Make Your Vacation Home Pay Off

Helene Taylor Another recommendation is to have a grill/BBQ available with one full tank of propane included. And to make sure it is maintained and CLEAN. I've been to one too many VRBO rentals where there is so much neglect on the BBQ it's almost been a fire hazard and unusable. I've often experienced there's a disconnect between long distance owner and local housekeeper who makes it seem they are maintaining the property correctly, but upon entering the rental we note inconsistencies with cleanliness (back to the BBQ comment). There's nothing worse than planning to grill only to have to clean an over dirty grill and try to locate a local gas station to refill and entire propane tank. It has happened at least half a dozen times to us and we'll never return to those properties.

Lanie Brown Or go buy a wine opener when an fully stocked ktichen was advertised.

midmodfan Use slip covers. Buy an extra set for yourself, and your own cushion covers, so you can plop onto your sofa without all those people in mind who used it during your absence. (Eek!)

Helene Taylor If you get professional photos, list the date of those photos and inform your renters if your property is maintained and still looks like those photos. We have been to other VRBO's and asked if the property is still up to the quality it looks in the photos. Once there was a beautiful outdoor tub, in the photo it looked incredibly appealing. When we arrived there was algae in the outdoor tub that no cleaning on our end would reconcile and spiders/cobwebs in the corners of the rooms (in fact, a spider infestation to the point we had to purchase bug bombs to tend to). When an owner doesn't visit the property frequently, and you depend on a local manager and cleaners, you also depend on them entering the property to maintain properly. Have them open the windows, let air in for circulation, inspect corners for cobwebs etc. Give your cleaner a list of things to do for cleaning after and more importantly BEFORE your renters arrive so you don't run in to phone calls complaining about cleanliness.

Laura Gaskill @midmodfan - Love the slipcover idea!

ellyn143 I agree with Helene on the grill issue. We have a weekly summer vacation rental and take the time to burn the grill off between each guest. Renters rarely maintain the grill during their stay and it gets pretty ucky by the end of the week! Also, since ours is a beach rental sandy floors are always an issue. I keep an extra set of accent (throw) rugs for the entries, baths and kitchen so my cleaning person can easily replace them with clean rugs after the floors are vacuumed and washed.

lakeeriegal I recently acquired a vacation property and a few times people have encouraged me to rent it to help cover expenses. I just hate the idea of strangers sleeping in my bed. How do you get past that?

ellyn143 Admittedly, renting your personal property does impact your sense of privacy and personal space. The trade off is the financial benefit so you'll have to ask yourself "is really worth it?" We no longer use our rental for personal use (we now have a second property) but when we did I often questioned whether or not it was really worth the hassle. The best thing to do is keep all your personal belongings locked away and have your own set of linens, towels, pillows, mattress covers, etc. that are for your exclusive use. It will give you a much greater sense of personal control and ease of mind if you should decide to rent.

lakeeriegal Good points, Ellyn--thanks!

woods424 If you don't want strangers sleeping in your bed lock the room

sheilafri Be sure to seek the advice of a tax professional before you buy. Combining personal and rental use has significant consequences to what expenses are deductable. We decided to forego the income from renting due to the negative tax consequences.

moemee I have had a vacation rental for many years and can add these suggestions:

In terms of safety put a photo magnet on the refrigerator with the telephone numbers of the local fire and police departments as well as the physical address of the rental property. You would be surprised at how many renters do not know this.

Leave a fire extinguisher near the stove.

Also, consider leaving "rewards" cards for the local pharmacy and supermarket.

I have been very fortunate with renters in part by using a good rental agency. This is money well spent!

