In the current cost conscious times there are some great ways of saving money and still having a great family holiday. Booking direct with the owner is one such way as you cut out much of the middleman costs and will often get great local information on your destination which can be a godsend for families.

Do though still ask all the right questions and do your research and for some help on this have a look at out family friendly guide to choosing a self catering property.

An Irish company who have great international reach as well, Holiday Homes Direct advertise a wide selection of privately owned holiday properties to rent directly from the owners. They offer holiday homes in over 35 countries including Ireland, France, Portugal, Spain and Italy.

Self-catering properties are an obvious choice for many families choosing their holidays due to the extra space and facilities they provide. As the holiday homes and villas advertised on Holiday Homes Direct are privately owned, they are used by the owners themselves for their holidays and they tend to provide a more comfortable home away from home experience. Many of these holiday homes include extras like board games, books and toys for kids which can save families having to bring the ‘kitchen sink on their holiday’.

When you are dealing with a travel agent you can be placed in one of several apartments or holiday villas in a complex. Booking your holiday with the owner’s direct gives you the comfort of picking the exact property you are going to be staying in and the facilities that the property has. So often with holidays, you waste the first few days finding out exactly where everything is, which restaurants are family friendly or where the best beaches are. The owners obviously have a vast knowledge of the property and the area which they can pass onto holidaymakers saving you lots of hard work!

The other main benefit about booking a holiday with the owners direct is that you can save a lot of money! On average the prices are 40% cheaper than if you book through a travel agent or holiday rental company. The owners are able to keep their costs low because they are handling the reservations themselves and they don’t have to pay large commissions. In addition to this, the low cost airlines have opened up a lot of markets that traditionally would have been expensive and difficult to get to without booking a package holiday. In addition to this, many owners will introduce special offers when the owners have last minute availability.