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Frequently asked Questions
Why should I book with you?
A lot of people still book their holiday
villa through a traditional travel agent. Quite often, you get your
villa allocated upon arrival with no specifics as to the property you
will be occupying and on which development it will be situated. Booking
directly with us the owners means you avoid this inconvenience and
worry. You are able to ask us as many questions you need to beforehand,
you can see the pictures on our website and know exactly what you are
paying for and you have a professional 24 hour management company on
call during your stay.
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Is the house better
value than a hotel?
The rate for our home is for the whole
villa, not per person. In addition to the well equipped bedrooms and
bathrooms, you have the luxury of a lounge, your own very well equipped
kitchen, your own pool, relaxing pool deck and a garage. We
have got a variety
of games, books,
videos and DVDs in the home, together with interesting visitor
information. We have also produced an in depth "Welcome Book" to
inform you about everything you need to know about our Florida home. It
includes general information about the area as well as important
telephone numbers and information on how to operate the various
electrical equipment including TVs, DVDs and Videos.
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Can I discuss this with
someone?
We would be more
than happy to discuss any aspect of your holiday with you. We are very
familiar with Orlando, Central and Southern Florida we can give advice
on practically anything you need to know.
All you need to do is call us on (011 44) 01788 860498, or you can just
email us.
(peter@southerdunesorlandovilla.com)
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Are there any hidden extras to the prices quoted on the Rates page?
No, the prices
quoted are the prices you pay. The only optional additional charge is
for pool heating which we would be happy to arrange for you in advance
(please see our
rates page
for further details) and for cleaning
should you stay with us for less than 7 days.
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What if I need more than
one villa?
Please contact us,
friends of ours are also villa owners on the Southern Dunes community
and we would be more than happy to arrange a further villa should you
require one.
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There are a lot of
villa choices, why yours?
Because ours is
just lovely and great value... No jokes aside, our villa is set on a
lovely complete country club site, there is no building work being done, in-fact you have
a great view over the 2nd fairway of the Southern Dunes Golf course!
We are constantly changing and improving our villa to ensure it is kept
to the highest standard possible.
Make sure you regularly check the villa photos
page.
Additionally our Florida home is a two storey, 4 bedroom, 3 bath
property with all the amenities you require to ensure you have the
luxury you deserve during your stay with us.
Our costs are for our villa that is kept to a very high standard with
everything you could require for a fantastic holiday at a reasonable and
sensible cost.
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Is the Villa cleaned?
The villa is
professionally cleaned by our management company ready for when you
arrive. There is no cleaning service during your stay (although we would
be happy to arrange that for you at an extra cost [£46/US$85.00 per clean -
please contact us] but the villa will be cleaned once you have departed,
ready for our next guests.
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Is there a
security deposit ?
A refundable security deposit of US$250.00 / £150.00
must be paid at the time of final payment (8 weeks prior to your arrival
date). This deposit will be refunded to the original form of payment
within 2 weeks of your departure, providing there has been no
reported damage or loss to the property or its contents and all keys
have been returned to either the property management or the lock box as
instructed. We reserve the right to retain the security deposit (either
in part or in full) to cover breakages/losses or damage to the property
or its contents as deemed necessary. Please ensure to report any damages
upon arrival to our management company. Any breakages or losses not
reported may be charged. If a key is lost the costs of replacing all
the house locks and keys will be charged.
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Does the villa have a phone?
Yes, you can make free
local calls.
For long distance- and international calls we personally recommend that
you buy one of the pre-paid phone card at Wal-Mart around the corner
(approx. rates = US$ 5 for a 1 hour call to Europe). You do not have to
be out of touch either. We will give you the villas phone number so that
your friends and family can call you during your stay.
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Do you accept smokers in
the villa?
We would kindly ask
you not to smoke inside the house. We have provided ashtrays for use on
the pool deck and are happy for you to smoke outdoors.
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Do you allow pets in the home?
Sorry, we do not allow pets in our house.
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Is the Pool heated?
The pool can be heated
for an optional / nominal charge, however this is generally not required
between March and October.
Prices are: £80/ US$148 per week.
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Is the Pool being cleaned?
Yes, of course. The
pool and all the filters are being cleaned and serviced every week by a
professional pool cleaning company. They will make sure that the hygiene
standards are never compromised.
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Are
there shops, restaurants and other conveniences nearby?
Yes, very nearby
in fact. A large selection of stores are available just outside the
gated community of Southern Dunes and include a 24h
Wal-Mart,
Winn Dixie,
McDonalds,
Burger King,
KFC,
Walgreen's,
CVS,
Dominos Pizza,
Pizza Hut
etc.
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How easy is it to drive in
Florida?
Floridian roads are not too congested, compared to major cities.
Obviously for some countries, the driver has to remember the cars are
left hand drive. In Florida, unless stated, you may turn right at a red
traffic light providing it is safe to do so and that you came to a full
stop before proceeding.
Headlights must be turned on during rain or reduced visibility.
You are required to 'Stop' if a school bus stops, even if you are on the
other side of the road. It is illegal to overtake a school bus when it
is stopped for loading or unloading of passengers. You should remain
stationary until all the children are clear of the road and the bus
moves off. When entering a school district watch out for reduced speed
signs.
You may be required to pay in advance before filling up your car at most
petrol stations.
If the police stop you for any reason you must stay in your vehicle
until the officer comes to you. Do not attempt to get out of the car.
You must have both your driving license and rental agreement with you.
Failure can result in a fine.
You must report any accidents to the local police. You must not leave
the scene of an accident. You must ask for a copy of the report for
your car rental company.
Never drink and drive. It is illegal in the State of Florida to visibly
carry alcohol or to have an opened container of alcohol in the vehicle.
For more information on the Florida Highway Code please click on
www.hsmv.state.fl.us .
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What
is provided in the homes - what do I need to bring?
Our home is completely furnished and equipped with bed linen and
bathroom towels and there is a washer and dryer (including iron and ironing
board) in the villa for you to attend to any laundry, should you wish to
do so. All kitchen utensils including cups, plates, glasses (including
plastic versions for use outside by the pool), cutlery, pots, pans and bakeware and of course a dishwasher. There is also a hairdryer in each
of the bathrooms as well as an alarm-clock in each of the bedrooms. In
fact we have tried to include as much as possible to make your stay as
enjoyable as possible - home from home. The house will have a basic
supply of guest soap and toilet paper on your arrival.
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Is the
Villa far from the main Orlando attractions?
No, Our Florida
home is situated on the US-27, about 15 minutes from the Disney theme
parks and 20 minutes from International Drive, Universal Studios and
Sea World, depending on the traffic and there are several routes to
choose from. Please see our
location page
to find out where our home is located. Another useful tool is
MSN Maps. Please note, that our villa's ZIP
code is 33844.
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How do I get the keys for
the Villa?
Once the booking has
been confirmed and the full balance has been paid we will send you
instructions on how to get the keys and directions to the villa from
your arrival airport. The key will be deposited in a lockbox next to the
door on the day of your arrival. As we change the combination of the box
after each guest has departed we will let you know YOUR combination a
few days before your arrival.
Should you require to code earlier than a few days in advance, please
let us know.
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How safe will our money be?
A concern some guests have is "how safe
will our money be when we are sending it to someone we have never met".
Rest assured, we are very trustworthy people who are approachable
and reliable. Think of it
this way: "We trust you with our dream home - and we may never have
met".
Should you require proof of ownership of the villa, we will gladly
provide you with that.
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