Factors to Consider When Setting Up a Holiday Rental
If you’re new to the holiday rental world and you’re wanting to set up your holiday rental for success right from the get go, we can help you out! These are the factors you’ll need to keep in mind when setting up your holiday rental so you can start renting to guests and bringing in revenue!1. Privacy
It really doesn't matter what kind of holiday rental you’re trying to rent out, you need to ensure that your guests have privacy at all times whether they’re inside the property or in the garden areas. These are some of the areas you should pay attention to in order to ensure maximum privacy for your guests.If there are any neighbouring properties you’ll want to make sure there’s good fencing that is high enough to ensure complete privacy. Guests are far less likely to book an unfenced property, especially if they are travelling with a furry friend.
If fencing isn’t adequate or high enough to stop neighbours peering in, you may want to consider investing in higher fences, or plant fast-growing hedges, shrubs or trees to help obscure the views into your holiday rental.
If you're renting out a property that is attached to another residence, you need to ensure the entrance is completely separate and that the other property or residents can’t see into the holiday rental. You’ll also want to ensure that you take all the necessary steps to ensure your holiday rental is adequately soundproofed.
If your property is attached to another residence it’s also crucial that you list that clearly in the description. Be completely transparent with your listing description, no matter how private the property may be some guests will always prefer a separate residence and may end up leaving negative reviews if they don’t think the property description was accurate.
2. Plumbing & Electricity
Guests on holiday aren’t counting the amount of water or electricity they use as they aren’t the ones paying the bills! You will probably find that the costs of electricity and water are far higher in your holiday rental than what you would be paying in your home. Guests may even shower or take a bath multiple times a day, especially if they’re out doing activities during their stay.This could mean the amount of people showering is double what it would normally be, you’ll want to make sure your hot water system can cope with more than your guest capacity to account for people taking multiple showers. You’ll also want to have your hot water system serviced regularly so your guests are never left with a cold shower!
Most hot water systems have a life expectancy of about 1o years but they will almost always last for 15. You’ll want to replace your hot water system every 12.5 years during an off season week rather than risk having your hot water system explode and risk an emergency call-out at an exorbitant rate just to fix your system in anticipation for guests!
3. Lighting
Lighting is often overlooked, but it’s super important! You’ll want to replace any existing conventional light globes with LED light globes as soon as you acquire your holiday rental. Not only will they save you a whole lot of money, they will also last a whole lot longer!LED light globes typically last for about 10 years so you won’t have to worry about guests complaining about blown light globes. If you have any fixtures that are non-LED globes, it’s always important to have a stockpile of spare globes in case they blow before, during or after a guest's stay.
4. Furnishing
Outside of all the considerations you need to make in regards to the physical state of the property, furnishing your holiday rental is likely going t be your biggest expense during the setup process.You’ll want to ensure you keep all your receipts of any items you buy for your holiday rental, whether it's a one off expense (like furniture) or an on-going expense (like teabags), you may be able to claim these purchases on your tax when tax time rolls around.
You’ll want to consider a common aesthetic when setting up your holiday rental. Try to purchase furniture that matches with the overall vibe of your property and also seek out entertainment pieces like DVD players, game consoles or TVs that may entice guests to choose your property over your competitors.
We know furnishing your holiday rental can be expensive and whilst second hand furniture might be a cheaper option to furniture your place, try to get cohesive pieces that are in good condition – you don’t want any furniture that looks too worn or has been poorly maintained.
If you’re in a rush to get your holiday rental ready for guests, you may want to consider enlisting the help of a furniture assembly service so you can get the set-up completed quickly. Furniture can take time to assemble and move throughout the home, save time by enlisting in a helping hand and put your furniture together in the rooms you are planning it to go in.
If you’re in the midst of setting up your holiday rental and you're looking to enlist the help of a holiday rental management service to take care of the day-to-day runnings of your holiday rental, our team at Professional Holiday Homes can help you out! Book an appointment with us today to see what we can do for you.
