Owning a timeshare is a great way to see different parts of the world, but it’s also complicated. There is always an adjustment period that is expected when getting into something new. Travel restrictions and flight disruptions have complicated things even more lately, but the United States has 9.9 million families who own timeshares.
Imagine if all these families invested in upgrading your heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) unit. This will improve energy use by 50% for electricity or 10% for gas, meaning they can get more money to invest in timeshares. Keep reading to learn some more ways to improve your timeshare.
Invite Friends and Family for a Vacation
First, don’t keep your timeshare to just yourself or your immediate family. Invite relatives and friends who you enjoy spending time with. Many will accept the offer since they won’t need to pay for additional lodging. Having others visit while you’re on vacation gives them a chance to come without having their normal obligations at home; people can do things that are not usually done at home during this time. Memories from these moments can be priceless and lead to a lot of fond memories once people return to reality/their usual lives again.
Of course, if you want some time away from those visiting or just some more private time with your immediate family members alone, extending an invitation to them for only part of the vacation you stay in your timeshare is a good option as well. Alternatively, you can extend invitations for a longer period than just a week. You may even find that other individuals prefer staying no more than three full days instead of a week.
Explore Different Destinations
Some companies offer properties in many different destinations, each of which is available to timeshare owners. The U.S. is home to 30.7 million small businesses, so you can certainly find a company to work with. When you don’t have to pay for separate lodging each night and the costs of travel become more affordable when you aren’t booking a new place every night, this can be a great way to see lots of places without breaking the bank. If your timeshare allows it and staying at one destination isn’t enough, but traveling somewhere too often doesn’t appeal either, then alternating between two or even three locations could be your best bet.
Make Reservations in Advance
No matter what type of timeshare you have or where it is, always make your reservations as far in advance as possible. The most popular destinations quickly fill up during high seasons and even less-known places can book all available rooms if there’s a convention happening when you want to visit. How early in advance can you make your reservation?
This depends on which program you participate in and sometimes what level of timeshare you have. Ask when to purchase a timeshare, the reservation window, and mark that on your calendar! In many cases, reservations are made one year or more in advance, though some programs require shorter periods. If you fail to get your preferred unit/place/period by having not made adequate arrangements, you will be at risk of ‘wasting’ your money buying something else instead. Remember ‘better safe than sorry.’
Watch Out for Bonus Deals
Sometimes, companies will offer you a special bonus time deal when they want to sell more of their timeshares. These deals are highly variable because they’re based on demand and availability and are only offered as a last-minute deal. They might not be suitable for planning your getaway far in advance, but if you can be patient and have an open schedule, these offers may provide you with extra time at one of the resorts while paying less than what people who don’t own timeshares would pay.