How to make your holiday home ‘rentable’

Whether it is for a quick buck, or for a more practical long-term business, the holiday letting industry is big.

The emergence of Airbnb has certainly accelerated this field, with more and more landlords getting in on the act.

However, particularly in some areas, competition is rife. Today is all about showing you the best ways on how your property can become the go-to destination in your region of choice.

Practicality should always be at the back of your mind

The term ‘holiday home’ can be misleading to landlords.

It has a fun and excitable vibe to it, but in some ways, it is still a buy-to-let property and subsequently needs to be treated as such.

This means that you must think of all the practical factors when you decorate and ask yourself key questions. For example:

• If your home is attracting families, are glass tables a sensible choice?
• While neutral colors are always winners for landlords, is a cream sofa a good idea?
• If there is any outdoor space, is it worth buying outdoor seating so guests can make the most of it?
• You get the point – the list could go on.

It needs to feel “alive”

Following on from the earlier point, a balance needs to be found. After all, when you start decorating with lots of neutrals, there is a small risk that you start to lose a touch of character from a property.

This is where you need to think outside the box and inject some “life” into the home. Some property owners do this by decorating with photos of the nearby attractions and surroundings, while others will delve into nature and place fresh flowers from somewhere like Avas Flowers for each new guest. The beauty about this approach, particularly when using a company like Avas Flowers, is that the entire property can benefit from the color and scent which suggests that the property is anything-but the holiday let it is being marketed as. There are some ideas on how to decorate your holiday home with flowers on the Avas Flowers website and allow it to grasp the personal touch.

The 2020 guide to utilities

Once upon a time, tenants would expect electricity and gas and that was the end of the matter.

Now, times are changing. This is just the tip of the iceberg with broadband and satellite television being two items that are almost demanded by holidaymakers.

In short, if you don’t supply such utilities as part of your package, you will disappoint in the modern-day world.

A storeroom for activities can make your property a winner

Finally, let’s talk about accessories. In truth, this is going to vary depending on location – but let us look at some examples:

• Bucket and spade
• Swimming floats and dinghies
• Beach blankets
• Trekking poles

As you can see, the list is varied to say the least and really depends on where your holiday home is based. Naturally, a so-called summer destination is going to require different activities to one which has its peak season in the colder months.

By placing these accessories in an easy-to-access storage space, you are one step ahead of the competition. If people know they can arrive at your holiday home without a car, plane, or boatload of belongings, it is another reason to visit again (or, visit for the first time).