The truth about timeshare is pretty simple. When it suits you, timeshare is one of the best investments you will make to ensure fantastic vacation experiences in the best destinations in the world. On paper there are far more pros than cons to timeshares, with the biggest con being when your vacation routine just simply doesn’t suit the timeshare model, such as if you like to backpack and stay in places that are a little further off the beaten track. However, even in those cases, vacation clubs can tailor your timeshare ownership so as to allow you to swap your time share for more boutique locations.

The Pros

The advantages of timeshare are many, some financial and others experiential. The financial pros to owning a timeshare is that you will be able to afford a much more luxurious property through a timeshare scheme than paying for full ownership. You only pay for the weeks that you wish to take a vacation and are not paying for the times when your property would be empty. Another financial pro is that your vacation accommodation costs are frozen at the price when you purchase your timeshare, therefore over time you stand to save a great deal as inflation rises.

Experiential pros relate to the quality of the accommodations that you will enjoy when you purchase a timeshare. Firstly, timeshare units are much bigger than standard hotel rooms and many come equipped with kitchen facilities and living areas where you truly feel like you are in your home away from home. Secondly, timeshare gives you a sense of belonging, even if you exchange your timeshare for other destinations, there is a certainly exclusivity you receive when you arrive to a resort as a member or resident.

Timeshare companies also have great vision when selecting the destinations for their resorts and developments and so you benefit from their research and their expertise in designing first class complexes that have all the elements you need for a fantastic vacation.

The Cons

The disadvantages of timeshare occur in the case that you really cannot afford to take a vacation every year. Then buying a timeshare is not really going to benefit you unless you rent it to friends and family. However, timeshare investment is not about making big returns and is more about enjoying wonderful vacations in amazing places and therefore if you see buying a timeshares as a money making venture, you are going to be disappointed.

Many people also argue that a major downside to timeshare is that you have to visit the same place every year. This con is actually not strictly true. Timeshare ownership offers you the “choice” of visiting your unit every year for the length of your contract. You can always exchange your unit for destinations around the world and are not limited to the same resorts. On the other hand, there are those that want to return to the same resort to enjoy a sense of community with other timeshare owners who have the same week. Whether this aspect of timeshare is a con really depends on the individuals who use it.

So, on the whole, there are more pros than cons to timeshare, although it is always wise to research any investment and get to the bottom of any potential disadvantages.