There’s nothing worse than showing up to the vacation rental home you rented for the week, throwing your suitcase on the bed, and realizing that something about the house is not as you expected. Maybe the house has no TV or no washing machine, or isn’t near the beach. That’s why it’s important to pay close attention to information in the listing description. Here are 5 important things to look for:

Vacation Home in Chatham, MA on Cape Cod

1. Proximity to water. This is especially important to beach junkies. Is the home literally on the water or is it a short walk? Do you have to drive? It can sometimes help to become familiar with the area you’re looking to stay in. In towns such as Wellfleet (on Cape Cod), every vacation rental is reasonably close to a beach. This is a function of Wellfleet being a small town on the Outer Cape.    

2. Internet access. A good vacation rental directory will tell you whether the house in question has internet access. The owner may even specify the nature of the internet access, be it broadband, dial-up, or wireless. If the home doesn’t have internet access, it might be a good idea to look for nearby spots that have internet access, such as libraries or cafes, if not another house.
3. Pets. Many vacation home owners don’t allow pets. There’s usually a section on the listing that says whether or not pets such as dogs are allowed. If not, you can ask.
4. Appliances. Were you planning on grinding your own coffee beans in the morning? You’ll be disappointed if you find out that the home you chose doesn’t have a coffee grinder. Vacation rental directories give homeowners checkboxes to communicate which appliances are sitting in their kitchen.
5. Accessibility. If you need handicap access, you should confirm that the house has it right off the bat. Do you have an elderly member of the group who might have a hard time getting up and down long flights of stairs? If the information isn’t posted on the listing, you can inquire with the owner.

These are some of things to look for as you search for your perfect summer vacation rental. The internet has made things much easier, and finding a cottage to stay in is now just a few clicks away. If you find that the home you were interested in has no more available weeks this summer, try asking about off-season weeks or weekends. You may find that the homeowner will rent off-season weeks or days at a reduced rate.

When marketing First Vacation Rental subscriptions, we advertise that our site, along with each owner’s listing, will be optimized for search so that vacationers can easily find rentals.  One of the most frequently asked questions is “How do you optimize your site?” and “What does that mean?”  Both are good questions that deserve thoughtful answers.

We are noticing that vacationers renting homes from online directories are often originating from Google through its search engine.  Many of our pages are designed to be placed in the top search results for certain search terms.  This helps attract vacationers  to our website who are searching for Wellfleet or Cape Cod information through Google.

There are two ways we use Google to get these searchers onto our rental listing pages.  The first is by buying advertising space for popular searches that vacationers make.  When searching for “Wellfleet vacation rentals,” “Cape Cod cottages,” or “Marconi Beach rental,” our ad will often appear in a section of the page right above the search results.  Our ad is displayed for over 100 different Wellfleet-specific search terms. Our ad is also displayed during some more general Cape Cod seach queries such as “Cape Cod summer vacation.”

This is one of our Wellfleet ads. Most of our ads are specifically targeted to Wellfleet.

The second way we optimize with Google is by building pages on our website that will naturally find themselves among the top search results over time.  For example, if you search for “Indian Neck Beach Wellfleet” our page about Indian Neck is on the first page.  Once searchers end up on this page about Indian Neck Beach they can see nearby vacation rentals.  There aren’t a huge number of people searching for Indian Neck Beach in Google; in fact, we only get about one hit a day from that search.  Although that may seem small at first, it adds up quickly because we have over 100 pages about Cape Cod beaches, restaurants, and other Wellfleet activities.  Factoring in all of our pages, the hits start to add up.

First Vacation Rental is the first result when searching Google for Indian Neck Beach in Wellfleet.

About 70% of our Google visitors find our site by searching for specific terms like Indian Neck Beach.  The other 30% come from clicking our advertisements.

We make sure to get all of our Wellfleet vacation rentals into Google’s database.  We do this by making sure that each one of our rental pages complies with the search engine’s guidelines.  Also, we provide Google with the information it needs to best index the listings into the search results.  Here are some tips for vacation home owners to help drive traffic to listings pages.

Our software provides all of the necessary tools and methods for attracting vacation searchers from Google.  Of course, until you list your rental on the internet, Google won’t know about it.  Once you’ve listed your rental, there are a few things you can do to help vacationers find it. For more information on this subject, check our our articles on:

Naming Your Vacation Rental

How To Drive Traffic To Your Vacation Rental

If you’re looking for places to take kids in Wellfleet, you’re in luck. In fact, Cape Cod is overall a very accessible place for children. It’s a very popular summer vacation destination, where families rent vacation houses in week-long increments and play at the beach together.

