed with the results. I didn’t just take there word for granted but got on the web and checked out the company. 

Superior Solar, 275 Hunt Park Cove, Longwood FL 32750
was the company that installed my neighbours, and it was also my chosen company to install my Solar pool heat.

Tel: 407-331-9077 • 1-800-478-SOLAR (7652)
Fax: 407-331-0305

My contact at Solar was Brian Marinelli, he was brilliant! He explained everything to me, and put my mind at ease. The installation was done in 3 to 4 hours as promised, and with no problems. Plus a 10 year warranty!

I have had guests in since and they all say the same, just brilliant! There is a  control knob, with a temperature gauge. Just turn it up or down, to make the pool warmer or cooler.

I can now quote owners a price that includes pool heat plus free phone calls, high speed broadband, and free private use of the house safe.

What a fantastic package at Mickeys Woodland Retreat

We did not stop for the two weeks we were there and the first job that we did, was to paint the lounge with the very high cathedral ceiling from a pail green in colour to a bright white. That particular night we did not stop till 8 o’clock in the morning just as the sun was rising, it was an amazing sight to see, and the lounge looked really bright and worth every effort.

The next job was a trip to the Furniture store for new furniture on Orange Blossom trail, Called “Furniture USA” We were spoilt for choice but after long discussions with the Manager, We decided on two beautiful mushroom suede sofas with red/brown toning scatter cushions. Very luxurious and a total change from my blue corner sofa.

Then it was on to a bedroom suite for the Master bedroom and as soon as I saw this very light oak one, I was hooked, Very much “The princess and the pea” as it was very high with ornate head and footboard, matching dresser and two nightstands and new mattress. In America, they come with a pillow top for added comfort, it very was luxury indeed, naturally it was at a discount price than “Ashley” Price.

I couldn’t wait for delivery day and was so excited the night before that I had trouble sleeping!!!

The delivery day arrived and all the new furniture was put into place and my first reaction was “WOW”. My villa had had a complete makeover and looked incredibly different. Out went all the imitation greenery and in came the scented candles in mosaic glass holders, delicately placed pot pourette, and new luxury bedding. I was so in love with it that I immediately rang the store and ordered a matching chest of drawers, again this was at a special discounted price.

I couldn’t find new dining chairs to equal this furniture so my friend said” Why not re-cover them” So another trip to get deep red Jacquard material and stapler gun and she was away. Hours later we stood back and were amazed at the difference, they looked amazing. She had never done anything like this before but she did it brilliantly. Although I have to say that she couldn’t use her hands the next day so I had to make the coffee for her all day!!!!!!!!!!

Our villa is now ready for our next lot of special guest!

Two good examples would be

‘Aren’t you sick of going to the same place over and over again?’ and

‘Don’t you get bored’?

If you think about it the ‘aren’t you sick of’ and the ‘get board’ comments could be difficult to explain away.

It could be said that Florida home owners are a little perverse.

We buy a house thousands of miles away from home, fly 9 hours to get to it; have to cope with jet lag for the first 5 days of any visit than spend most of our time cleaning, painting or repairing (or all three) something.

Take our last visit as an example, apart from 2 days (read who needs theme parks for entertainment) our 8 day visit, hastily booked as a short holiday for myself and Carol to celebrate my 50th birthday was spent most of the time on jobs relating to some form of  maintenance to the house. It was not planed that way it just happened.

When ever we return and enter the house for the first time we both independently of each other (although we never admit it) scan the house looking for damaged or faded paint work, dirt or marks on the carpet and any items of equipment or furniture that may need replacing, cleaning or repairing. I know it’s sad.

Just prior to our visit Verizon had installed wireless internet in the house and just to increase our work load the router had been left on the floor between two twin beds the ideal spot for a drink to be spilt over it.

So the list of jobs we had both agreed ‘needed’ to be carried out this visit included

Painting the master bedroom

Painting the front twin bedroom

Cleaning the pool deck

Cleaning the hall and master bedroom carpets and last but not least (thank you Verizon)

Reinstalling the Verizon router to a safer location.

So if we ever get asked ‘aren’t you sick of going to the same place over and over again’ and don’t you get bored’

We just tell them NO, we don’t get the time.

Brian Pearson

And whilst there may be a degree of truth in the song by one American rock singer ‘57 channels and nothing on’, with a little perseverance it is always possible to find some entertainment to watch whilst relaxing in the luxury of your vacation home.  Although if hotel habits die hard, many homes also provide additional TV sets in one or more bedrooms, so there is no need to miss the late night shows.

