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| A glowing nighttime photo of the Devon, England property we rented. We booked this house from September 20, 2019, to October 11, 2019, for three weeks. The total cost, including fees and taxes, is Euro 2102.55, US $2348.95, which averages Euro 101.12, US $111.85. We felt this property is reasonably priced, fitting well into our budget. |
“F Full details may be found here. fascinating Fact of the Day About Ireland.”
When we asked friends Linda and Ken for a great place to stay in England, their home country, they suggested Devon. After searching online for several hours, we couldn’t find anything suitable for our needs and budget.
A few days later, on Saturday, we decided to try the search for Devon one more time. Whether the house suddenly became available for our dates or missed it the first time we searched was of little relevance.
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| We may not use the pool due to the cool weather in England in October. |
What mattered to us is that we found it and, after reading through all the details at this link, we went ahead and booked it. Summer is short in England, with inclement weather on both ends. Based on September/October dates as listed above under the main photo, we are thrilled.
This was a tie with another property we found to be ideal is listed in yesterday’s post, as you can see from those photos. The two properties are only 90 minutes apart but possess the opportunity to see entirely different villages and sightseeing venues in each area.
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| The comfortable living room/lounge. |
Of course, both properties are situated on farmland, and each has several adorable animals in residence. It always was a dream of mine to stay in the English countryside and here, once again, a travel dream will be fulfilled.
With these short-term bookings, we didn’t ask for special pricing. We don’t hesitate to make offers on properties where we’ll stay for two or three months. Over the past years, we’ve been able to negotiate some excellent prices on our long-term rentals.
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| The kitchen looks perfect for our needs. |
But, the owners of short-term rentals from one to three weeks aren’t willing to negotiate when they’ve learned that if they wait, they’ll eventually rent their property for their preferred listed prices during their busy season.
How does the cost compare when renting these four properties and the hotel near the port for the two nights in Southampton? Due to the above without discounts, we’ve been able to stay within the parameters of our monthly budget.
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| What an adorable Poll Dorset lamb on the property! |
The total cost for the four rentals, including the two nights at the hotel (for which we used some accrued points from our account at Expedia.com), is Euro 7412.68, US $8381.40 for the 62 nights averaging Euro 121.00, US $135.18 per night.
Add in the cost of the rental cars (pricy in Europe) plus groceries, dining out, and sightseeing. We’re still within the bounds of our monthly budget. It was through careful research and planning we arrived at these numbers and conclusions.
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| More Poll Dorset sheep on the farm. |
The last property, booked for 11 nights, is the least expensive of the four but appears to be surprisingly lovely considering the low price. Tomorrow, we’ll share those photos and financial details.
We’re counting down the days until our friends Lisa and Barry visit on Thursday for the day and evening.
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| Geese on a walk on the grounds. |
Happy day!
Photo from one year ago today, June 3, 2018:
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| While at the fence between Kruger National Park and Marloth Park, we counted 30 to 35 elephants. For more photos, please click here. |