There's almost as many way to find a good vacation rental in the Outer Banks as there are actual units to rent. And to be completely honest, you're actually going to be hard pressed to find a rental that you won't be satisfied with, no matter which island or section that you're looking at. The houses are generally of high quality and well maintained. There are certainly standouts; houses right on the ocean, houses with large pools, decadent furnishings or large pools. But for the most part, if you're looking to enjoy the sand, sun, and water, all will provide you with the one basic thing you need, that being a place to stay while you're in the Outer Banks.

First, be careful about renting a house solely based on how many people it can accommodate, or sleep. Just like hotel rooms and recreational vehicles, vacation rental advertisements tend to claim a sleeping capacity for every square inch of space that you could possibly fit a human being. And as we all know, there's a huge difference between a pullout couch and a room with a bed and a door. If you have two rooms that are separated by little more than a hallway or another, larger room, the privacy that you'll get in the separate sleeping areas is not the same as you'll get in a "real" bedroom with a door.

Next, take a look at both the number of bathrooms, what they have for amenities, and where they are located. You'll generally find a number of suite-type configuration where there's a bedroom and a bathroom that you have to pass through the bedroom area to get to. If you're lucky, you can have one of these suites with a deck overlooking the ocean. That's the pinnacle of relaxation, in my opinion. However, if that's one of two bathrooms in the house and you have 4 other couples that you're vacationing with, your privacy is going to be very limited. Probably more so than if you had a couch to sleep on in an out-of-the-way room. The problem, you'll find, is that 8 people aren't going to be able to share one bathroom at the peak hours. And to even the 8:1 ratio out, they'll be parading through your room to get to the only other bathroom in the house.

So look at the configuration of bathrooms before you sign up for a house that sleeps 12. Half baths are important as well, since they don't offer any type of showering or bath capacity. Certainly take into account small children as well, since their need will be different.