What to consider before embarking on the villa rental route

Am I better off at a hotel?
Many travelers have a glamorized view of a villa vacation. But staying in a private home without the array of help you get at a hotel could mean more work. Even with a part-time housekeeper, you often need to wash dishes, do laundry, and take out the garbage. You might also need to buy not only groceries but household supplies such as dish detergent, paper towels, soap, sponges, toilet paper, and trash bags. And living in an authentic villa means taking care of it: In Provence, for instance, where a traditional home has shutters to keep it both cool and secure, you must close and fasten all of them every time you leave the house; you also need to collapse the outdoor parasols in case of a sudden mistral. When I spoke with villa owners in Italy, some complained about Americans hanging wet towels on antique bedposts and tossing them on floors, thereby damaging the wood, or failing to carry the outdoor furniture cushions into the house at day's end. Lastly, you might be asked to leave a villa "broom clean" when you vacate, which includes stripping the beds and removing all the food from the fridge.

Do I require American-style comforts?
If you decide to splurge on a staffed villa, the work disappears. What may not disappear, however, are the inconveniences that come with old homes in rural areas. Many European villas, for instance, have no air-conditioning, no window screens, no high-speed Internet, no heated pool, and a limited supply of water.

Do I have a full week?
Many villas, especially those in Europe, rent only in one-week increments, often Saturday to Saturday. Villas closer to the United States, however, may have four- or five-night minimums and allow more schedule flexibility.

What amenities do I require?
Say you're going with a group of couples. Do you need a private bathroom for each bedroom? (Standard-issue amenities in the United States—a barbecue grill, a clothes dryer, CNN, Wi-Fi—are not so standard in some countries. Ask the other members of your group to make a list of their must-haves. One person might suffer from allergies, for instance, and require a property with no animals on it.

How do I envision spending my time?
A Europe-bound group with plans to do a lot of sightseeing might want a location convenient to a railway hub, whereas one staying put might want a shaded terrace for outdoor dining.

Should I arrange for a villa with built-in staff?
In Europe, if you don't want many precious hours to be swallowed up with meal preparation, household chores, and battles with foreign appliances, you need both a cook and a housekeeper, at least part-time. The big advantage of full-time staff—especially a cook or a caretaker who lives on the property—is that it makes a house particularly warm and inviting. A majordomo who has cared for a property for years—and whose family may have served the owner's family for generations—not only makes life a lot easier but expands your window onto the culture.