Florida Villa With Private Pool
Benefits of renting a Florida villa with a pool
Potential visitors to Florida are often torn between renting a villa with a private pool and staying in a hotel or motel.
When you compare the space in a Florida villa with the average hotel or motel room, there is no contest.
Our Florida Villa by the Lake is all on one level with 1,900 square foot of interior space including four bedrooms, two living rooms and its own private pool overlooking a beautiful lake.
Before purchasing our villa we always rented a villa with a private pool when visiting Florida and one year we decided not to bother with a pool. We regretted it immediately. Even if you spend all day at the theme parks, nothing beats coming back to your own private pool at the end of the day.
If you have a Florida villa with its own pool, you have privacy and plenty of space to relax and enjoy alfresco living at its best.
Having stayed in a villa on Eagle Pointe a couple of times with a lake view, we knew that when we bought our own Florida villa, it would also have to have a lake view.
As luck would have it, Florida Villa by the Lake came onto the market when we were in Florida looking for a rental property to buy.
Another benefit of a private pool is you always have somewhere to sit, there is no need to worry about having to get up early to reserve yourself a seat by the pool!
Not all hotel resort pools are heated and during the winter months the water may be too cold to swim. Those pools that are heated generally are only heated to 82 degrees F (28 degrees C) whereas we heat our pool to a very comfortable 86 degrees F (30 degrees C).
About our Private Pool
The pool at Florida Villa by the Lake is one of the largest on the Eagle Pointe community. It measures 28 feet (8.5 metres) by 14 feet (4.3 metres) at its widest points.
It is 3 feet (0.9 metres) deep at the shallow end and 5 feet (1.5 m) at the deep end.
We had the surface of the pool relined in 2016 with a beautiful turquoise finish called “StoneScapes Aqua Cool” decorated with tiny flecks of blue and gold pebbles that glisten in the sun.
The crystal clear water shimmers all your round and every week the pool is cleaned and the water chemistry is checked by our licenced property managers.
Two spray jets at the shallow end can be turned on, the kids will love it!
During the summer months there is no need for pool heat but during the winter months from October/November to February/March you might decide you would like the pool heating.
Our property is equipped with an electric pool heater which can be turned on for an additional charge if required.
As well as the two sprays, the pool is fitted with a shelf which makes a great place to sit with a drink and watch the sun go down and a set of easy access steps for entry and exit.
One of the things we particularly like about Florida Villa by the Lake is the cabana door which leads straight from the pool deck into the master bathroom suite. This means you can get out of the pool and walk straight into the large shower in the bathroom without worrying about trailing water through the property.
The double aspect master bedroom suite also gives you a clear view of the pool from the bedroom.
Pool Cage and Deck
Pretty much every villa with a private pool in Orlando or Kissimmee will have a pool cage. The pool cage is a metal frame that sits over the entire pool and deck and is covered in a fine mesh screen to keep out the bugs but let in the sun and the fresh air. Do not take any notice of Jonnie Irwin on Channel 4’s “Place in the Sun” when he calls the pool cage a lanai!
Some pool cages only stretch across part of the back of the villa but our pool cage extends across the entire back of the property giving guests the maximum amount of enclosed space.
Our deck is painted with a non-slip paint to reduce the risk of slipping without being uncomfortable on bare feet.
Pool Lanai / Gazebo
One of the villa features that prospective guests request the most is a south facing pool. Remember that Florida is much closer to the Equator than northern Europe and has a sub tropical climate. This means the sun tends to be higher in the sky and it stays light for longer in the winter months.
When looking to rent a Florida villa with a private pool, you need to make sure there is plenty of shade. Florida summer temperatures can be brutal with temperatures often between 90 and 100 degrees F (32 to 38 degrees C).
Our pool runs north/south and faces west. We get sun on the deck from around 10 o’clock in the morning until the sun sets over the lake every night.
A lanai is the covered porch/verandah typically cut into the back of the property. If the villa does not have a lanai, a couple of sun umbrellas simply will not cut it, you need a good sized piece of covered space to relax in when the sun gets too hot.
Our particular villa model does not have a lanai but instead the previous owners had a large heavy duty metal framed gazebo built on the back of the property complete with a beautiful tiled floor, where the patio doors lead out from the family living room. We think this is even better as it is larger than a typical lanai. Even if it is raining there is always plenty of cover.
Note that all doors leading out to the pool are fitted with audible alarms and additional high security locks to stop small children being able to get outside undetected.
Pool Deck Furniture
A lot of villas only have four pool side chairs. Our villa sleeps eight so we have ensured that we have eight large comfortable pool side chairs plus a large hexagonal table so everyone can make the most of the outside space.
There are also two loungers and a couple of side tables so you can sit with your drink, your phone/tablet or a book wherever you choose.
Pool Toys
Previous guests often leave pool toys but they can picked up quite cheaply at local stores like Walmart, Publix and Target. We even have an electric air pump in the garage/games room to help you inflate them.
One piece of advice though is to not leave any pool toys in or near the pool when you are out as they can blow into the pool and block the skimmer. This can potentially reduce the flow of water through the pump which affects the filtration.
Florida Outdoor Living
One of the lovely things about Florida is with the year round sunshine, it is possible to eat and live outdoors pretty much every day of the year. We have even eaten Christmas dinner on the pool deck!
For many months of the year, you can eat breakfast, lunch and dinner outside on the deck.
Everyone who stays at our villa comments about the beautiful lake views and the fabulous sunsets. No two evenings are the same.
We never tire of sitting outside in the evening, listening to the birds heading off to their roosts as the sun slowly sets, colouring the sky in shades of purple, orange and red.
Fishing & Wildlife
A lot of guests enjoy fishing and the lake is well stocked with a variety of different fish including Florida’s famous large-mouthed bass, carp, catfish and alligator gar.
We have a couple of fishing rods, a catch net and assorted fishing accessories for our guests to use and you can easily pick up many other things like floats, line, lures, bait etc. at the local Walmart. There is also a large Pro Bass Shops Outdoor World store on International Drive.
Note that all catches are strictly “catch and release” though the local osprey fish eagles do not seem to take notice of that particular rule!
The lake is a haven for wildlife, particularly water birds with everything from common ducks to white ibis, herons, egrets, kingfishers and the majestic sandhill crane. We have a family of sandhill cranes who live around the community and you can often hear them trumpeting to each other with their distinctive call.
You may be lucky enough to see a raptor like an osprey, red-shouldered hawks, swallowtail kites and occasionally a bald eagle. The osprey and bald eagles can often be seen diving for fish in the lake.
We have even seen a river otter playing on the bank.