1. Provide Great Kitchens
Vacationers want food preparation and dining to be a simple, comfortable experience. Investing in a functional, modern kitchen with all the necessary appliances can really boost the value of your vacation rental property. People who rent holiday homes instead of staying in a hotel most often enjoy cooking and entertaining, so, a pleasantly-lit, orderly, spacious kitchen will be surely get you rave reviews.
Make sure that nothing is overlooked, from stocking quality cutlery, cooking utensils, and bottle openers to espresso machines, faucets, and kettles. Installing a top-end kitchen might not be cheap, but you will definitely reap the returns on your investment.
2. Make Bedrooms a Relaxation Haven
Add a touch of luxury to the bedrooms in your rental with high thread-count Egyptian cotton sheets, pillow and duvet covers. Invest in new, well-made mattresses and hotel quality pillows, and ensure there are plenty of extra blankets and pillows on hand.
For rooms aimed at student or working demographics, you could install blackout blinds to help with blocking out distracting lights from nearby streets. Install bedside tables on both sides of the bed, including lighting such as lamps for reading in bed. Add a small workstation with plenty of power points and a good WIFI connection. Even while on vacation, almost everybody needs to check in with work or keep up with their social networking. Investing in well-furnished en-suite bedrooms increases the value of your rental and will help attract more guests.
3. Clean up and Add Character
You can easily make aesthetic improvements on the outside of your house too, and they don’t need to be expensive. Making sure your windows, gutters, and outside cladding are clean will assure visitors that the property is well looked after and will also make it look much more appealing in your promotional photos. Depending on the theme and décor of your house, you could invest in some statement plants, such as low-maintenance cacti, to grace the front door, or attractive, cottage-style slatted wooden shutters for your windows.
4. Invest in Your Outdoor Area
Don’t forget to look after your backyard space! Creating an excellent outdoor lounge area will make your rental property stand out. People usually travel because they want to enjoy something they don’t have in their own home, so creating a unique, comfortable outdoor area can be a great drawcard.
A gorgeous stone wall with a built-in fireplace will be a sure winner – everyone loves sitting around on comfortable chairs watching the flames dance. Again, this will be a big investment, but the class and novelty value that this space can add to your rental property value is priceless.
5. Take Advantage of Social Proof
Word of mouth is an incredibly powerful tool. Good reviews, high star ratings, and – on social media platforms – signs of approval such as ‘likes,’ ‘hearts,’ and ‘shares’ can be very influential to the decisions of potential tenants.
‘Social proof’ is when users assign higher value to a product or offering, simply because other people have left positive feedback. A good social reputation is a powerful signal to others that the owner takes pride in their property, to the point where it has gained a reputation for cleanliness, comfort, etc.
For any rental property, and especially if yours has a special point of difference, such as close proximity to the beach with amazing views or a sun-bathed interior with stunning floor to ceiling windows, keeping an up-to-date social media account for your rental properties is useful. Social media can serve as a portfolio-style reference page, and also allow you to view instant feedback on your property. Instagram is a particularly suitable platform for gaining social proof, as it focuses on images.
6. Touch up Small Details
If your budget can’t afford luxury changes, a fresh coat of quality paint can work wonders. For the best results, take the time to prepare your surface correctly. Choose bright, welcoming colours: even shades that you might not choose for your own home can bring your rental property to life. One idea is to paint the front door a bright welcoming red, and make sure that the name or number is painted or installed in an easily-visible contrasting colour, such as gold, to make it easy for your guests to find their destination. Employ someone to keep the grass cut and the garden tidy, as first impressions are very important.
Finally, be competitive – pay attention to the needs of your potential clients. Address little details in your descriptions of the property – even things like describing where the sun hits in the middle of the day, or which rooms are great for keeping house plants. Listen to suggestions, and you will enjoy satisfied visitors who will spread great feedback about your rental property.
Positive feedback increases the value of property and also helps boost your occupancy rate. Using an app, such as ProveSource, on your website is a great way to build trust and boost conversions for your rental. Establishing yourself as a trustworthy, credible accommodation provider will take an investment of time and effort, but will ultimately result in a steady growth of your occupancy rate.
