Guest Post from Tina Martin
Useful Tips for Preparing your Home as a Vacation Rental
The real estate industry is on constant growth and many cities and tourist areas have become expensive places to live. To offset the rising cost of living, some intrepid home owners have rented out their homes as vacation rentals. If you’ve seen the cost of living go up and up, and you’re used to seeing license plates from every state driving through your town, your property might be a good place for a rental.
Photo by Krisp Cut from Pexels
Anticipate the Process
Planning is essential when preparing your home as a vacation rental. It helps you ensure everything is in order. This means:
- You have ensured that your property is suitable for a vacation It is in an eligible location, it has all the required amenities, and there are other rentals around the area.
- You have determined that you can rent out your home. This is vital to avoid paying any fines in the future.
- You have applied for a rental permit.
- You have acquired landlord’s insurance.
- Remove valuables or furniture not for use by guests for the vacation season. If there’s no storage space on the property, check out all the storage units. 5’ x 5’ units range from $75 to $159 per month and many facilities give discounts on the first month’s fee.
Deep Clean Your Home
When it comes to giving your home a thorough wash, hiring professionals is the wise option. However, if you prefer doing it yourself, create a checklist to ensure you don’t miss anything. Cleaning your home yourself will cut some costs but can be very time-consuming.
Besides, if you hire a professional, you might get someone who can do permanent house cleaning during the renter’s stays. For stains on furniture that won’t come out, consider hiring an upholstery cleaner. Before meeting with anyone, get a quote and discuss your needs.
Upgrade Your Home
Normally, vacation renters expect to find what they don’t have at their homes. So upgrading your vacation rental will increase its chances of being booked. According to data provided by Airbnb, guests usually filter their search results for these top amenities:
- WiFi
- Pet-friendly environment
- A jacuzzi
- A pool
- Air conditioning
- Heating
- A washer
- Tv or cable
- Free parking
- A kitchen
Other items commonly sought after are outdoor things like patio furniture, a grill, and outdoor utensils. Families traveling with kids also have their expectations like baby cribs, high chairs, baby monitors, and baby gates.
Lastly, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, some new habits will stay with us for good. Be sure to equip the house with disinfecting cleaning supplies. Disposable gloves, paper towels, masks, sanitizer, and disinfectants will increase guests’ confidence in your cleanliness.
Create and Publish Your Listing
This is the exciting part. It’s time to take pictures and write an excellent description of your property. Try not to be “common.” Identify what your competitors lack and use it to your advantage. Also, ensure that you have all the paperwork required to prove that the property is yours; most online platforms ask for them before listing.
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