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By Sean O'Neill, Budget Travel
It's summertime and you may be renting a condo or apartment for vacation. How can you personalize a stranger's place to make it feel more like home during your stay?
Some tips:
Before you go, ask the owner about the basics. Do you need to bring beach towels? a DVD player? tennis rackets? Then come prepared.
Pack your favorite pillow. It'll always be nicer than what the landlord provides.
Pack your favorite kitchen items. Chef's knife. French-press coffee maker. Non-stick baking tray.
Order groceries from a local store. Request delivery for the evening you you arrive, to make sure your pantry is stocked with necessities such as sturdy paper towels and charcoal briquettes for the grill.
Set the mood.Example: A light dimmer, which works like an extension cord with a switch and plugs in to any standing or tabletop lamp, allows you to mellow out harsh lighting. In-line dimmer switches sell from $8 on Amazon. Don't forget your iPod or CD player,with essential music. Find out if your rental has compatible speakers, or if you'll need to bring a portable set.
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Instead of having groceries delivered, I would suggest getting to the house/condo early enough to take inventory first. They may very well have plenty of whatever you're buying - but be missing some essential items that you need, and would never remember to buy.
We stay in houses/condos frequently when we travel (adult kids with us, sometimes their friends as well). We do plan to go out to dinner at least once during the visit, but eat breakfast at the house. It really does save a lot of money, we've done this in NY, Paris, Idaho, Arizona.
you'll need to rent a u-haul trailer to pack everything up