Back in 2000, I took a trip with a friend who had been invited up to Avon, Colorado to see a new project by Sheraton. Set at the base of Beaver Creek, Avon is a simple town. Of course, it’s hard to compete when your neighbors are Vail and Beaver Creek. Actually, Beaver Creek and Avon are really one town with a big security gate dividing the two. Long story short, she didn’t buy into the property, I did. I moved to Texas a few years later and continued my journey up making a big road trip from Texas to Colorado.
For years I really got great use out of my timeshare property. Every August during the week before Labor Day, I took off to enjoy the mountains, do a bit of hiking, and just relax. I’ve always been a big mountain fan whether they be the Rockies, the Andes in Bariloche or traveling to Torres Del Paine in Patagonia, twice. I loved that time period at the end of summer. The weather was great, there weren’t too many tourists around. I felt like I had the whole place to myself (almost). But, there was just enough activity to keep things interesting, unlike my no-season trip to the area last October.
But, then my career break came and I wasn’t really sure what to do. Do I keep it? Do I sell it? Do I use my exchange company to access some great resorts around the world? Since then, I’ve discovered a number of options. And, depending on what fits your circumstance, you have options. So, here you go.
Options to Manage Your Timeshare on Your Career Break
- Sell. If you really just want out, don’t want to deal with your annual dues, how to pay them, etc, you always have the option to sell.
- Use the exchange services. In Colombia, my mom came to visit. So, I took the opportunity to fly to San Andres to spend a week hanging out. I also made plans to use a banked week in Hurghada, Egypt. We changed our plans and went on a felucca ride up the Nile. So, I lost a bit of money (and my banked week) as a result. But, I don’t regret. If your timeshare is affiliated with RCI or II, there are lots of places around the world you can check out. Keep in mind that local demand and vacation times may restrict your ability to find a place. So, you don’t have to sell your timeshare and you can still benefit from the ownership while you’re traveling.
- Rent your week. Timeshare rental has become more and more popular over the past few years allowing the owner to recoup their maintenance fees and still keep the property for future years. I’m actually trying to figure right now if I’m going to do it this year.
By the way, if you want to buy a timeshare, check out my place in Colorado.
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This post was made possible by Sell My Timeshare Now. It’s also the service I’m using to try to sell my own timeshare. As always, opinions are my own.
Tags: travel advice
Keep us posted on the timeshare sale! A follow up post after the sale of your timeshare with the following information would be great: Did any timeshare resale companies try to contact you? Did you get your asking price for your timeshare? How hard was the entire process to sell?