Less is always more, and your vacation rental is no exception. A clean, cozy space that’s free of clutter will make your guests feel most welcome. Dated or too generic art stand out (not in a good way) Be intentional in your art, furniture, and bedding.
In this time of COVID – Cleaning is everything. We use an extensive cleaning checklist that lets your guests know that the property was cleaned to CDC standards, and all touchpoints high and low have been disinfected and prepared for their stay.
People are happiest when you manage their expectations. If your home has challenges or weird little quirks, (and let’s be honest, it’s Big Bear, a lot of us do) put them out there! When we are upfront about your home, guests know what to expect from their stay. You can even frame a cute letter in your home that describes how you deal with these things, along with your Big Bear favorites.
You only get one chance to make a first impression. Your description and photos should be the “hook” that brings in your guests. Updating your listing with an accurate, transparent, and well-written description combined with high-definition staged photos will spike the popularity of your rental. Highlight the features you most want guests to remember. And think about the functionality of your unit when staging.
If you haven’t updated your rental price recently, you are likely leaving money on the table. Knowing how much to charge your guests is more science than art; you can use other local competitive listings to pick the perfect rate. We use a yield rate management tool that scrapes the market and gives projected rates. We then couple that with market trends, weather, and current circumstances (snow, fires, Covid, etc.) to develop the optimum rate. Weekends can not only vary from one to the next in rate but nights at well. Oftentimes we see Saturday night is more expensive than Friday night. Long gone is the set it and forget it method for rental income. That is how we ended our third quarter and 400% over last year!
A guest book is a great way to welcome guests to your property and provide them with essential information for their stay. Some of the things to include in your guest book are a check-in checklist for things that should be done upon arrival. Specific operating instructions for items that vary between brands such as, Hot tubs, fire pits, heat lamps, special/gourmet ovens or appliances etc. This is the perfect time to put a personal touch and include your favorite local recommendations on where to eat and things to do. Make the guest feel as though they know you.
Going the extra mile can help your guests feel at home in your vacation rental. Take time to connect with them and make yourself available to answer questions or attend to their requests. A simple phone call at the start of a booking shows your guests that they’re welcome in your home and that their experience matters to you. We love to send a morning of arrival text with updates and things to note depending on the weather or local traffic expectations.
