So your second home has been given the green light to be rented out to vacationers. Now what?
It’s time to whip your home into tip-top shape for your first group of vacation renters.
If you’re not sure where to start, we have you covered. Here are five steps to take to prepare your home for vacation renters:
1. Remove your personal items.
The first reason for doing this is to reduce clutter, and make the home comfortable and welcoming for your guests. You don’t want your guests to feel like they’re staying at somebody else’s house. They want to feel like it’s their home away from home. Reducing clutter involves removing any personal items or objects, such as picture frames and your favorite art fair sourced stuffed mountain squirrel, which will only cause discomfort to your potential guests.
Secondly, removing your personal items is a good idea because you don’t want to leave behind anything that’s precious and irreplaceable. Make sure everything you leave behind would not be noticed if it was lost. Everything in the home should have no personal attachment for you, just in case any accidents happen. We suggest keeping your personal and valuable items in an owners closet, so you can display them when you come out to visit.
2. Make sure all of the furniture is clean, comfortable, and presentable.
Todays vacationers have high standards, and expect the 5 star hotel experiences, even on a three star budget. It will be a financial and operational benefit to offer your guests new and comfortable furniture and high-quality bedding. Cleanliness and comfort should be your top priorities. The more comfortable the guest, the more he or she will enjoy the experience and return to your home year after year.
3. Repair any potential hazard.
Homes are full of failures waiting to happen, and accidents just around the corner. The last thing you want is for the water heater to quit working in the middle of a guest’s stay, or a rip in the carpet to trip up a guest. Have a professional property management company thoroughly inspect your home prior to guests staying to make sure all the appliances, steps, wiring, and plug outlets are in working order. If they find a potential hazard, they are capable of getting it repaired as soon as possible, and saving you any headaches down the road. A good property management company will inspect prior to every guest, and will act quickly to anticipate and remedy potential issues for you.
4. Have your home deep cleaned.
Cleanliness is the #1 factor in the satisfaction of guests to your home, and is the one thing that can turn a vacation into a trip from hell for many travelers. Your best bet would be to hire a property management company that has an experienced and capable cleaning service. You want your home to start as a clean slate in order to give your guests the perfect experience. You also want your management company to preform 1-2 deep cleans per year, to detail your home, and clean all the areas that are difficult to budget in on a back to back vacation rental clean.
5. Stock your home with the basic necessities.
To ensure that your guests are happy and comfortable, follow this checklist while stocking your home (remember, this is just a start. A good management company will customize a list for you and your home):
| Kitchen | Living Area | Bedrooms | Bathrooms |
| ____ Plates, bowls, glasses, and flatware (double the number of guests you sleep) | ____ Comfortable seating (enough for the number of guests you sleep) | ____ High-quality sheets (two sets per bed) | ____ High-quality bath towels (two per guest) |
| ____ Coffee maker | ____ Large TV | ____ Pillows with pillow protectors (four per bed) | ____ High-quality washcloths (four per guest) |
| ____ Pots and pans | ____ Basic cable | ____ Extra blankets | ____ High-quality hand towels (two per guest) |
| ____ Cooking utensils | ____ DVD player | ____ Mattress pads | ____ Hair dryer |
| ____ Napkins & paper towels | ____ Cards and board games | ____ Alarm clocks | ____ First Aid Kit |
| ____ Dish towels | ____ Coffee table | ____ Reading lamps | ____ Travel-sized toiletries |
| ____ Knife set | ____ Throw pillows and blankets | ____ Feminine sanitary products | |
| ____ Condiments | ____ DVDs |
