Tips & Tricks for Booking Your Outer Banks Vacation

Helpful Hints for Planning Your Trip

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Looking to visit the Outer Banks but not sure how to find a vacation home? We’re here to help! Adjusting your vacation home search ever so slightly may give you more vacation home options to choose from. Our Guest Services team is happy to share some tips and tricks to help you find the perfect OBX vacation home for your trip.

The Vacation Specialists on our Guest Services team are familiar with our homes and can help you find the perfect retreat for your group’s stay on the OBX. Give them a call, text, or email if you would like assistance finding a vacation home. 

Be Flexible with Your Dates Use the Waitlist Consider Staying Soundfront Adjust Your Bedroom Search Homes with Community Amenity Access Last Minute Rentals Create a Trip Board

Be Flexible with Your Travel Dates

There’s no doubt that summer is the most popular season on the Outer Banks. The weather is warm and fun in the sun is on the agenda. If you’re unable to find a home for the summer week you originally chose for your vacation, consider staying one week earlier or later. Being flexible with your travel dates allows you to have more vacation home options to choose from. 

One of our hottest tips is to try July! July is arguably the best month to vacation on the Outer Banks. Long hot days melt into warm summer nights, with breathtaking thunderstorms sprinkled throughout. The Outer Banks is at its peak in July, so there’s plenty to do for all ages and interests. 

Our flexible search offers you the opportunity to search for homes available for any week in July, or any other month(s) of the year. You can even search for homes that have an available week in June, July, and/or August.

Twiddy waitlist

Get Notified When Your Favorite Home Becomes Available

Find a home that you love, but it isn’t available for the week you wish to travel? Another of our best tips is to join the waitlist! If the week becomes available, we will send you an email to let you know. If you love the home and your travel dates are flexible, you may add your email address to the waitlist for as many weeks as you’d like. There is no limit to the number of homes/weeks that you can add yourself to the waitlist for!

If you still cannot find an available home for your group during the summer, consider visiting in the spring or fall if your schedule allows. The weather is typically very nice in the shoulder seasons. The ocean temperature is surprisingly warm throughout the fall on the Outer Banks. Rental rates are lower during the spring and fall, which means your budget may accommodate a home closer to the beach or with more amenities. There are plenty of things to do in the off-season on the Outer Banks. 

light bulb tips & tricks

Booking Tip

Reservations are offered on a first-come, first-served basis. If you receive a waitlist availability email, we recommend booking the home as soon as possible. Someone else likely received the waitlist availability email at the same time as you did.

Consider Staying Soundfront 

If an unobstructed water view is a necessity for your OBX vacation, consider staying soundfront. Staying on the soundfront offers a peaceful opportunity to get to know the other side of the Outer Banks. The most amazing perk of staying soundfront is the absolutely stunning sunsets. Most Outer Banks communities offer a walkway to the beach, so you can still get your ocean time in.

K530 sound view
The soundfront deck at "Hare's at Last" (K530)

Adjust Your Bedroom Requirements or Search for Two Smaller Homes

J51011 bunks
Bunk beds at "Greyson's Getaway" (J51011)

Summer weeks in Twiddy’s large homes are generally booked almost a year in advance. If you cannot find a home large enough for your entire group, try adjusting your search options. We have two top tips for adjusting your search. 

First, try searching for a home with fewer bedrooms to see if there are enough beds for your group. Many times, a bunk bed room may have multiple sets of bunk beds, so the room could sleep four or more kids.

Second, try searching for two smaller homes nearby each other. Use the map feature in the search results to see how close the homes are to one another. Many times, you will be able to find two smaller homes that are within walking distance to one another. 

map feature

Look for Homes with Access to Community Amenities

A private pool is the most requested vacation home amenity, so homes with a private pool typically book quickly. If you cannot find an available home with a private pool, try searching for a home with community pool access. Many OBX communities offer community pools that you may use during your stay, such as Four Seasons, Schooner Ridge, Sanderling, Ocean Lake, Buck Island, Corolla Light, and the Villages at Ocean Hill.

Pine Island Community Pool
Pine Island Community Pool
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Be on the Lookout for Last Minute Rentals & Specials

One of our best booking tips is to check our last minute rentals page often for any newly available vacation homes. Any recently released vacation weeks will appear as soon as they become available. Additional vacation homes with discounted rates are shown on our Specials page. 

Stay tuned to our Facebook page for any last-minute deals!

Still Can’t Find an OBX Vacation Home for 2025?

Start planning now for 2026! It’s never too early to start an OBX vacation conversation. As your family gathers to celebrate holidays or special occasions, chat about the next opportunity to make family memories on the Outer Banks. Create a trip so the entire group can contribute to deciding on a vacation home. We accept advance reservations up to 51 weeks in advance, but some larger homes can accept bookings outside of that timeframe. Exceptions to the 51-week rule will be noted in the home details.

family gathering
Courtney Wisecarver

Courtney Wisecarver

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