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We look forward to your stay with us in the Great Smoky
Mountains.
Renting a cabin
can be a wonderful way to spend your vacation in the Great Smokey
Mountains. However, if your not careful it can be a nightmare. Your
vacation should be always be about having fun, getting away from your
normal duties and responsibilities and thinking about your family and
yourself. It should not be about taking care of someone else's house. It
should not be about staying somewhere cheap, rundown or otherwise in
disrepair.
The
following
are a few things you should know and/or
ask about the cabin you may stay in.
- How old is the cabin? Age can make a difference.
Older homes that have not been renovated can come with a lot needed
repairs. They can have old appliances, furniture and worn out amenities.
-
When was the last time
the cabin was renovated? Older cabins can have a lot of charm and if
renovated properly and kept up can result in a wonderful experience.
However, rental cabins get a lot of use by design and must be constantly
upgraded and maintained. If a cabin looks too cheap to be true, beware.
- Are the pictures on the web-site up to date?
Just because a cabin has pictures on a web site doesn't mean their from
this year or even any recent year. Look for signs in the pictures that
would date them. Out of fashion decor would be one. Older appliances in
the kitchen pictures can sometimes tell their age.
-
How old are the
appliances? Kitchen appliances as well as A/C and Heating are very
important and should be no more than 8 or 9 years old in a rental cabin.
-
How old is the
Jacuzzi? Many, if not most of these cabins come with a Hot tub. In
a lot of cases that's the selling point. Don't wait to get to the cabin
to find out the Hot tub is 15 years old. Remember these are rental
cabins, they get a lot of use by design.
-
Where exactly is the
cabin. Most owners will not give out the exact location until your final
payment is received, for obvious reasons but they should be able to give
you a very good idea where it is by telling you things the cabin is
close to.
- That brings us to: Where do you want to stay?
The greater Gatlinburg area is a lot larger than it used to be. In 1984
Gatlinburg was a very short span. It began at the opening to the
Cherokee National Park and ran approximately 2 miles. Today Gatlinburg
runs over 6 miles to the end of that street. Many rental properties are
in fact not even in Gatlinburg. They advertise Gatlinburg Cabin but in
fact are in Pigeon Forge or Maggie Valley. That's ok if you wanting to
stay in a very commercial place like Pigeon Forge or miles away on flat
land in Maggie Valley. But if you are looking for a true Gatlinburg
Mountain Cabin, make sure you ask for just that.
- When you book your stay,
are dealing with the real owners of that cabin? In many cases the cabins
are actually maintained by a retail management company. These companies
get 40% of the rental income, so your probably paying much more than you
would if you rented a cabin of the same scope and size from a true
owner.
-
Does your cabin provide
clubhouses privileges? Only cabin owners are members of the
Clubhouses. That means only owners can provide you with guest passes.
This should be a free privilege that comes with your rental, don't pay
extra for this type of service and don't miss out on the pools, tennis
courts and basketball courts by staying elsewhere.
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