You’re relaxing by the pool, airport novel in one hand and a brandy sour in the other. It’s 30 degrees and there’s not a cloud in the sky. Your accommodation is great; only 7 minutes walk from the beach, 5 minutes away from the nearest bars and restaurants and your children have already made friends with the kids next door. Two weeks of holiday bliss lie ahead and the best thing is.. you’re in your own holiday home.

When you arrived, there was no two hour wait on the coach while 50 other holidaymakers collected their luggage and then were dropped off at their hotels before you – you simply took a taxi straight to your accommodation. There won’t be any mix-ups at the apartment/hotel about the number of rooms, beds, the fridge or how many towels and toasters are required – you’ve already equipped your holiday home with everything you need.

And best of all, you don’t need to be up at 7am to find a breakfast table or stake your claim to sun beds round the pool – in your own home you can do as you please.
These are just a few of the countless differences between taking a normal package holiday and enjoying your break a privately owned holiday apartment or villa.

Long gone are the days when holidaymakers had to settle for a meagre 2-star hotel in order to keep within their budget or hope that their ‘allocation on arrival’ accommodation wasn’t going to be in the middle of nowhere.

‘ Holiday homes are slowly but surely changing the way that people travel, by taking the ‘hassle out of holidays’ as time, money and stress can all be saved’

Money saving, money making

Most people would agree that any chance of saving money on a holiday without having to compromise on quality sounds appealing, especially for those travelling with children. Family holidays can be a costly business wherever you choose to go and school schedules inevitably mean that holidays can only be taken during school breaks, when prices are at their highest and accommodation at its fullest. Obviously these higher prices also apply when renting privately owned holiday homes during peak season but there can often be a fair difference in costs.

There is also money to be made for those who own holiday homes, as renting becomes a more and more popular option. Of course, money has to be paid out in advance when purchasing a property but the return in rental income makes it worthwhile. This is currently becoming particularly clear along the east coast of Cyprus, where property prices are still significantly lower than in other areas of Cyprus and Europe. Although certain resort areas are not open during the winter period, the amount that can be earned during the summer season more than compensates for the quieter time of year. Affordable maintenance and rental charges, along with low running costs and taxes, also help to maximise your income.