At this time the short term rental market is really hot and most vacation home owners are doing well and keeping their vacation homes full, which is amazing! But, not too long ago when the market was saturated, it was harder to gain those bookings and it is during those times when things can get very tight and maintenance and repairs etc become more difficult to complete because of lack of income and so a downward spiral can ensue. We never want this to happen ever so there are ways and means to avoiding this situation completely. With the amount of new construction coming over the coming years and the projects for huge new construction hotels, there will most likely be a time again when the market starts to become saturated once again. This comes with the Disney territory and part and parcel of vacation home rental market.
So in order to avoid this some strategy has to go into making sure your vacation home stays in tip top condition as well as offering over and above what other vacation home owners are offering. That way you can always be impressing your guests, who will more than likely rebook again and on top of that go home and tell all their friends and family all about your amazing vacation home and therefore you will build up a great referral network of returning guests.
There are some great DIY improvements that you can make to turn your vacation home into a premium vacation rental enabling you to achieve a higher rental and achieve long term success.
It is all in the Details!
I know it’s really easy to overlook things that may not be detrimental to renting your home out but these things can make a huge difference to how your guests perceive your home and hence will wish to rebook for the following year and recommend it. Paying attention to paintwork, eliminating smudges, nicks and other blemishes. Painting your home in a neutral light warm colour rather than just white, can make a vacation home look more homely rather than a clinical cold white look. Crown molding is really easy to add in when you are doing the painting and you could try doing one room at a time, starting with the hallway, living room, dining room areas. This will really improve the aesthetic look of your interior and add an element of a homely / luxurious touch.
With just a few simple tools and materials, you can add the perfect crown molding to accentuate your home’s design and unique features.
Also a great welcome to your home is a fresh painted door in an inviting glossy colour (don’t forget to check your HOA first – they will have an acceptable colour chart) – goes a long way to first impressions.
Upgrade those light fittings and make your home sparkle!
A great welcome to your home as your guests arrive into the foyer, would be an amazing show stopping light fitting, chandelier or something sparkly! This creates such an inviting welcome to your guests and adds that extra touch of luxury. Lighting is such an important part of any home and by adding a brand new light fitting each time you visit and before you know it, you will have each room with amazing / unique / sparkly light fittings. The beautiful wooden fans for the bedrooms always look amazing. By adding different types of lighting to your home, takes your home to a whole new level and this can make a huge difference. It will allow your guests to have a variety of lighting options to create an amazing ambiance. Dimmers are really helpful with creating that ambiance, allowing guests to adjust their lighting and creating that special feel in your home and on top of that minimizes your energy costs too!
Mirror Mirror on the Wall!
Mirrors are such appealing additions to add to your vacation home. Positioning mirrors in the correct places on the walls where you can distribute the natural sunlight throughout the home and can give a smaller vacation home the illusion of more space and light.
Cabinets and Taps!
If you have outdated cabinetry, you could factor into your maintenance schedule buying door front to your cabinets (dark wood ones give a more luxurious feel) – these can be bought inexpensively at several places in the Orlando area. Or if your cabinets are already great, then just the addition of some handles on the doors would give it more of a luxury feel (I don’t know about you, but I never understood why kitchen cabinets here don’t come with handles when the construction companies build them).
Also, taps! Can’t beat those new modern taps that you can now buy, especially in the kitchen. Just one multi-facetted tap in the kitchen sink can make a huge difference.
What about shower heads? Do you still have the old ones on that do the job? Why not factor in replacing these with some new ones? It is vital that your guests have a great showering experience and by replacing your old ones with new large showerheads giving more power. Can really have your guests wanting to return back for another vacation in your home.
Blinds and Window Dressings!
It is amazing how some window dressings can make such a huge difference to the look of a room. Framing your windows with window dressings and new blinds or shutters is the ultimate way to make your guests feel like they are staying in a home from home.
Furniture / Bedrooms!
Choosing the right furniture for each space is vitally important to how your guests comfort level will be when staying in your home. If you have a large living room, making sure you have enough seating options for larger families really does add to the appeal and by adding matching coloured furniture with a neutral chic / contemporary feel.
The amount of time I have seen bedrooms with really outdated bedding which has stood the test of time and really worn and tatty looking still amazes me. This is such an easy fix. It is vitally important that guests have a good night’s sleep after a really long day walking around the parks and that feeling of luxury when they hit the sack is a major make or break! If they have a pleasant comfortable sleep, then they will always remember your vacation home when thinking of returning or recommending friends.
Making sure you have a comfortable mattress in each room and making sure the bedding is bright and inviting and that the bedding you use is of good quality, makes a massive difference.
Nic Nacs!
By placing some modern nic nacs in sporadic places throughout the home, add to the appeal and making it more homely, taking it up a level from vacation home to home from home.
Tech – this is a definite!
Guests nowadays have technology needs like never before and sometimes it’s hard to keep up, but it’s imperative that you do. Guests expect to have access to a high-quality Internet connection along with the ability to stream their own media using Hulu, Netflix, and other popular platforms.
Include tech-friendly features like universal chargers and adaptors that accommodate mobile devices. Keep power outlets available and provide any information guests need to access your homes WIFI, remote controls etc.
Photo’s & Floating tour!
How are you going to show off your Vacation Home in the best possible way ONLINE?
Well, as you know most vacation home guests find their vacation home booking by search online, so it’s imperative to arrange to dress your home to impress and then arrange for professional HD photo’s and a floating tour to be completed so that you can add that to all of your marketing and website, so that your house looks so amazing that your potential guests doesn’t move on to the next rental advertise but stays on yours and books it! You would be amazed by how many vacation home owners just put basic pictures and thus making their home very unappealing. People buy with their eyes!
It’s all in the Planning!
After many years of vacationing in various vacation homes myself and many years working in real estate showing homes, I instantly know what works and what doesn’t work and by making all or some of these changes to your home, you will without a doubt see a huge difference in the way your rental home income and bookings progress. If you can’t outlay lots of money in one go to complete these items, it’s best to work out a goal for DIY additions to your planning for each year. It then become inexpensive to you. It will make a huge difference to your return rentals and recommendations and hence your income returns.
After a while you won’t need to keep advertising for new guests because you will be full with return guests and allowing them to recommend your vacation home is free marketing for you, thus saving you hundreds on marketing costs and lots of time from wasted enquiries that amount to nothing.
Contact us today for a FREE consultation:- 407 369 8804 / 321 284 3600