Local Television

There are several local channels which provide local information - including an updated weather forecast every 10 minutes.  In between the weather reports, the broadcasts will also provide traffic news in detail which visitors from the United Kingdom would associate with a local radio station.

Drama

Many American drama series are well known to visitors from the United Kingdom - examples being ‘Desperate Housewives’, ‘The West Wing’, ‘24 Hours’ and ‘Lost’.  These are shown in America ahead of being exported.  Television shows are also exported by the United Kingdom to the United States, so some shows will be instantly recognised - either in their original format (many 80’s comedy shows are broadcast), or remade for an American audience (‘Steptoe and Son’ has emerged as ‘Sanford and Son’, whilst ‘The Office’ has been rescripted with new actors).

Game Shows

Popular shows such as ‘The Weakest Link’ have transferred from the United Kingdom - this show still has the same presenter.  ‘Who Wants to Be a Millionaire’ is also shown on US National television, although with an American presenter.

Children’s Television

The Cartoon Network and Disney Channel can help keep the youngsters occupied - whilst older children (and adults) can choose from a range of music channels, such as VH-1 and MTV.  These can be ideal for keeping the youngsters occupied whilst they adjust to the time difference - if they wake up at 4am, a few television programmes may just keep them occupied long enough to let the adults sleep a little longer.

Sport

There are numerous channels with endless sport, be it baseball, basketball, golf, ice hockey - or occasional overseas sport, perhaps even soccer!

Check with the villa owner

Not all channels are available in all homes - so if there is a particular programme or type of channel you want, check with the owner first.  There is so much to do in Florida that you shouldn’t allow the television to dominate your relaxation time - but it is definitely a welcome addition.  Even if it is only used for watching the latest release movies rented from the local DVD and video hire store.

We have just received these very interesting views from our latest guests, concerning the cost of our villa rental to their last visit to Florida, when they stayed in a Hotel.

Having compared our total cost of our last visit to Florida when we stayed in a Hotel on International Drive, we have found that we were most definely better off staying at a villa. With the exchange rate being so much down on our last visit the savings we have made on our food budget alone makes sense. Eating out for Breakfast, Tea & Dinner for 14 nights was a great lump of our spending money. This year, being able to shop for what we wanted and fancied for our meals meant the kids didn’t waste our money on half eaten meals. We could eat before we went ot the Parks and when we returned the BBQ was brilliant. With the villa being so close to Disney, we even returned to the villa a couple of times for tea and a swim, then back to the Park as our parking tickets were still valid and the stamp on our wrists let us back in without any problems. The extra Dollars we saved on food went on a little more shopping which makes you feel as though you have had a good deal.

The comments are a real plus for us as they hopefully intend to return again next year. We have also decide to point out these benefits in our replies to all of future enquiries we receive.

Regards,

Mary/Larry  

Are you are looking for all the comforts of home but with all the services provided by a good standard hotel.  Have you ever stopped to think how wonderful it would be if you could have all of this ?

Well it really is possible by renting a vacation home.  Try Googling ”Florida vacation rental”.  You will find so many homes that you can stay in that will provide everything you are looking for.  A fabulous “home from home” far away from all the other holidaymakers in a hotel.

Next time you are planning a vacation, please take a look at all the wonderful homes that are available to rent.  We spent quite a few years staying in hotels, and then one year we hired a house.  We have never stayed in a hotel again.  To my family, this is the only way to have a fantastic holiday.  You really do get the best of both worlds.

There are of course several types of home in many locations in and around the Disney area.  They vary in size from 1 bedroom condo’s (sleeping 2) up to 7 bedroom villas (sleeping up to 16).  Most villas will have a private pool, some will have a spa and/or a games room.  Some also look out over open spaces or golf courses.  It really does depend on what you personally are looking for, but rest assured all will have the creature comforts that a hotel cannot hope to provide, and surprisingly at a very reasonable cost.

Like my wife and I some years ago, I am sure you will be thinking that these villas will cost an extortionate amount of money and they are only for the rich.  Not so.  Most rental homes are priced very reasonable and most families will be able to afford them.  If you look closely at the prices, you will find that they are in fact very reasonably priced compare to a good quality hotel.

They can accommodate a variety of people, not just single families but groups of friends and relatives.  They have king bedded rooms, double rooms, twin and single rooms, all just waiting for you to come along and have your dream vacation.

