Today when you purchase a timeshare, most companies will have introduced the timeshare points system in addition to the tradition blocked week timeshare. What this means for new buyers as well as existing owners is greater options and flexibility.
Blocked Week Timeshare
The original timeshare model, and one that still works for some today, is a blocked week timeshare, which means that you buy a week or more of a timeshare property, which you will share with other owners that you do not know. Usually this week is a fixed week every year, although there are other schemes, such as floating weeks and rotating weeks. Buying a blocked week means that you have a specific type of accommodation within a condo or timeshare resort that is yours to use during the same specified weeks every year.
The advantages of a fixed timeshare week is that you are guaranteed your dates, which is especially useful if you can only travel during peak vacation times like Christmas and the summer vacations. The other reason that people like a fixed blocked timeshare week is that you can get to know other fixed week timeshare neighbors and form a community, making the idea of owning a second home all the more real, albeit for a week or two each year.
Timeshare Points
As vacation needs evolved, so did the timeshare model and the points system was introduced. Buying a set amount of points equivalent to a type of accommodation gives you great flexibility. For example, you can divide points and take two vacations in one year, or bank your points to take a longer period the following year. Having points means that you can use them as you wish, rather than exchanging a fixed week “like for like” through a vacation club.
Many timeshare developers are offering the points timeshare model in addition to fixed week purchases, and many people prefer the freedom that timeshare points give you to use your timeshare in other places around the world.
What is clear from customer reviews and timeshare forums is that deciding what is best: fixed weeks or timeshare points, is a decision only you can make depending on your vacation needs and preferences.
