For some families looking to invest in property and save on vacation costs, the two ideas merge, resulting in an investment in a vacation rental property or opening the family home to travellers. While it may seem a way to experience the best of both worlds, owners must look beyond their personal preferences and consider how the property will be seen by others if they hope to make a successful investment.

In an article in the The Sydney Morning Herald, Justin Butterworth — a manager at online holiday accommodation site Stayz — notes that properties that achieve the best results “reflect the character of the area.” Properties situated near population centres are more attractive and easier to rent because they are close to a greater number of people and convenient to public transportation hubs.

Buyers need to prepare to fund more than the cost of the property. Owners may have to engage someone to manage, clean and maintain their rental. Those planning to use their permanent home as an occasional rental property have to plan for alternative accommodations and may need to store some of their belongings for privacy, safety and order. On the plus side, family members can also enjoy any upgrades or added features that enhance the attractiveness of the property.

Travellers planning to visit the UK for the 2012 Olympics are being warned to watch out for holiday property rental scams. Such swindles are becoming more problematic in many countries, but the upcoming games have made London a target. And in a January 2012 article by the UK Press Association, Laurence Hicks of CLC Leisure warns the sophistication of the scams is increasing.

Con men have had time to develop these schemes to defraud tourists. Back in July of 2011, The Telegraph reported that, in some cases, fraudsters were copying details from estate-agency websites to use in creating bogus online advertisements. Complicating matters for those travellers trying to sort the real offers from the fake, many online thieves include genuine photos and addresses of London rental properties and the names of legitimate businesses offering them for rent, accompanied by an email address or phone number that directs potential renters to the criminals for payment arrangements.

The new Facebook app Property Place promises to eliminate the middleman as it brings together prospective renters and UK holiday rental property owners. The app allows users to search by post code or city for properties to buy or rent, then narrow the search by selecting from options such as price range, number of bedrooms, property type or feature. Next to the display, a map marks the property’s location, and users can save their searches, view photos, share properties of interest with friends, post comments and arrange for viewing. Property owners can upload properties to sell, to let or for room share. With properties listed by both agents and individuals/private sellers, Property Place already lists over half a million properties within the UK, even before the anticipated live launch expected to take place by February 2012.

While the app has the potential to save users time and money, it links their Facebook account information to the deal. According to Neil Faulkner’s article, landlords and tenants would have a new way to get to check each other out before entering into an arrangement; however, not everyone looking for a property will appreciate the blurring of the boundaries between business and personal. There exists the potential for abuse by both parties, users may feel the need to censor the content of their Facebook accounts, and the app could provide scammers a new marketplace to exploit.

Owners of New York holiday rentals face a bleak season as the world welcomes in 2012. New England is experiencing a winter the first half of which passed nearly devoid of snow. There is a chance that not all is lost for property owners dependent upon the weather for seasonal income; however, with the second half of winter still to come, in some parts of New York state, snowfall levels rank among the lightest on record, according to a January article by the Associated Press.

Tourists who flock to the area during winter months often come for cold weather sports or scenic views of snow-covered landscapes. The lack of snow won’t keep hardcore enthusiasts from traveling to pursue winter sports, but it will keep “weekend warriors” from making trips if the conditions aren’t worthy, notes the Associated Press. Inadequate snowfall not only affects winter sports, but summer recreation that depends on meltwater, so the financial pain may not end once temperatures warm.

AAA expects the 2011 winter holiday season to see “the second-most holiday travelers in the past 10 years,” according to an article by Keith Clines of The Huntsville Times. Growth in the fourth quarter of the U.S. economy is suggested to be the primary driving force behind the increase, but there still exists a near 50/50 split between those who see improvement in their situations or claim the economy has no influence on their plans to travel and those who must cut back on travel plans and expenses.

For those planning to travel during the 11-day period between December 23 and January 2, the greatest expense may be the travel itself. Airfare averages are at a five-year high, and gas prices have increased by 28 cents per gallon over last year’s. The cost of filling up may add up to a significant travel expense, as AAA estimates 91 percent of those traveling this holiday period will drive. However, those on holiday can expect to save an average of 21 percent on car rentals, and while hotel room costs have increased, the increase has been minimal, according to AAA.

Tourists are looking for more options than simple beach-centered vacations in 2012, according to a December article featured on the A Place in the Sun website, focused on the results of a report by Campaya, which urges holiday rental owners to design and market their properties toward “niche-minded” vacationers.

This means that travelers can not only expect to see their options increase in the coming year, they can expect to get more from their travel dollars as owners work to add value to their holiday rental properties. In addition to upgraded furnishings and extras within accommodations, travellers will find more opportunities for cultural immersion and better information on local attractions, events and history, making their vacations more memorable and varied experiences.

Tourism in general seems to be trending toward an ideal that will benefit tourists, local communities and the environment. This form of tourism, called sustainable tourism, embraces aspects of green, eco and rural tourism and encompasses adventure, rural, recreational and sport, nature, educational, religious and cultural tourism. Many vacation destinations blur the distinctions between these categories, covering a range of  tourism forms. For example, a holiday rentals in Brittany, France, places travelers in a location where opportunities for adventure, sport, nature, historical and cultural experience (and more) coexist.

