Betty1

Our family of 17 (11 adults, 5 teens, 1 baby) was hoping to get together after Christmas for a few days, preferably somewhere near Charleston. People would be coming from upstate SC, GA, MS and MI. We would need at least 6 bedrooms, including a multi-bed room for the teenagers.

We have looked at many of the realtor websites and are finding two problems: most, if not all, require a full week's rental and prices are high for this period. We had been hoping, perhaps unrealistically, for off-season rates.

We don't need anything fancy, don't need a pool and don't need to be on the beach, since it probably won't be "beach weather" anyway.

Any ideas?

dmlove

Have you checked vrbo.com. There's only 1 listing large enough in Charleston itself, but the beach areas nearby (Edisto, Folly Beach) have several.

Betty1

Yes, we have emailed several owners of houses posted on VRBO. I should have said that. Same problems there - a week's rental required and higher prices for a "holiday period." We had hoped to rent for 3 nights for about $1000-$1500 total. Maybe we need to up our budget? But thanks for the suggestion, dmlove.

Betty1

Anyone else? Thanks.

kathleen

Have you tried Island Realty? Never used them, but have friends who did and were satisfied.

BetsyinKY

I was going to suggest Island Realty, as well. We've used them three times in the past year and been very pleased each time. I do think you might want to up your budget, though. Prices do drop dramatically around mid-October, but a house as large as you will need will still be expensive. You might see if it would be cheaper to rent two smaller houses that are close to each other, rather than one large house.

Betty1

Thanks, Kathleen and Betsy. Yes, we have tried Island Realty online. It appears that they only book full weeks around Christmas and New Years. Maybe if we gave them a call, they could suggest something else. I suspect that some of these owners are holding out for a full week's rental but would take a shorter rental closer to that time if they can't rent for a full week. (One owner was honest enough to say that!) But I don't think we can wait that long to book something if we really want to do this. I really doubt that two houses close together would be cheaper, but who knows? Thanks for taking the time to respond.

dsgmi

You might look at Folly Beach and Edisto. Sevewral show a 2 night minimum. I don't know if this applies during Christmas. There are several places there that could accomodate your group, but probably not with a 'bunk room' for the teens.

You also might do several condos right near one another on Kiawah or Seabrook. This might be good for the infant, as they could be in a 'quieter' place away from the teens at night.

Betty1

Thanks, asgmi. We have found a few places that would suit and two of them are handled by Edisto Realty. http://www.edistorealty.com/rentals/
One (Tracey Lee) is a newer place that would be a bit of a squeeze. The other is one of the oldest homes on the island that has several units (Ocean Villa #1-#5). To have more room we are thinking of renting two of these units. A third place on Edisto, advertised on VRBO (#79038), would also work but there are very few pictures. The owner says he has no more, but that he has "had no complaints." I hesitate to take his word for that!

I'd love to hear from anyone who has rented any of these or had dealings, positive or negative, with Edisto Realty. Or any general thoughts about staying on Edisto at this time of year.

Thanks again.

dsgmi

Betty,
You might also check 63 Persimmon Court at Kiawah through GreatBeach.com. It looks like the house could accomodate you and that it would run about $1500 for the 27 through 30 of Dec, as an example (if they'll do less than a week at Christmas). It's toward the marsh side of the island as opposed to the ocean side, but there is a beach parking lot that you could drive to and then have just a short walk to the beach. It's near the Marsh Observation Tower. Kiawah is about a 45 minute drive to Charleston; it is closer than Edisto. Seabrook runs about the same drive as Kiawah. You could get possibly 2 larger condos next door or near to one another on either island. There's horseback riding on Seabrook (on the beach), which might be fun when it's cooler. I think when you'e staying on Seabrook, you can eat at the club, but someone more familiar with Seabrook might have to chime in.

This summer we went over to Edisto - where I had never gone in 30 years of visiting Kiawah. It has this throwback beach community vibe. The front row of houses is literally on the beach. I'm sure the view from their porches is amazing.

Betty1

Thanks again,dsgmi. (Sorry I got your name wrong before!) That one is also on our short list. One drawback there is that they only permit 4 cars, though they might waive that in December? Otherwise it looks pretty good.

dove

Just as a point of interest, Kiawah was named the top family resort in the country this week by Travel and Leisure. I mention this because most people seem to think this is a GOLF resort with a capital G. There really is a lot more to do there than play golf.

Check the resort's website for Christmas and NY's activities. Many things to do; also the relatively new Freshfields shopping center has made life on Kiawah ever so much easier. Wonderful grocery store with great prepared foods.

Edito will be beyond quiet over Christmas. Nearly desserted and no activities.

Betty1

Just wanted to come back to say that we rented this house on the Isle of Palms at 304 Charleston Blvd. http://www.vrbo.com/49454 also shown on cyberrentals.com #127766. Although it is managed by Island Realty we rented through the owner. He was very responsive to questions and easy to deal with.

We loved this house. Although 4 of our 17 had to cancel at the last minute, the house was large enough to sleep 17+. It is beautifully furnished and decorated and within an easy walk to the beach. We were fortunate enough to have sunny warm weather on December 29-30 and enjoyed walking on the beach. We also enjoyed walking all over Charleston, going to James Island and Magnolia cemetery.

Thanks again for your thoughts & suggestions. I'd be happy to answer any questions.

mouseRD

Glad you had such a great time, betty1! I just spoke to someone else that had a great experience renting a house on Kiawah Island through Resortquest for a girl's weekend that was very reasonably priced this time of year. I'm not sure it slept 17, but it was 5 or 6 BR with 2 master suites, 2 dens, etc. Also, one of my friend's niece was married at Boone Plantation in Mt Pleasant in October & his family rented 3 or 4 houses in IOP & really enjoyed themselves! We visited him & some of his family one day & thought the house was lovely.