
How To Prepare Your Vacation Rental For The Low Season
The low season is an opportunity to breathe after a busy few months and work on improving your offering. Also, now is the time to guarantee your home is ready for the colder months coming up. That being said, We are sharing a few tips on how to prepare your vacation rental for the low season.
1. Do a deep clean.
Usually, during the Summer months, there isn’t much time between bookings to schedule a deep cleaning so this is a great time to do it. So, pay attention to details that are often overlooked or that intensify during the Winter:
- Wash all blankets and cushion covers
- Wash window treatments
- Flip the mattresses
- Clean all kitchen appliances, as well as drawers and cabinets
- Check and Clean light fixtures
- Clean every nook and cranny
- Clean the vents or if you have a fireplace
- Bleed your radiator
- Change smoke detector, TV Remote, Door Lock Batteries
- Make sure the walls are clean and not mouldy
2. Do routine maintenance work.
This might also be the time to do any maintenance or renovation work your vacation rental needs. Also, it’s the perfect opportunity to check if doors, windows and roof tiles are letting water in.
3. Consider having a portable heater on hand.
Is your home warm and cosy enough to keep your guests happy during the colder months? If not, you might want to consider investing in portable heating equipment. It’s an investment at first but, in the long run, it will make your vacation rental feel more inviting and prevent complaints and late-night calls because of the freezing temperature in the property. Also, make sure to leave some instructions on how to use it for your guests.
4. Equip your rental with essential amenities for the Wintertime.
Make sure your vacation rental is equipped with the essential amenities that your guests might need for a comfortable and cosy stay throughout the Winter.
- Provide warm bedding and extra blankets for the bedroom and for the living room
- Providing books and board games for rainy days at home, Netflix and other subscriptions is a plus.
- Extra light bulbs and batteries
Provide wood if your property has a fireplace. - Check Kitchen Items and Linen Inventory.
- Bonus point: provide tea, coffee or ingredients for hot chocolate
5. Update your vacation rental listing and decor.
Another bonus point is to update your vacation rental decor for the season. Don’t worry, this doesn’t mean to completely change your decor. Small details can make a big difference, especially during the holiday season. You can add some twinkle lights, a small Christmas tree or just a few decorations here and there. It will certainly make your guest’s stay more special and enjoyable.
Other than that, you can decorate your property for the Winter by changing up the accent pillows and adding a throw to the sofa, and also by adding a few spice-scented candles around the house.
6. Promote Christmas and New Year
Although your Christmas and New Year dates are likely to book up, there are still lots of people looking to get away both before and after Christmas. Your rental rates in November, December and early January are probably a fraction of the cost compared to the festive holidays, but guests can still experience the festive activities.
Finally, don’t fret about the low season
Holiday Rentals are competitive and you need to stand out amongst the competition, even more so when targeting low-season travellers. Hopefully, these tips will help. Join our free webinar and we’ll guide you through our tried and tested strategies that allowed us to achieve 75-85% occupancy through the winter months, without compromising heavily on nightly rates! http://tiny.cc/IkonicWinterWebinar
Use this seasonality efficiently to undertake essential maintenance, create next year’s marketing strategy and enjoy the holiday with your family.