The best part though is actually splitting the cost down by person to arrive at what you will find is great value.  Some homes can cost as little as $10 per person per day.  For example, in low season, a four bedroom home sleeping up to 10 will cost around $700 per week including pool heating.  That is $100 per day, equaling just under $10 per person.  A good quality hotel room for 4 will cost around $60 per night, equal to $420 per week.  As there are 10 of you, you will need 3 rooms making a total of $1260 – OVER twice the price of a villa.

We have all heard of the expression “location ,location, location”.  Well, you will often find that in a hotel, that “location” will mean close to a major road or intersection as this brings in the most income for the hotel.

This is fine until it is time to “turn in” at night and then you are kept awake by all the traffic noise from outside.  A very thick pillow or ear plugs are often the best remedy.

The best part about vacation homes is that they are nearly always located in quiet suburbs with very little traffic but are still close to all the attractions (Disney, Sea World, Universal Studios etc), Our own home is located in a “dead end”  with minimal traffic and is therefore ideal for families with smaller children.  In many cases they will be in beautifully landscaped, resort style communities that may even have a view or a lake or conservation view.  If you are a family that likes these communal developments, they can range from very quiet and simple community lounges through to fully equipped lifestyle resorts with large communal swimming pools, man made beaches, fully equipped gyms, spa, cinema, children’s play areas.

Most vacation homes will have a very high level of facilities including private pool, large comfortable living areas, dining areas, fully equipped kitchen, garage, televisions, dvd player, laundry facilities, internet access etc.

One of the best parts about taking a vacation in a villa is that within a few hours, you feel just like you are a home.  You begin to unwind and then your vacation really starts.  After a tiring but enjoyable day in the parks, come home, go for a dip in your own pool, get a beer from fridge (or make a coffee), then curl up on the sofa to watch a favourite dvd.  You can really escape from it all.

If you haven’t yet tried this alternative to a hotel, then please give it a try.  We can assure that you will not be disappointed. You will have the vacation of a lifetime without having to share it with hundreds of other holidaymakers sharing the hotel.  You have vacation home all to yourself.

Phil and Sue Cornish have travelled extensively in Florida and in 1990 purchased their first home in Kissimmee.

We are finding that for all of the “recession” we are still having lots of enquiries for our villa at Rolling Hills. The most noticeable change however, is that the potential guests are requiring more and more facilities at the villa. It makes us think how much more to the rental cost do we need to ask to be able to warrant the cost of adding these extra features. Our bookings are really good as it presently stands and that is mainly due to the guests who are happy with what we presently provide, returning to our villa for, in some cases, the 4th, 5th & 9th time. We feel our present villa facilities hold up well against most other villas but we are not too blinkered to know that we need to move with the times—But At What Cost??

The comments left by our previous guests seem to show that we have things just about right and that they seem to spend most of their time at The Parks and in The Pool and are happy with the cost of their holiday. Maybe it is because of the increased cost of entrance into The Parks that they are choosing to spend more time at the villa?

We are already taking bookings for 2010, again mostly from returning guests. This begs the question, if we do add extra features and have to put up prices, with the “recession” in mind, the exchange rate fall, how will this affect our future bookings?

Any constructive comments would be most welcome as we realise we need to keep up with the times but also make sure our guests are getting what they want at a cost that we both can afford.

Regards,

Mary & larry

February

New Year family decision to be made; put a lump sum into a pension fund or invest in an overseas property?  Er hello!  For me, it’s like choosing between a date with George Clooney or Gordon Brown!!  It’s a no-brainer.  Overseas here we come!

March

Attend Overseas Property Exhibition and before I know it, book an eight-day Exploration Trip to Florida.  I drive home and deliver the news to my husband that he’s off to Florida.

April

BIG discussions/arguments about who should go.  Husband is adamant it should be me and he should stay take the easy route and stay at home with our girls!  Easy – PAH!  Little does he know.  I’m freaking out about the whole idea.  I’ve never even spent a night away from the family – let alone eight nights, 4,500 miles away.

8th May

Departure day.  Try to be very grown up but collapse in a crying heap once through Security.  Not so grown up!  Calm myself down with some Duty Free therapy.

Spend flight showing everyone photos of my girls.  Airline staff very sympathetic to a point, then just keep me quiet with copious amount of gin and tonic!

Land at Orlando and meet my Guide who’s built like Mr T from the A Team called Rocky…only in America!  He has five girls of his own - I think we are going to get on well.

Day One

An early 8am start and spend 10 hours viewing properties around Orlando.  I’m constantly surrounded by Disney paraphernalia which makes me miss my girls even more.  I want to go home.