Destinations that offer flexible planning, multiple activities and entertainment options and the chance for personal involvement have a far greater chance of attracting diverse groups of travelers and families made up of members with varying interests. Travelers are set to gain when taking advantage of holiday rentals that cater to special interest travel, as these types of lodgings offer the potential to please each individual, rather than providing a generic vacation experience.

Resourceful Britons have discovered a way to not only save on their vacations, but generate additional income. According to a December 2011 article in the (Daily) Mail Online, the staycation trend “led to a boom in buyers of second homes in the UK,” meaning that more Brits own holiday homes now than before the economy took a turn for the worse. Additionally, companies dealing in UK holiday rentals saw approximately a 30 to 40 percent increase in demand as British vacationers planned to stay in their home country for their main holiday of 2011.

Staying closer to home means holiday makers can save on the cost of travel, the expense of accommodations and the price of meals. Domestic getaways also give travelers greater flexibility, enabling them to take advantage of spontaneous breaks and weekend trips in addition to major vacations. If owners of British holiday rental properties choose to head abroad for their vacations in 2012 and beyond, other Brits and visitors to the UK may benefit from the increase in available self catering and vacation rental property options.

The Rental Property Market Trends 2011 report, produced by the holiday rental company Campaya, is the topic of a recent article by The Olive Press highlighting changes in demand that will influence both travelers and self-catering and vacation rental property owners.

The report shows that travelers are growing increasingly more demanding when it comes to their lodging, and The Olive Press warns that owners may be forced to spend more to attract customers while earning the same amount in rental fees as they were charging before the improvements. The trend is a win for travelers, who can expect to get more for their money as property owners compete for their patronage.

Among the emerging trends noted in the report is the increase in cultural- and activity-based holidays over beach holidays. This change is fueling a greater demand for luxury over function, as travelers look for an enhanced home-away-from-home experience, planning to spend more time at their holiday rental, dining and entertaining in to save money.

Guests now seek accommodations that combine comfort, ease of use and a unique decor. As The Olive Press cautions owners of Spanish holiday rental properties, ‘off the shelf’ furnishings will not be enough to attract renters in the current market. The top five must-have features of a holiday rental: internet service, satellite television, a pool, quality bedding, and all-around comfort. Renters want amenities such as heating and air conditioning, a washing machine, a dishwasher, and a barbecue, along with luxury items such as flat-screen televisions, game consoles, office facilities, and upgraded linens and kitchen appliances.

Campaya drew its data from a combination of information collected in its own databases and analysis of trend information from online resources. Details within the company’s report not only help travelers find a good match for their vacation rental, but help owners better market their properties.

Rather than giving up their yearly holidays during the down economy, travelers are looking to save on expenses by booking private holiday rental accommodations, according to a story on the PropertyWire website that expands upon research by WhereToSleep.co.uk.

The price of the average holiday rental provides travelers a significant savings — 35 to 65 percent — and those headed to popular tourist destinations where hotels may charge premium rates can experience some of the greatest savings. Cost is one of the most important factors in choosing a vacation accommodation, far outscoring even cleanliness in an independent survey.

Holiday rentals provide travelers a different perspective on their vacation destination, with experiences ranging from  immersion in the local culture to privacy and exclusive use of amenities. Visiting tourists will find such lodging options available across Europe, in North America and Australia. Travelers are not the only ones seeing a benefit from such arrangements. Homeowners find offering their properties for rent a viable source of additional income.

Vacation property fraud is on the rise as the number of self catering rentals opportunities expands along with the travel market, creating more chances for fraudsters to take advantage of unwary travelers, according to a recent story created by the television show Fast Track and highlighted on the BBC website. The programme warns that, while it is increasingly popular for travelers to arrange their own holiday rentals, this part of the industry remains “totally unregulated.”

In some cases, the properties don’t exist. In others, the property is real, but the agent is not legitimate. And fraud is not always easy to detect. Some travelers booking online not only spoke to an agent, they signed contracts. According to Fast Track, police warn these scams are a growing problem for people booking their own vacation rentals. Even Washington Post journalist Brigid Schulte was nearly swept into a scam after being pressured to act quickly to secure an accommodation.

The non-profit organization Prevention of Fraud in Travel suggests consumers share information on scams to fight this type of fraud. Websites promoting travel accommodations should apply greater scrutiny regarding ads on their sites; however, the methods used to check the legitimacy of the rentals in these ads — indeed, the decision whether to investigate them at all — are up to the individual sites, according to Fast Track. Some sites do act on behalf of consumers, but the protections they offer vary. While “some websites rigorously vet those who take out ads, others act as financial middlemen,” notes Fast Track. For example, some sites offer to hold funds for travelers until the successful completion of a holiday rental has taken place.

Consumers must still act as the primary watchdogs to protect themselves and their vacation experiences. Holiday rental scams typically depend on situations where travelers pay the owner directly, so travelers should beware of situations where they are required to pay in advance for properties. Travelers should also have second thoughts if an agent or owner pressures them to send money or insists they wire money. James Marchant of VillaRenters.com suggests that a property priced under the market or suddenly discounted should set off alarm bells for consumers.

Travelers should apply the same level of care to holiday planning as they would to any other Internet transaction. As always, if it looks too good to be true, it probably isn’t. An extra measure of caution may prevent a costly, upsetting experience and a spoiled vacation.