Beaches and Ponds

You should definitely spend a day at one of Wellfleet’s ocean beaches. The water will be cold, but kids will have fun braving it. Bringing a boogey board is a definitely good idea, but not absolutely necessary. Sand castle anyone? Don’t forget the beach chairs, towels, and sunscreen. (Check out all the Wellfleet beaches.) Wellfleet’s ponds don’t have waves but are better places to go for a traditional swim. Long Pond has a raft that kids can swim out to, climb onto, and jump off of. In recent years the raft has drifted a little. Gull Pond is large and has docks and a roped-in area.

Trails and Sports

There are a bunch of walking trails and bike trails in this part of Cape Cod. One of the best places for children is Great Island. On Great Island you’ll find interesting surroundings, including tiny Fiddler crabs that scamper in and out of holes in the sand.

If you have a basketball, there are public courts by the Wellfleet Pier. Tennis courts are nearby.

Ice Cream

Also situated at the pier is a small building that sells food and ice cream, including banana splits and brownie sundaes. You can walk along the beach to get there. Kids love to walk when it’s to get ice cream!

Dancing at Wellfleet Pier

Square Dancing

The town puts on square dancing at Wellfleet Harbor one night a week in the summer. (In 2009 it was Wednesdays during July and August from 7 – 9:30pm.) The square dancing takes place in the Mayo Beach parking lot, right next to the Wellfleet Pier.

Mini Golf

The mini golf in Wellfleet is right off Route 6 (map). There are 18 holes.

Drive-in Movie

Right next to the mini golf course is a parking lot for the flea market and drive-in movie theater. The drive-in plays back-to-back feature films at night. It’s usually a thrill for kids. The first film of the night is always geared toward a younger audience. Read more about the Wellfleet drive-in.

Rainy Day

If it rains, there are still a handful of indoor activities in Wellfleet. Additionally, you can take the kids to the Wellfleet Library.

1. It’s the Outer Cape. There are 15 towns on Cape Cod.  Driving over the Sagamore bridge, the Cape is a 75- mile long sand bar extending east and then north into the ocean. It gets narrower as you approach the tip.  The last 4 towns, where it’s the narrowest – Eastham, Wellfleet, Truro, and Provincetown – are known collectively as the ‘Outer Cape.’  If you’re on the Outer Cape, you’re standing on a continually shifting strip of sand that separates Cape Cod Bay from the Atlantic Ocean.

Marconi Beach, Wellfleet

2. Cape Cod National Seashore. 40 miles of beach.  40,000 acres of land.  Most of it in Wellfleet, Truro, and Provincetown.  About half of all of Wellfleet is part of the Cape Cod National Seashore. It’s a beautiful piece of protected land.

3. The Ponds. Wellfleet has a collection of rather unique ‘kettle’ ponds.  These are small round ponds with pristine water.  None allow motorboats, so they are quiet and great for swimming. They’re also good for beginning kayakers. Gull Pond has boat rentals; the others do not. Our family favorites are Long Pond and Duck Pond.  It’s a 10 minute walk down a dirt path to get to secluded Duck Pond.

4. The Ocean Beaches. Marconi,  White Crest, LeCount Hollow, Cahoon Hollow, and Newcomb Hollow.  All exquisite.  Go to Marconi and you can walk the adjacent Atlantic Cedar Swamp Trail. Also check out Marconi Station where Gugliermo Marconi  sent a wireless message to the King of England in 1903.  (“Can you hear me now?”) White Crest is the designated surfing beach.

5. The Bay Beaches. Slightly warmer water than the ocean beaches, less wind, and calmer waves make Wellfleet’s bay beaches a toddler’s paradise. Remember that it’s very tidal and every day there are 2 High Tides and 2 Low Tides.  You’ll benefit from a tide chart.  Around high tide is great for swimming.  Explore and collect seashells at low tide.  Wellfleet’s bay beaches are MADE for kayaking.  If you don’t own one, rent at Jack’s Boat Rental.  My favorite bay beach is Mayo, because right next to Mayo Beach are 3 restaurants, an ice cream/burger/fried clam counter,  fishing excursions, and Mac’s, a fresh seafood market.  Indian Neck is nice too for the sunsets and to walk out on the jetty.

