Benefits and Tips for Renting a Cottage During the Winter
Winter is a wonderful time of year to rent a cottage. Imagine bundling up for a moonlit walk around a frozen lake with your loved one with the smell of campfire smoke in the air. Or wrapping yourself up in a blanket and sitting by the crackling fire with a good book and a cup of hot cocoa in hand. Sounds romantic and relaxing, right? Not only is a cottage getaway during the winter romantic and peaceful, but it is also very logical. People don’t typically prefer to vacation during the chilly holiday season, which ends up being completely in your favor! Here are just a few of the great benefits of renting a cottage during the winter:
Since people prefer to stay home with family and friends during the holiday season, this reduces the migration rate during the winter months, which provides a larger number of options of vacant cottages for you. In turn, you experience less pressure to make an early booking or to book before someone else does. In essence, these slow months make getting a winter cottage rental much easier for you.
When the renting is slow during the off-season, the cottage owners are more desperate to get their properties rented out. Since you may be the only offer they have, they are most likely ready to bargain on your terms. Therefore, you can expect some sort of discount or special offer.
December is the best time to rent a cottage, as this is when you will have the highest number of choices, the least amount of competition, and the best prices.
In order to really enjoy these benefits and your experience as a whole, you need to be prepared for everything a winter cottage can throw your way. Consider these five tips when planning your winter cottage vacation and you can be sure to have the relaxing winter getaway you’ve been dreaming of.
1. Look ahead at the forecast. Is there a snowstorm predicted for the near future? Or perhaps some extreme cold? If a snowstorm is expected around your check-in or check-out date, this may put a damper on your plans. Most places will not penalize you if you need to arrive or leave a day early or late, but it is always a good idea to call ahead to confirm just in case. If there is supposed to be extreme cold during your stay, take this into consideration when packing your supplies and belongings.
2. Consider driving conditions in cottage country. Driving conditions in cottage country can be vastly different from those in the city. While most major highways and main roads are kept relatively clear of snow and ice, many cottage country rural roads remain snow and/or ice covered for quite some time after snowfall. Therefore, it is wise to ensure that you and your vehicle are well-prepared and equipped for driving in the wintry cottage country conditions.
3. Bring appropriate supplies. There are several things to think about here. How is the cottage heated? Propane heater, electric heater, wood stove? Are there any extra charges for heating? Should you bring your own personal space heaters? Is wood provided for the wood stove, or do you need to bring wood with you? It’s also probably a good idea to bring blankets. Even if the cottage offers blankets, bring your own anyway. You can never have too many blankets during the winter.
4. Be prepared for the worst. Two of the most common worst-case scenarios include a vehicle malfunction or a power outage. In order to be well-prepared for any issues vehicle-related, be sure to have good winter tires and/or 4WD, as well as a shovel, sand or traction mats, flashlight, cellphone, blanket, and extra warm clothes in your car. In case of a power outage, be prepared with an extra source of heat, candles, flashlights with extra batteries, foods that do not need much preparing, and a cellphone or two.
5. Be aware of ice safety tips. Because there is no such thing as 100% safe ice, remember that you can’t just skate or walk on any ice-covered lake. Therefore, it is important to always keep these ice safety tips in mind:
Never walk, skate, or drive on cloudy ice - only clear, thick ice.
Ice thickness is never consistent, so it may be flat on top but not on the bottom, or thick in one area but not in another.
Snow acts as an insulator, so if there is snow on the ice, beware that it is probably warmer and weaker.
Extreme cold snaps will also weaken the ice.
Ice formed over running water (rivers and streams) is more dangerous than ice formed over standing water (lakes and ponds).