Day Three

With no joy in Orlando we head to the beautiful Gulf Coast.  With jaw-dropping beaches and amazing scenery, it’s a real breath of fresh air. We arrive in an area called Rotonda, nestled between Sarasota and Naples – it’s stunning.

Introduced to a company who build homes from scratch. 

I would be in sole charge of deciding:-

Location; golf course, woodland or water front views?

Number of bedrooms; 3, 4 or more?

Design and layout;  open plan, country style, formal/informal areas etc?

Exterior & interior finishings; enough home style encyclopaedias to wade through it made the entire back catalogue of Next Directories look like a light read!

For a control freak like me, I’m in heaven.

12th May 2006

Our wedding anniversary.  Wake up with my emotions colliding; I’m missing my husband, I’m excited that we’ve decided to build our dream home, I’m nervous about signing the paperwork and totally scared about how much I’m about to commit to.  This calls for Rescue Remedy – preferably intravenously!

Seeing the beautiful sunrise, I’m calm again.  I’ve found a wonderful plot of land, overlooking the tranquil waterway and chosen a beautiful villa.  It’s going to be perfect.  Later that day, I sign the deal, open a bottle of wine and ring home for a verbal hug.

16th May

Arrive home.  If I thought the hard bit was over, I had little idea of what lay ahead for the next 15 months.  Maybe it’s the heat but everyone has a “mañana, mañana” attitude which drives me crazy.

6th October

Finally the builders break ground.  Any longer and it may have broken our marriage!

November

Money for the build is rushing out of our bank faster than pensioners from Northern Rock. We pray for a hurricane-free season.

I start working on our website to advertise the villa. 

www.gloriousgulfvilla.com is born – virtually of course although it’s starting to feel like my third child. 

December-

Trying to compare monthly update photos from the site is like playing Spot the Difference.  Little progress is being made.

Almost every week a new challenge or dilemma arrives sucking up precious family time quicker than Great Uncle Dyson. 

Sleepless nights, frantic phone calls and demanding emails are now a daily feature.  Trying to juggle running a home, being Mum to two girls under five and being a great wife leaves me feeling exhausted.  This is definitely aging me. 

I constantly ask myself “Why did we think it would easy to build a house 4500 miles away?”  I feel totally out of control being so far away from the build but I have to plough on regardless.  The list of people and jobs that I have to manage and juggle is endless from builders and banks to County offices, to interior designers and landscape gardeners.  Honestly, anyone would think it was their house?!  We may all speak the same language but they may as well be speaking Cantonese!

2007

January

Now the fun starts.  I’m asked to choose everything from the roof colour, to the size & design of our pool.  Most people would find this level of detail a nightmare – fortunately I love it.  However, what I quickly realise is my husband doesn’t share my passion.  Being a Virgo, I’m surprised with his lack of interest.  Normally, he’s all over detail like a rash.  With his eyes glazing over before I even open my mouth he assures me that I have his full trust and I should make decisions on behalf of the family.  GULP! As if the pressure wasn’t massive already, I feel like it’s just gone up a few notches!

May

We always had May in mind as a month in which the villa would be built and we would all go out to visit but it’s no-where near ready.

July

After what seems a life-time of waiting, we get the news - the house is finally built.  We all sigh a huge sigh of relief.  All we need now are some renters through the door.  I feel more sleepless nights coming on!

16th October

We arrive in Rotonda to admire the fruits of our labour.

I feel sick with a mixture of excitement, apprehension and tiredness.  The final photos we’ve seen look good but it’s going to be so different seeing it for real.

Oh my God, what if we hate it?

I feel as though I’ve been holding my breath since we landed so it’s not surprising when I nearly faint as we walk through the door…

Glorious Gulf Villa is totally amazing.  Everywhere I look I see things that I love especially the wonderful four-poster bed!  It’s a real home-from-home.  The girls are most impressed to have their very own swimming pool

My husband looks at me with new found admiration.  I can’t believe my eyes.  I feel like I’m dreaming.  I’m half expecting someone to put a blanket round my shoulders and hang a medal around my neck as it feels like I’ve just completed the London Marathon!  Instead, in a terribly British manner, my husband makes me a cup of tea and puts me to bed for a lie down to recover.

The journey has been long and emotional.  My knowledge of house building has of course increased but more importantly I’ve learnt so much about myself.  I’ve definitely earned a few brownie points from my family but I don’t think anyone really understands just how much this project has taken out of me.

In Summary

Am I proud of the end result – Yes!

Would I do it again – No!

Is our marriage still in-tact – Just!