Get Rid Of A Timeshare

So you own a timeshare.

And now you find that owning this timeshare does not quite fit into your lives. 

There are some choices to you whether that is renting, donating, selling, finding a way to use it, or some possible combination of the above.

The main thing to realize first is that selling a timeshare can be quite difficult, but not impossible if you stick in there.  The second thing that is good to know is that even though a timeshare is more like real estate, especially if you purchased a real estate deed as opposed to a membership, selling one is more like selling a car then selling a piece of real estate.

I have no idea why that is, but that's just the reality

So if you sell a timeshare, expect to get maybe 30% to 50% back at most.

With that in mind, this hub page will be about the different things you can do with a timeshare when you've realized you will not use it to the full extent that you had originally planned when you purchased it.

Many people would agree that it is much easier to buy a timeshare than to sell it again.

When you are buying a timeshare, you get loads of invitations in mails; get courtesy calls and emails to attend a timeshare presentation. They offer you bounties and favors in return for attending a presentation. Why all this? To convince you buy a timeshare. Buying is as easy as making a simple inquiry and many companies come knocking to your house to sell a timeshare.

This has to make you wonder if selling one that you have purchased is as easy as buying one. The fact of the matter is that it is difficult to resell your ownership. That is why it is wise to not think of this only for investment purposes. Unlike real estate, selling is difficult and you will often sell for a loss. It is an investment in life and vacations, but not necessarily financial returns.

True that many people buy timeshare with the intention of vacationing only but certain unforeseen circumstances may force some timeshare owners to resale their timeshare unit.

So this article is exclusively for those people and may also benefit others also who are contemplating selling their timeshares due to reasons such as change of taste, family has grown and you no longer want to go to the same location etc.

1. Check with the developer whom you originally made the purchase through.

Sometimes the property developers will offer some sort of buy back options or even assistance in reselling the property. If that is not the case, you can also see if your property is associated with a licensed broker to handle resells.

2. Be realistic about your resell options and expectations.

Even though a timeshare unit is considered real estate, the resell value is more like a used car than a used home. Even if your property is in the most desirable location and during the most desirable season, it still may only sell for half the purchase price. So make sure to go into your selling campaign with realistic prices and goals.

3. Look to alternative sources for selling where you can find ready prospects.

Besides your timeshare agents, check out both real estate agents and travel agents. Timeshare ownership would be interesting to both those who have seen value in purchasing real estate as well as those who like to travel. Just be ready to pay a finder's fee or commission. And if these agents do not ask for one, be nice and offer one.

4. Do It Yourself Online.

With the advancement of the internet, there is no shortage of classified ad space available to you. The two big ones would be Craigslist and Ebay (not an ad site, but auction site). With some internet searching you can find a lot more auction sites and ad sites that will either be a small fee or free to post to.

5. Reconsider keeping your property and trying a few alternatives for the weeks you miss your vacation.

Because timeshare resell value is so low, it may be better financially to keep it and do your best to gain the value back each year. As an example if you rent it out each year that may end up being a way to get more of your money back then selling it. It will take more time, but you will not lose as much money. Another option is donating the weeks you do not use to a charity where you can write the donation off (check your accountant first!)

I hope that these tips will be helpful for you when it comes time to sell your timeshare. After your research you may end up finding it more financially acceptable to try to rent your timeshare every year instead of selling your timeshare. Whichever route you choose, I wish you luck.

Timeshare sales and timeshare resale are still a big market. New timeshare are being developed and sold every year. The market is out there. It's just a matter now of the owner finding ways to reach out to the buying demographic.

If you want to sell timeshare you own, you will need to advertise as much as possible to reach as many clients as possible.

The easiest way to get the word out of course is using the internet and using various advertising websites. Some websites, in fact, are dedicated specifically to selling timeshares.

There are many timeshare resale websites and many of them come and go. Here is what to look for when you browse for sites.

1. Your ad should first be posted in a respectful website.

This strategy has never been more effective and more profitable than posting timeshares in websites.

2. Advertising websites should be capable to market a particular timeshare to thousands of web visitors every single day.
You need maximum exposure as much as possible. It is a numbers game. And in big numbers you will be able to reach out and have a better chance of finding that one person who will buy your timeshare.

3. The advertising websites should provide complete resources are provided to the clients.
There are no hidden charges or commissions. Face it, you want to deal with great vendors with high integrity.

4. If you are selling, you must realize that most of the visitors of a timeshare website would be travelers or adventurers.
It is important to know your client demographic so you can tailor your ads to hit the "hot buttons" for that demographic.

5. You should contact the helpdesk and see how you like their support.
It should be friendly, polite, and knowledgable. You can ask pre-sales questions or any kind of questions and see how the support reacts.

If you are planning to get rid of your timeshare, first realize you will get 10% to 50% of your sales price. Selling a timeshare is like selling a used car, not selling a used house. The value will go down just because that is the supply and demand of the market.

So think it through and see if you really want to get rid of it. If so, then hopefully these tips above are helpful. Good luck!