CAROLE MEYER This is a very good post with lots of important information for anyone thinking of renting their second home. We have had a second home in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico for 17 years. Here is a list of things I feel are important.
1. professional photos really help sell your home. If the photos are bad, people will pass your place by in favor of one that looks good.
2. an owners closet is a very good idea....that way you can store the things that are most important to you or things that are breakable etc.
3. A management company...if something is not right, they will handle it. It is not easy to be 3,000 away from your second home and have a problem to deal with.
4. Good help. In Mexico, we have a maid and a cook who are in our home every day. They take great care and keep everything in top shape. They will also report any problems that may come up. This is not the norm in most rental homes in the U.S. or Europe, but in Mexico, it is expected and the renters love it. They get a real vacation that includes not cleaning up the kitchen!!
5. CALL YOUR RENTERS AFTER THE FIRST DAY TO WELCOME THEM TO YOUR HOME AND ASK IF THEY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS. There is nothing like knowing that your home is in the hands of very happy renters!
6. The house book as mentioned above is also very important....no one want to spend hours of their "vacation" trying to figure out how to turn on or use something in the home. Include emergency numbers, management phone number, how to flip a breaker if the light turn off, good places to eat, see, as well as things to do....you name it, anything that may be helpful to your guests should be in this book.
7. White sheets and towels are great, I also do white slipcovers and have three sets so that the maids can change them between renters. (I keep my own personal sheets and towels in our owners closet) We have good mattress covers on all the beds with back up sets so these all get changed between guests.
8. Especially in a warm, outdoor climate like Mexico, the patio and terrace furniture should be as comfortable as the pieces inside the home. I have used black Sunbrella fabric for all cushions and pillows in the outdoor areas and they can be washed and they do not show stains.
9. Be prepared, "stuff" happens.....Most renters are careful and considerate, but you need to be able to deal with the occasional problem. We take a $1,000 refundable deposit for every renter.
10. Remember, once you start renting your home, you are in the hospitality business. In our case, we pay not only U.S. taxes on our income, we pay Mexican taxes. So this means records need to be kept, so my advice to anyone thinking of renting out their home is to think about what is involved. My goal is to have all of our renters enjoy our home as much as we do.
I hope I have added some good information to what is a fantastic post by Laura Gaskill Thanks, Carole Meyer

einportlandor I've rented many vacation houses over the years, so here's my take on the customer's point of view.

- If you've owned the place for a long time, regularly clean out the drawers and closets, which tend to accumulate junk. Get rid of the ancient electronic equipment, the puzzle with missing pieces and the expired Tylenol.
- Equip the kitchen with decent quality cooking and eating utensils, including serving bowls and platters. Warped pots and pans, grandma's tupperware bowl and a puny collandar don't cut it.
- Invest in decent box springs and mattresses. If it's ten years old, it's time for new beds. And pick up some new bedding while you're at it.
- BUY A REAL WINE CORKSCREW THAT CAN ACTUALLY HANDLE A WINE CORK, AND SOME REAL WINE GLASSES for cryin out loud.
- If the sofa and chairs were in your parents rec room before they upgraded in 1986, take them (the furniture, that is) to the dump and replace them with something COMFORTABLE.
- Wi-fi. I'm just sayin.
- Leave room in the refrigerator, closets and cupboards for your renters stuff.

One last tip . . . Craigslist, TJ Maxx, Tuesday Morning, Ross . . . use them and I'll likely be a repeat customer.

Nancy Muritz I am an owner or a cabin in Pigeon Forge TN that we have had in the hands of four different rental management companies over the past 10 years. My first advice about rental management is go with the smaller companies that have 100 or less rentals. You will get better service!

Also, I have enjoyed all the info here for owners and renters. It is a tough row to hoe being the owner at times! I take all negative action by guests very personally as I try to maintain the cabin just as my home and where I like to stay when there. I have decorated it and included items that other cabins do not go to the trouble to offer and I REALLY want my guests to feel at home and comfortable! I supply very good mattresses, boxsprings, matress pads, blankets and pillows. All of those items have back up for changes between guests and there is a washer and dryer there if anyone needs to launder anything while in the house. The kitchen is very well stocked with all the things I can think of being in a kitchen! The management company that I now have is wonderful in seeing that all guests are accomodated with "reasonable" requests. I have placed video games, board games, toddler toys, cards and videos for both children and families. There is so much to do there, that I can hardly imagine that most guests really do stay inside that much but in the winter time, I think those guest like to stay in the cozy cabin with the fireplace going and spending quailty family time. My management company also sees that the outdoor grill is kept clean and reading about the dirty gas grills is one reason, I have stayed away from gas grills. I have seen this in cabins that have them and I have heard the complaints about the gas canisters. It is better to just avoid a gas grill if at all possible. This is my Nestled Inn!

Helene Taylor I love this thread. We are planning on purchasing a vacation home and have learned mostly what not to do through VRBO's! Our most recent rental for my husband's staff retreat said it had a full working BBQ (so dirty it caught on fire), propane (it did not and we had to drive miles to find a place and then the BBQ didn't work), we talked to the owner who had a repair person come the next day, the repair person did not come. Then we couldn't reach the owner! The knives were so dull we couldn't cut through a ripe tomato. We didn't have enough sheets and I found out later they asked our staff to bring their own toilet paper! We were so short on towels, sheets for bedding and the place was an expensive rental. We plan to file a complaint but it still is difficult when these things happen. And even though we tipped the cleaner, tidied properly before we left....there was something inside of me that deeply resented it and can understand why they'd get uncaring renters - they wanted our money, but not the work it takes to have our money.

