Owners of vacation rentals are familiar with the hassle of renovating their rental property after every few months. They are in the business to attract customers; therefore, following the trends and keeping their property in premium condition becomes a requirement. But a sadder realization is that the added elements do not remain functional for longer, so you have a long list of items requiring upgradation or replacement every month. However, these changes are necessary if you want to stay ahead of your competition, diversify your investment portfolio, and attract new customers. In addition, you always need to monitor the changing expectations of your current and potential customers and make sure your rental property has what they are looking for.
Today, customers need more than just clean bed linens and smooth check-in and check-out. They are looking for an innovative display of your culture, so you have to add a localized wow factor to give your customers a reason to choose you over others. What amenities does your property has and others don’t? What facilities like gaming rooms, gym, and mini-theater do you offer, and your competitors lack? These are the things you need to consider while renovating your vacation rental property.
Taking care of your belongings during the renovation
Today customers demand clean and sophisticated quarters with a more peaceful ambiance, so prefer a vacation rental over a hotel. So, renovation and upgradation are a constant activity for property owners today. However, you must ensure that furniture and other assets are safe during renovation. Some businesses resort to using storage facilities in their area to keep furniture and preordered construction material. If you are in this business, you can also benefit from them. Search them online according to your location; for instance, if your rental is in Tuscaloosa, search ‘tuscaloosa al storage units’ and here you go! A list of nearby storage facilities will pop up in front of you. Once you assure the safety of valuable stuff on your property, you can comfortably move to upgradation. Here are some ideas to consider.
- Make a lasting first impression
The initial impression your guests have upon arrival is one of the many factors that will bring them again to your property. So, dry grass and poor landscaping are a death sentence for your business because guests want to spend their weekend in a serene and fresh environment, not to see patchy grass badly needing your attention. Fortunately, it is much easier to enhance the appeal of your rental property than you might think. For instance, make sure there are no damaged items like cracked vases, old and tattered sofas, and worn-out seats at the entrance. Moreover, ensure the lawn is trimmed and the entrance is spotless with no clutter or piles of old newspapers and magazines. The vase has fresh flowers, and the atmosphere is scented with a light soothing fragrance. The sofa covers are neat, and the floor is clean and adequately mopped. If you are preparing for the holiday season, you can also give a fresh coat of paint to the entrance, windows and polish the hallway doors.
- Allow free access to Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi has become an essential requirement for everyone today. Good Wi-Fi service can really attract more customers to your property and prolong their stay. Therefore, the Wi-Fi in your rental property must have good speed to indulge your customers fully. It should be enough to surf the internet, play online games, and watch movies. Above all, make sure the Wi-Fi is free; the last thing your customers want is to figure out how to recharge their phone to access the internet to inform their family about their safe arrival. So, take this worry off of their shoulder and clearly advertise in your home rental advert that the Wi-Fi will be completely free of cost. Call your internet provider now and test the speed to ensure it is working properly.
- Upgrade the appliance on a priority
When renovating the property, make sure all appliances are working properly. There is no need to go for the most expensive ones, but they must meet your customers’ needs. Some of the upgrades you can consider are adding a room fridge, a washer in the bathroom, and kettles for warming water. These simple appliances can improve your customers’ stay on the property. Also, make sure the air conditioners are working properly to fulfill the heating and cooling requirements. If you have an adequate budget, you can go for energy star-rated appliances that offer good quality coupled with serious energy savings. Due to their high efficiency, energy star-rated appliances also offer a considerable reduction on your utility bill.
- Spruce up your bathrooms
A bathroom is among the most critical areas at any rental property. Just like the housekeeping abilities of a homeowner are judged by the quality of the bathroom, the same goes for a home rental property. Make sure your bathrooms are updated with the current technologies. You must be targeting to offer a spa-like experience to your guests with steamed showers, candles, and a glass of wine. You only need a few changes to spruce up the bathrooms.
If you only have traditional showerheads in the bathroom at your rental property, consider adding bathtubs. They can really create a difference when guests soak in lukewarm water and get rid of the fatigue of their long travel. Other new features that you can consider are infrared sensor taps, dual flush toilets, and modern waterfall showerheads to have a great shower experience. More simple upgrades might include putting fluffy white towels of all sizes, fun toiletries in beautiful packaging, complimentary robes, and carpet socks, to name a few. Once you have these things available, you will see how they improve your customers’ overall experience and reviews about your vacation rental property.
Conclusion
More customers choose vacation rental properties than hotels because of their calm and home-like environment. Therefore, competition among these businesses is getting very tough. Owners must make constant upgrades and changes to compete and attract new customers. They have to understand the needs of their customers and offer the service they are looking for. It could be better food, clean and updated appliances, and luxury bathing experiences. Make sure to look through the ideas mentioned above when upgrading your vacation rental property.