6. Art Galleries. There are SO many art galleries in Wellfleet that it’s sometimes called the ‘Art gallery town.’  Most of the galleries are located on Main Street and E. Commercial Street.

7. The Town Center. Next door Truro doesn’t really have a town center and neither does Eastham.  Wellfleet’s town center still has the feel of an old fishing village.  It has some small  shops and restaurants but hasn’t been commercialized the way, say, Chatham has.

8. World famous oysters. You didn’t know that Wellfleet oysters are world famous?  Eat them fresh from Mac’s, dine at the Wicked Oyster restaurant, or eat on the front porch of the Bookstore and watch how they’re shucked.  You’ll be steps away from where the oysters were raised and harvested.

9. The Wellfleet Drive-in. A drive-in movie theatre may not be the best place for serious movie-watching, but if you or your family members have never experienced a drive-in, it’s a unique experience.

10. The W.H.A.T. Wellfleet Harbor Actors Theatre.  Last year a 2^nd theatre was completed, which I haven’t been to. The original WHAT is at the Pier.  I’ve been to several shows there over the years. It’s such a small theatre that all the seats are close to the stage.  It can be intense.

How did people plan out their vacations before the internet? Nobody knows… At least that’s the impression you’d get from the newest generation of vacationers. Like so many other things, the internet has increased the ease and flexibility of finding a vacation destination, learning about it, and finally, booking a rental.

Learn about the area

There’s information online about every popular vacation destination. You may want to become acquainted with the area before booking your stay. This part of the process is helpful for picking a town for your vacation as well as planning possible activities for once you get there.

Search for a rental

Vacation rental directories are the easiest places to find a vacation home because they’re designed specifically for that purpose. You can browse listings by town, and usually run a search using the search feature. You should think about what’s most important to you. Vacation rentals can be sorted by price and the number of people the house can comfortably sleep. It sometimes pays to be flexible on the number of bedrooms you use in your search. For example, there might be a house that sleeps 7 people that’s cheaper than another that sleeps 6, and you wouldn’t necessarily want to filter it out just because it sleeps “too many” people for your group. You can also sometimes filter for specific amentities, such as wireless internet and air-conditioning.

Read descriptions

Each vacation rental home listing contains a description written by the owner, broker, or manager. Although the description might be biased (“Best vacation rental in the world!”), it usually contains a lot of useful tidbits about the property. Contained in the description are often answers to common vacationer questions, such as “How close is the house to the beach?” and “Do you allow pets?”

Check availability

Most vacation rental websites encourage homeowners to mark down which weeks their house is available. Owners mark down this information in an online “availability calendar.” Some owners don’t take advantage of this feature, but many owners keep their calendars up to date as the season progresses and their weeks fill up. The availability calendar allows you, the vacationer, to compare your desired vacation dates to the dates the house is available for renting.

Contact the owner

Once you’ve found a vacation rental you like, the next step is to contact the owner (or manager, in some cases). You can do this by clicking a link or button on the vacation rental listing page. You can ask the owner any questions you may have; this is the conversation that will eventually close the deal.

Submit payment

Homeowners tend to transact business in similar ways, but each individual owner may have a slightly different process. This is why it’s necessary to work out the details with her. Upon reaching an agreement, you’ll end up signing a lease and sending the owner a check. Then there’s nothing left to do but pack your bags and prepare to vacation!

The First Vacation Rental software offers a large number of different inputs, if you choose to fill them out, about your rental property.  Although the software allows you to describe your rental in great detail, the simple things are usually the ones that matter most.  One such field is the name of your property.

The highlighted area above is how your vacation rental name will appear on our listings page.

The Name Stands Out

When vacationers are browsing the listings on First Vacation Rental they will immediately notice the name because of its bold blue color and large font size.  Remember that your vacation rental listing is competing with 20 other listings on this page.  If you want vacationers to click your listing and learn more, your name had better be appealing to them.

Provide Information

One way to attract to renters is to let the name of your property provide them information they are looking for.  For example, one the most common questions our home owners receive in their inquiries is: “How close is your house to the beach?”  Every house on the Cape is pretty close to the beach, but not every vacationer knows that.  You can use your property name to show off just how close you are with a name like “Only 15 steps from the beach”.  When coming up with the name, think about what vacationers are looking for when selecting which home to rent.

Be Professional

It’s not hard to attract attention by using funny looking characters and typing in all caps.  If you named your home “~!~!!! CLICK HERE !!!~!~” everyone might see it, but probably no one would want to rent it.  Both you and your listing should look professional and respectable in order to gain the trust of renters.