It's difficult when the renter wants your $$ but isn't willing to make the place comparable to at least a motel experience. We plan to go to another VRBO this week and the owners have been polar opposite of our other experiences - so thrilled we are going there to share their home, they are cooks and promised a stocked kitchen and working BBQ -- please be patient with us renters, like you get bad experiences with renters, we get bad experiences with vacation rentals and we now take photos upon entering, contact them immediately to inform them if anything is awry and don't tolerate anything less than clean for the $$ we pay. In return? I always remove my sheets, do a once over to make sure it's tidy before we leave, I tip the cleaner, I provide an excellent review. In fact, on some occasions, we've made friends!

junipergirl One thing I have found in many many vacation homes, is the owner doesn't think to put some milk in the fridge! Even a small bag of one off use Full cream, lite, and/or soy milk is always a good idea. They don't go 'off' and can be put away. After a long drive some where, a nice hot cup of tea or coffee is always lovely, except when there is no milk! Often you are new to the area and can't find a store or it's late and you are really tired. Just a little thing can make such a big difference!

Nancy Muritz I know that the VRBO seem to be the way alot of people are going here but do consider rental companies too. In my situation with my cabin, you can not leave food items or such in the cupboards or refridgerator. I do not live close by my property so it would just be out of the question for this situation but I do understand what folks are saying here. Just understand that all requests are not possible for one reason or another with all rentals.

CAROLE MEYER This is interesting to read all the comments from both owners and people who rent. We have taken our experience from renting homes and apartments in both the U.S. and Europe to help us make our own home is San Miguel de Allende a better experience. I truly think, like one person here said,...you need to prepare the rental as if you and YOUR family will be arriving. We have arrived to some expensive rentals where there was NO toilet paper ...ONE set of towels, only two wine glasses, old food in the refrig....etc...the list goes on! I make sure that our home has lots of TP, lots of fresh towels, lots of wine glasses and a well equipped kitchen. The renters arrive to a clean and empty refrigerator. If they wish, they can send a list to our local rental agent and have the house stocked with food and drink and ready for their arrival. As I said in my first post above, truly one of the most important things you can do as an owner is call your renters to be sure everything is up to their standards. Total perfection is never possible, but we try!! Carole

kiley1231 We've rented out our home in Hyannis Port for 15 summers, and there have been times when we have questioned whether it is worth it. But we find that with careful screening of renters, a full disclosure of what we expect BEFORE the lease is signed, and ongoing updates, we--and our renters-- are generally quite happy.

We always try to give renters the quality we would expect. At the same time, we remind them this is someone's home-- a few pictures of our family scattered around, a personal note and small gift on their arrival, a phone call within 24 hours help keep it personal. I think rental properties devoid of personal connection invite lack of care. At the same time, a place full of the owners' things just doesn't fly. Renters want ease and comfort.

I wholeheartedly agree with those who have mentioned the necessity of items like a clean grill and full gas tank, decent wineglasses and opener, extra sets of linens and throw rugs. I'd add decent silverware, items specific to the area (like a lobster pot, if you're near the ocean) and access to plugs/power strip in each room for charging phones. Also, providing a house book (both before they arrive and a copy in the house) gives renters a sense that that the owners care about them and the property.

Finally, the moments when we have doubted the worth of renting usually come when renters have not communicated with us about something damaged or missing. We work hard to try to be as open as possible so that renters feel comfortable telling us. Posted on the fridge for each renter is a one page "House Rules & Requests" and a quick "Before You Leave..." checklist, which each renter signs. This helps.

The financial rewards are great, if you make sure to preserve your privacy and space. Owner's closets for personal linens and other items really help with this, as does reserved vacation time for you. That means no working on the house or completing projects while you are there. It is a MUST that you take time to enjoy your home as a vacationer too.

smittycdm We sadly discovered how important "House Rules" are when we loaned our townhouse located in a Palm Desert golf community to snowbird relations for a month. Furniture was moved, artwork taken off walls or missing, 3-way lights bulbs changed for fluorescent (3-ways disappeared.) That was just the beginning. The weirdest was the chocolate splattered on the den walls, large decorative mirror and sofa( bed) cushions without explanation or attempt to clean up. The relatives are a married cuple in their 60's, no kids. The Rules, written in a friendly tone, are a must! You can find many samples on-line. Also available on-line are guidelines for furnishing, basically a narative list of sizes, qualitites and quantities, a "vacation rental" or your second home. Very helpful & makes it a no-brainer when going through the cupboards. Good luck to everyone & thanks for all the input.

Kigo Vacation Rental Software Laura,
This is a great and very informative article! I agree that proffesional photographers are essential to stand out from your competitors, especially if you are listing on portal websites. The photos need to bring out the vacation feeling for users, and the right lighting and furniture arrangement can do exactly that!

Francesca
http://kigo.net