Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Timesharing, But Were Afraid to Attend a Sales Presentation to Ask

Part Two: Your Timeshare IQ

Relax. This is not a test. The “IQ” here stands for Interest Query. Using your answers to the questions in the Timeshare IQ helps to create a profile of your vacation lifestyle.  Once you know your vacation profile, you can begin to narrow down the thousands of timeshares on the market to the ones that are right for you.

Knowing your must-haves and your I-can-do-withouts in each category will bring your ideal timeshare into focus quickly. If you plan to buy soon why not print this article and take some time to answer on paper. Giving these questions some thought will help you make the right timeshare decision for your vacation needs today and into the future.  Keep your answers and save them for the upcoming lessons.

1. How many people will accompany you on your vacation most years? How many need their  own bedroom? How many can share a bedroom? Can any of them sleep on a sofa bed?

2. Do you want to be able to cook meals in the unit, or will you eat most of your meals out?

3. Do you want a timeshare within driving distance? Close to home would save on airfare and car rental, but farther from home might feel more like a vacation.

4. What location do you prefer? Is there a particular spot that says paradise to you that you want to travel to every year, or do you prefer to experience new resorts each year?

5. Do you want a large, busy resort, or a small, quiet one? Do you prefer vacations that put you in the middle of the action, or that take you away from it all?

6. What on-site amenities are important to you? For instance, do you want golf, beaches, ski-in/ski-out right on the property, or can you drive a short distance to these? Other on-site amenities include lakes, rivers, pools, spas, hot tubs, tennis courts, daycare, restaurants, and more.

7. What destination activities do you enjoy? Theme parks, water sports, snow sports, sightseeing, hiking, biking, etc.?

8. Are you content to spend the majority of your vacation right on the resort property, or would you rather use the resort as a  base camp  to return to after taking in the sights and activities the surrounding area has to offer?

9. Do you plan on using your timeshare every year?

10. Are your travel dates flexible or do you want to visit your timeshare the same time every year?

11. If you plan on using your timeshare the same time every year, what time of year will that most likely be?

12. What is your budget for your initial timeshare purchase? Do you plan to finance your timeshare? How much are you willing to spend on annual maintenance fees? (See more information on maintenance fees below)

13. How will upcoming life events impact your travel habits? (Weddings, births in the family, family reunions, retirement, empty nest, grandkids, etc.)

14. What is your most memorable vacation? Why?

A Note About Maintenance Fees

What does the annual maintenance fee pay for? Maintenance fees are assessed by your timeshare to cover upkeep, billing, and replacement costs. As a guideline, the larger your unit and the more amenities your resort offers, the higher your maintenance fee. Depending on the resort and your season of use, maintenance fees can range from under $300 for a studio unit to over $1200 for a 3-bedroom lock-off.

While some resorts do not charge the fee unless (or until) you use your week, most resorts do charge the maintenance fee on an annual basis. Also, it is important to note that members who exchange their timeshare for another resort pay the maintenance fee of their home resort, not the resort they are visiting.

Check back next week for Part 3 when we’ll discuss using your timeshare IQ to create ‘cheat sheets’ – Your passport to adventure!

–Gillian Armstrong

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