Truthfulness is another important characteristic your property name should possess.  Do not claim your home is 15 steps from the beach if in fact it is a mile away.  Vacationers will eventually figure this out and dismiss your property.  If your home is a bit further from the beach, highlight some other great characteristic.

Experiment

You are not married to the name of your property on your listing.  Feel free to change it and experiment with it.  If you picked a name last year, but think maybe it’s time for a new name, then go for it.  You can keep changing your name until you find something that works.  There’s no perfect formula for naming your property, so you might need to try a few names before finding one that both describes your rental while also attracting the interest of vacationers.

Want Help? Let Us Know

If you want some help brainstorming some names, or just want to bounce a few ideas off us, then let us know.  Cape Cod vacation rentals are our specialty and we’d would love to hear your story and give you our best advice.

With all the outdoor beauty of Cape Cod, some may wonder why they should look for indoor activities. Keep in mind that even if it’s sunny today, rain in New England can always be around the corner. It’s good to have a few ideas for things to do on a rainy day. If you’re renting a home during the off-season (for example, in October or November), it may be too chilly to spend the day outside. Or maybe it’s summer and you just need a break from the blazing sun. Whatever the case may be, you have plenty of stuff to choose from.

Visit an art gallery

David Arsenault's "Just Passing By" is a painting from the Blue Heron Gallery.

Wellfleet is famous for its art galleries, such as the Blue Heron Gallery. (The Blue Heron Gallery is open from early May to October and closes in the off-season, like many other Cape Cod galleries.) Some artists display their work with a group of other artists, and some show it solo. Most of the art consists of paintings, encompassing a range of styles. A common theme is the natural surroundings of Cape Cod and the islands. Artists are inspired by the beauty of the sea.

Watch a movie

Feel like catching a flick? Wellfleet Cinemas shows recently released films just like any other movie theater. The parking lot next door hosts an old-fashioned drive-in movie experience during the summer. You might feel like picking up a video rental and taking it back to your house. Most Cape Cod vacation rental homes have DVD players, but be sure to check first.

See live music

A few venues in Wellfleet have live music, but you should check in advance because they don’t have performances every night. A few you can check out are the Beachcomber, The Juice, and Duck Creeke Tavern.

Play a board game

A rainy day could be the perfect time to challenge your friends or family to a game of Monopoly or Pictionary. If there are no games in your house, the widest selection can be found at Puzzle Me This in Provincetown, but there’s also a game store in Wellfleet center.

Plan your next outing

Now might be the time to check out pics and videos of all Wellfleet has to offer, and start planning your next adventure. There’s always tomorrow!

If you use a  real estate agent or property manager to lease your vacation property, an important function they perform is to shield you from being defrauded, or scammed.  One way they do this is they have the vacationer make payment to an agent, and then you receive your money from the agent.  If payment to the agent was fraudulent – stolen credit card, bounced check -  the agent suffers the loss, not you.

Another important function the agent performs is the screening of the prospective renter.  I’ll explain how to efficiently perform these 2 functions, but allow me first to mention:  Having an agent is a double-edged sword.  Whether it’s a Real Estate Agent or a Managing Agent, an agent has a fiduciary responsibility to represent your best interests.  This is good for you… as long as they don’t screw up. If they do anything bad in relation to your property,  you will be held responsible.  Examples include:

• The agent accepts a deposit for a week that’s not available
• The agent promised that the fireplace works, but it doesn’t
• The agent fails to inform you of an unsafe condition and someone gets hurt

Your agent is your legal representative.  Choose wisely. If you choose not to have an agent, you need to  learn how to screen prospects and qualify people. (I’ll share my ‘broker’s secrets’ with you in another blog entry.)  If you don’t use an agent, here’s a few things you should know…

Bad checks,  phony money orders, and stolen credit cards

Stolen credit cards being used to pay for vacation rentals: I haven’t heard of specific cases of this happening, but I’d bet it does.  The last I checked, MasterCard, Visa,  and American Express do not process “rent” payments.  They do process fees, commissions, and of course, hotel room stays.  If you are interested in accepting credit cards, there are various places to go on the web. PayPal is an easy way to receive payment online by credit card. (PayPal is owned by eBay.)  To enable a vacationer to pay you using a credit card, you need a PayPal account.  Read their terms and conditions carefully.  I’ve heard  merchants’ claims of being “cheated” by PayPal.  For example, what happens in the case that a vacationer uses a stolen credit card?

