Decorating your timeshare balcony?

So how many of you put holiday lights on your timeshare balconies when you are on vacation during the holidays? Just wondering since the balcony across the way has blinking colored lights. Should we go get some, too?

It is typically against the membership rules to do anything like that. Most timeshares forbid even leaving towels on the balcony to dry.

And you may earn the wrath of fellow owners if you did it in the Caribbean where huge fee increases the last two years are about 50% due to electricity costs skyrocketing. Even though most lights use a trivial amount of electricity.

In St. Thomas the current rate for electricity is about 27 cents per kilowatt hour. In NJ, it's roughly 9 cents. Those lucky enough to have the TVA power in Virginia and points south pay half that of NJ.

Hope Santa takes good care of everyone !!!

johnmfaeth said:

It is typically against the membership rules to do anything like that. Most timeshares forbid even leaving towels on the balcony to dry.

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Ah, good to know. I don't recall the rules specifically, but that makes perfect sense. I have enough lights at home anyhow! My MFs are high enough!

Hi Denise,

If you look at the deed section which follows the unit description it will refer to a condominium agreement(s) and then the "by laws" (or similar wording) which were recorded and it gives the recording info. By accepting the deed, they are binding upon you (as with a traditional condo purchase).

I would speculate that 98% of all owners have never read the by-laws, most are common sense, very few are ever controversial. They are typically not supplied to owners, even with developer purchases.

They usuallly go on for dozens of pages.

But this is the sort of thing they often address.

I've always wanted to get a t-shirt printed that says "I bought my unit here for $1,000 on the resale market, ask me how" to annoy the timeshare salesmen and save a few "lemmings" (their terminology) from there fates. But that would be considered advertising onsite which again violates just about every resorts by-laws.

And the manger had no electricity, you're in good company....

John

Last year I was at Villa del Mar in PV on St Patrick's Day and there were some lights as well as baners hanging from the balconies.

We head to Desert Breezes in Palm Desert every Christmas and we ALWAYS put up lights and purchase a tree. No one has ever said a word about it and in fact, they have helped us dispose of the tree.

Of all of the timeshares that we have been, and own, not one management company/resort manager has said anything regarding decorations, usually during holidays.

What "gripes" me, however, is people hanging towels; bathing suits; other "inappropriate" articles on the balconys/railings. Makes the resort look cheap and trashy !!!

Tony

Perhaps I was misunderstood,

I merely pointed out that it is against the rules of most HOA's and the sensativities to electric bills that now exists in the Caribbean.

Can one do it and get away with it, most likely yes, especially if no one complains.

The fact remains, if you read your HOA's by-laws it is most likely against the rules.

I am a proponent of Christmas lights, the wife even bought a $20 zapper thing which identifies bad bubs in a string of lights. We own about 7,000 bulbs worth in total.

I hope Santa is good to everyone!!!

Oh, good...I hope Villas of Sedona isn't going to be Grinchy. We're taking a pre-lit tree & decorations with us, but doubt if we'll take outdoor lights.
Merry, Happy Christmas to all, and may the new year find us all in good health and bring many wonderful surprises. Jean

johnm - were did your wife buy that bulb thing?

teepeeca said:

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What "gripes" me, however, is people hanging towels; bathing suits; other "inappropriate" articles on the balconys/railings. Makes the resort look cheap and trashy !!!

Tony

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Check with the front desk. It is not unusual for that to be against regulations (for just the reason that you mention).

Hey Moosey,

She bought it at one of the discount drug chains. She hits them all during and after the holidays and buys tons of Christmas stuff when it goes on 50-75% off sale.

I have seen them in several of the local stores.

There's one up on EBay now, item #140066352547 if you want to see what it looks like.

Because the seller is in NJ (my state) I will add - I have no interest in or way to gain on this auction.

Her latest count is 7,000 bulbs deployed INSIDE. She just bought some bulb "nets" for the bushes outside - of course during a big "sale". Total is now over 8,000 bulbs.

Hope Santa is real good to everyone and remember the troops overseas who will not be home for the holidays.

We take one of those spiral lighted trees that fold pretty flat. It never occured to me that it might be against the rules and nothing was ever said about it.

Our new Winnie the Pooh tree that I bought after Christmas last year was sort of a bust for indoors. It wasn't nearly as cute as it looked on the box.

Sheila

Well as we are spending Christmas week at the Marriott Grand Chateau, we do not have a balcony but we do have floor to ceiling windows. We called ahead to ask about decorating our three bedroom unit and they said by all means!

As owners we have enough common sense and respect not to use anything that would mar the walls or furniture. We draped garland around the pics, filled the decorative bowls in the entry way with tons of colored gift bows and ornaments and we have two beautifully lit Christmas Trees that can be seen from the strip! We are very conservative with all utilities during our stays and the little bit of electricity that these two trees take is easily offset by the other electrical items that we do not utilize in our unit.

We saw a few beautiful wreaths hanging on hangers on other owner' s doors and really liked it! We bought some really cute inexpensive decorations to bring up and will donate them to a good cause. Our daughter has made some great cards and Christmas crafts in the childrens' activity room that add to the Christmas magic!

We were at Marriott OP a couple years ago during the holiday and asked the desk if we could put up lights on the railing and they said there is no rule against it.