I need info on adding on points please

[87 GN]

We are new to DVC, we bought in last Sept and have our first trip on points booked for early DEC.
We have 100 points a year through DVC at SS, typically we go every other year so that gives us 200 points to use. On the current point chart I believe its 183 points for a 1 bed villa and 208 points for a 2 bed villa. We are thinking of adding on so we can get the 2 bed if we would like in the future without dipping into the next years points.

Are there options to buy roughly 25 points?
Are there any pros and cons to going through DVC or resale for those points?
If we cannot by SS would having 2 home resorts hurt me any with booking windows?
Is there a market for renting points out as low as 25 should we not get a 2 bed every other year?

I am sure there's something I forgot to ask so if anyone has done this before and has information that could help please post. Thanks,

 

[bgraham34]

Are there options to buy roughly 25 points?
You have to buy at least 25 points to add on to an existing contract. You can buy any point total as long as its 25 or more. So if you want 27 buy 27.
Are there any pros and cons to going through DVC or resale for those points?
If you go through DVC you will get the points within days if its available. Or sometimes that day. You will also pay more than resale but you can also use them outside of DVC as well. Use year is also a big factor when it comes to buying resale.
If we cannot by SS would having 2 home resorts hurt me any with booking windows?
Yes and no. It depends on what time of year you are booking and where you plan to stay. SSR is usually available most times of the year. It is also easier to manage when everything is at the same resort, but most importantly you want the same use year. If you go resale you may not end up with the same use year.
Is there a market for renting points out as low as 25 should we not get a 2 bed every other year?
There are other boards that will transfer points into your account. You can always rent them as well. You can also get 25 points from Disney if you buy them at $15 per point. This is once a year and a final transaction as well.

I am sure there's something I forgot to ask so if anyone has done this before and has information that could help please post. Thanks,

 

[slappy magoo]

bgraham34 pretty much covered it. If you know you're only going to use those extra points at DVC (as opposed to wanting to use them at RCI or for a Disney Cruise or something), AND if you can find a reseller with a 25 point contract, by all means snap them up and save yourself the coin. It'd make sense to keep them at the same resort if you tend to book at the 11 month window. Meanwhile, if you just need some extra points to make it through one single trip, you can try renting points from a DVC member, but renting direct from DVC, while a little more expensive, is probably easier. You can rent up to 25 points in any given use year.

BUT DOUBLE CHECK YOUR MATH. Because a week in a 2BR at SSR in early December is 246 points, not 208. It would be 208 if you went for 6 nights Sun-Sat or Sat-Fri. My guess is, you knew that, were playing around with numbers to see about maximizing your current ownership, then forgot when you decide to write your post and ask your questions, which is why you're asking about buying 25 points (which would give you 250 points every two years). Is that right? Should I change my name to Sherlock Magoo?

 

[87 GN]

Thanks all. I guess maybe I should look into the cost of renting those few points I would need first and compare to that cost to buying them. Though decision cause I would like the extra points but may not use them every vaca so I would have to rent or loose them.

 

[bgraham34]

You would not always lose them you can always bank them and use them another year. That might enable you to be able to go during a higher season or add a second quick trip in per year. If I were you I would think about it a little bit more.

 

[87 GN]

We typically go 2nd week of Sept or the first week of Dec. As we are now I can bank a year 100 and go every other year with 200 which was our plan from the start. If I get a 1 bedroom villa every other year I end up with 17 points left over that I will loose. I cannot bank 2 years worth of points so when I bank the next years 100 I loose the 17, if I buy 25 I will now have 125 a year so I can have enough for a 2 bedroom villa every other year with 250 points. If I do not need the 2 bedroom I will have more points unused 67 estimated. So if I buy the extra points we would have enough for a quick trip at another resort then SS in between big trips or rent the points out. I would be buying the minimum most likely 25 total.

 

[slappy magoo]

We typically go 2nd week of Sept or the first week of Dec. As we are now I can bank a year 100 and go every other year with 200 which was our plan from the start. If I get a 1 bedroom villa every other year I end up with 17 points left over that I will loose. I cannot bank 2 years worth of points so when I bank the next years 100 I loose the 17, if I buy 25 I will now have 125 a year so I can have enough for a 2 bedroom villa every other year with 250 points. If I do not need the 2 bedroom I will have more points unused 67 estimated. So if I buy the extra points we would have enough for a quick trip at another resort then SS in between big trips or rent the points out. I would be buying the minimum most likely 25 total.

Do your trips HAVE to be 7 nights? Apply the 17 points to an eighth night in a 1br, then rent the rest from dvc or a member who, like you, has points they need to use or lose (though with that small an amount, it may be less of a hassle to just rent from dvc). That would currently be $120 for the time you specified to make it a nine day/eight night stay.

 

[tjkraz]

DVC will sell you "one time use" points for $15 each. If you're 8 points short, they would sell you 8 points (which can only be used that ONE time) for $120. Only drawback to this is that you can only purchase these points 7 months out. That would be fine for September but possibly not December (busy time.)

If you want to add just 25 points, a direct add-on is probably the way to go. Resale typically costs less but small contracts are VERY hard to find and the closing costs can really jack-up the price.

Other point management approaches are also available. For instance you could shorten the trip from 6 nights to just 5 every few years to make up the difference. You could keep borrowing the 8 extra points and skip a trip in about 20 years. You could occasionally book a cheaper resort (like Old Key West) to conserve some points. You could occasionally pay cash for a night or two at a cheap resort to conserve some points. Spend a night at Art of Animation and then move over to the DVC resort for the rest of the trip.

There are many other options which may be preferable to forking-over $3,000 for more points.

 

[87 GN]

Thanks again all, I have some decision making to do your input will help greatly!