Categories Real Estate News

Five Ways You Can Transform a Home Into a Perfect Vacation Rental

There are plenty of reasons to use your property as a vacation rental. It’s a good way to earn additional income while also maintaining your own place to enjoy when you need a break from everyday life. However, it’s not as straightforward as making an account online and listing it. Here is what you need to know to give yourself a great chance at success.

Best Upgrades

People are booking more than just a bed when they look for a hotel or vacation rental. To attract guests, you must offer something your competitors don’t. People look for things like breakfast, but they also want to know whether the showerhead is luxurious. That means you should stock some amenities such as quality tea and coffee in addition to providing decent toiletries in the bathrooms. It doesn’t take much to invest in quality products, including sheets, towels, and a little something extra, like fresh flowers on the mantle or chocolates on the pillow. The small things add up to big impressions and favorable reviews, which are invaluable in this line of business. You’re bound to see excellent ROI for these simple attractions.

Landscape

The way your property appears from the outside is often overlooked, yet it can prove to be as much of a selling point as the inside of your rental. If you have a lawn, be sure to mow it or have it mowed (usually costs $30 – $45) without cutting it too short. Should you be unable to water the grass with one inch of water weekly, swap the greenery for some mulch. If properly maintained, it can look just as nice without needing a gardener as frequently.

Proper Maintenance and Cleaning

You need to have a well-maintained property if you want to be a success. That means hiring people to do regular maintenance or seeing to it yourself. To make things easier on you, create a checklist of what needs to be done, and how often. For rentals, you’ll likely need to bring in a maid service to clean between guests. In Miami, you’ll usually be charged between $92 and $189 for these services. Air filters should be changed every six to 12 months. To make sure you never miss a scheduled change, you could have an air filter subscription service deliver straight to your door to take the pressure off remembering.

Home Security

If you live a good distance from your rental, you should consider investing in suitable home security to ensure its safety between guests. Look for a reliable service that allows you to connect your smartphone to the system itself so you can check on how your home is doing. Alternately, you could use a service that is monitored to alert you to any changes. A professional company will notify you not only of break-ins and intrusions on your property but also of health and safety issues such as carbon monoxide levels. You can have peace of mind and not need to worry about the safety of your home with a reputable security company.

Advertise

Listing your property on various websites, such as Airbnb, is one way to start, but this is by no means the only strategy to get noticed and attract customers. For example, invite an influential blogger to stay for free at your property in exchange for a review. Should you have experience creating a website, make one for your property; otherwise, you can find a service like WordPress that will host your site and make its creation a breeze. Developing a social media presence for your rental is also wise, as you can demonstrate how it looks in various light levels, while tagging can give your property even more advertisement.

Owning and managing a vacation rental can be an advantageous venture if you offer the right amenities and are sure to properly maintain your home. Secure your property, advertise appropriately, and keep the entire rental looking nice and clean.

This post was written by Erin Reynolds at DIYMama.net

Image courtesy of Pixabay

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