There is a bank money order scam that goes like this:  You receive an inquiry that includes a request for the “total deposit” due or the “total payment” due, or something like that– a  how-much-should-I-send-you question.  ”Hmmm…” you should be thinking.  ”Isn’t the price listed?”  The inquiry doesn’t mention anything specific to your property.  That’s because it was mass mailed to property owners.  Odd - they didn’t ask any questions about the rental.  Just ‘how much should I send you.’

What happens next is you get a money order for some amount more than the amount you requested.  An explanation is given as to why this was done. You deposit the money order, and the vacationer requests a refund of the excess, which you’re happy to do.  Then your bank notifies you they’ve debited your account for the amount of the money order.  The money order was fake.  But you don’t receive the notification from your bank until possibly 4 weeks have gone by.  Same as a bounced check.

This is why it’s important to make sure full payment is received and deposited at least a month before check-in.  And if you receive, or are told you will receive,  a payment in excess of the amount due,  someone is attempting to scam you.  You can bank on it.

Wellfleet, like the rest of Cape Cod, experiences a huge influx of vacationers in the summer. When people think of Wellfleet (and all the other towns on the Cape), they think mostly of outdoor activities because the area has so much natural beauty. But what activities are there for after the sun has set? As it turns out, plenty.

Visit an art exhibit

Wellfleet is known for its art galleries. On some Saturday nights, new exhibits open. Check around the art galleries.

Experience live music

The Beachcomber is a restaurant and bar right on Cahoon Hollow Beach that periodically has live music performances. Duck Creeke Tavern has jazz on some nights. The Juice sometimes brings in live music acts as well.

See a play

The Wellfleet Harbor Actors Theater (W.H.A.T.) puts on shows regularly, even in the off-season.

Have a drink

Winslow’s Tavern is a classy joint that serves food and has a bar. The Bombshelter is a dimly lit “sports bar” with a pool table, fooseball table, and dartboard. It’s located below the Bookstore Restaurant and open until 1 am.

Watch a drive-in movie

The Wellfleet Drive-in is an old-fashioned drive-in movie theater that plays a double feature. (Read more about the drive-in.) There’s also a regular movie theater nearby with frequent showtimes. Or, you can rent a movie at Down Under Video.

Go stargazing

On a clear night, the sky over Cape Cod is a breathtaking sight to behold. Far from the city lights, you should be able to see constellations, planets, and stars like never before.

Cape Cod Canal Bike Trail

This fall I had the opportunity to take a day trip down to Cape Cod to bike the canal trail.  Being an avid cyclist, I couldn’t pass up the chance.

The Cape Cod Canal Bike Path is very short, about 7 miles each way, so a there-and-back trip is only 14 miles.  While on my ride I did notice some other bikers, but a majority of the people on the trail were walkers and sightseers.  With not too many moving vehicles, the bike path is well-suited for beginners.  I wouldn’t necessarily recommend this path to an experienced cyclist, but I would definitely recommend the bike way to beginners and families.

The Cape Cod Canal Bike Path is probably the most well kept bike trail I’ve ever been on.  I didn’t once see a divot or hole in the trail.  Not only is it well-maintained, but as far as bike paths go it’s easily one of the better ones for riding.  The lanes are wide the whole way– they never get narrow.  There’s plenty of room, which is one of the reasons I think this trail is perfect for families.  There are some small inclines here and there, but it’s certainly not hilly.  It’s also extremely easy to access, with large parking lots at both ends.  Although there are paths along both sides of the canal, it’s difficult (nearly impossible) to cross to the other side.

The trail was fairly empty when I went in September.  Crowded paths are one of the few things that can ruin any biking experience.  I’d expect the pathway to fill up during the summer and on the weekends, but the wide lanes should make any crowd easy to deal with.

Bridge Along the Trail

One of my favorite things about this path is that it’s completely removed from all traffic.  Not only that, but the scenery is great.  At all times you are right alongside the canal, so you can stop at any point and watch a number of ships (everything from large oil tankers to small yachts) pass through the canal.  If you complete the entire trail you’ll ride under two bridges, which are both very impressive.  At one end of the trail there’s a big jetty, and you get a great view of the ocean.  As far as visual scenery goes, this trail has it all.

I recommend this trail to anyone looking for a relaxed, family-oriented Cape Cod biking experience.