.WRD Cottage Rental Newsletter .......March 1, 2008
Everything you need to know about cottage rental and a whole lot more !!!
       
Heron on Halls Lake in the Haliburton Highlands
So here we are again, the beginning of March and everyone is chomping at the bit to experience some warmer weather and to start planning for another summer vacation. Undoubtedly, some of you are going to do what you do every year and that is to rent a cottage in Central Ontario. On the other hand there are many of you who have never rented a cottage before but who are giving cottage rental some serious consideration. Hopefully if you decide on renting a cottage you will be renting your cottage through WRD but whoever you rent from, we are sure you will have a great time at the cottage ..... or will you? As a rental agency, we have been arranging cottage vacations for 13 years and as such we can say that you can rent what appears to be the most beautiful cottage there is, but if you are not prepared for what to expect in cottage country, your experience may be less than anticipated. For example, if you have grown up in the city with all of the city conveniences, you may find cottage life rather difficult unless you prepare in advance for this new cottage experience. And this is what this newsletter is all about. We want your cottage experience to be all that it can be. So don't be afraid to ask any question you want about cottage rental.
Simply send an email with your question to bill@ontariocottagerental.com and you will receive an answer back or your question will be answered in the next WRD Cottage Rental Newsletter.
Question : Where is the best place to rent a cottage
in Ontario?

Answer : There is no best place to rent. Those who normally stay in the Muskokas think that the Muskokas are best and those who rent cottages in the Haliburton Highlands think that there is no other place in Ontario like the Highlands. Both of these areas will get an argument from people who have cottages in the Ottawa Valley. The bottom line is that beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
All of these areas and a whole lot more have wonderful cottages for every pocketbook.
Cottage on 12 Mile Lake in the Haliburton Highlands.
..I think a key consideration most renters have is how far they are willing to travel to get to their cottage. A 2 1/2 ..hour drive seems to be the limit of most renters. And if you have kids like mine when they were very young, I didn't ..reach the end of the driveway before they started asking, "are we there yet?"
     
Crystal Lake at sundown
Question : What is the best way to find a
rental cottage?

Answer: We may be a bit biased but as a cottage rental agency, we know that we work hard to match our clients needs to one of our cottages. However, there are a multitude of rental agencies on the internet so beware. Choose an agency which rents cottages and nothing else. Make sure that the agency operates out of the area where their cottages are located. Many of these new agencies operate off shore and have little or no knowledge about the area where the cottage is located. Pick an agency which has been in the business

for at least 5 years and who are able to answer in depth questions about their cottages. Ask the agency where their office is and ask directions to their office. If they seem to operate out of their home, be careful, they could be here today and gone tomorrow.
One last observation, I can say to you that if I was looking for a rental cottage today, I would not rent a cottage directly from the cottage owner. Every summer we see or hear horror stories about people who have rented from owners, have paid their money only to find out that the cottage is nothing like described or pictured on the internet. I really feel sorry for these people and when these folks come to us, we try hard to salvage their vacations and find them a cottage which their family will enjoy. Don't get me wrong, not all owners of cottages operate this way but if you don't know the owner, how are you to know for sure.

Question : "Why is cottage rental so popular, when should I start looking for a cottage and how much can I expect to spend for a good cottage?"

Answer : The popularity is pure economics. For example, our most expensive cottage rents for $4600 per week. That may sound like a lot but if you consider that this cottage sleeps 14, this means that this cottage ends up costing you less than $46 per person per night. Where else can you stay in this world for $46 a night on a lake with absolute
Canning Lake Sunset
privacy. Cottage rental is so popular because it's a great deal, simple as that. If you don't believe me, figure out what your last family vacation to Cuba or Cancun Mexico cost you per person, per night. Scary isn't it.
With regards to when you should start looking for a cottage, this is also tied to the popularity of cottage rental. Since we started this business 13 years ago, people are reserving their cottages earlier and earlier every year. You should start to look in early January for your summer rental cottage. It seems that as soon as New Years is out of the way, everybody starts getting real serious about their summer vacation plans.
As far as what you can expect to pay for a nice cottage, let's say you have a family of 5 and the grand parents will be joining you and if you were to pay $35 per person per night for a week, it would cost you just over $1700 for your accommodation. I suggest that you have a look on this web site at our cottages priced around $1700 that will sleep 7 and I think you will agree that they are really nice.
Question - What do we need to bring to the cottage ?

Answer : Just about everything you will need for a great vacation is supplied. The only things you will have to bring are your own sheets, pillow cases, towels and facecloth's and life jackets. The reason we ask you to supply your own life jackets is because it would be almost impossible for the owner of the cottage to supply all the different sizes of life jackets that would be needed by your group and all the other groups that will rent the cottage. A life jacket is a very personal thing and as such, you and your children should be fitted for the right size life jacket to ensure your safety and that of your children. In addition to the above, you will need to bring your own food and drink and personal hygiene items. However, there are large food stores in the villages so don't think that you will need to bring all your food from home. The same is true for beer, wine and liquor.

Have a question about cottage rental? Email it to bill@ontariocottagerental.com

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