What Every Holiday Rental Property Owner Should Do

Holiday rental property owners can get a little complacent when you have been doing it for a while or sometimes a fresh pair of eyes can help identify areas that might be able to improve your rental returns or reduce occupancy rates. Rob & I have stayed at lots of different properties over the years and are amazed at the simple things owners aren’t even aware of.

Luxury South Coast Holiday Accomodation managed by Super Calla Private Properties

1 – De-clutter The Property

Think about it, when someone decides to take their family on a holiday or go away with their partner for a romantic weekend they will typically be looking for an escape, a retreat to a beachfront location where they can forget their daily life stress and unwind.

So, they most likely don’t want to stay in a location that feels cramped and cluttered and will be looking for an experience that feels more like a hotel. We see so many properties that are turned into holiday rentals but the owners leave most of their belongings there. Sure, they might represent memories for you, but potential clients won’t really care too much for them.

Living room areas should be open and clean, remove too many trinkets or items displayed on book shelves, keep kitchen items to the essentials etc.

2 – Holiday Property Photography and Videography

There are too many holiday rental properties that are being presented with poor quality photos taken on a mobile phone, or worse, a mix of professional and phone photos. How can you possibly think that it will appeal to people who are prepared to spend more than two hundred dollars per night on accommodation? 

Getting professional property photography can transform the perception of the quality of your holiday rental and enable you to present higher rates potentially. The cost of holiday rental property photography is typically a tax deduction for a property owner so it just makes sense to get it done.

Use real photos of your rental – yes sounds strange right, but we see so many owners who use the photos taken when the property was bought rather than using actual photos of what it looks like as a rental. This can set the right expectation for clients and avoid disappointment if there are big differences.

3 – Property Styling & Furnishing

We are constantly amazed at the lack of effort some holiday rental property owners will go to when styling and presenting their property. Get rid of your old floral blankets or linen that is 10 years old. People want to see, feel and touch items that are modern, luxurious and comforting.

So for some properties that have prints with animals on them or their kids favourite cartoon characters they don’t really cut it when it comes to attracting affluent clientele to rent your property. 

Property styling can make all the difference to competing visually against other properties that can be rented. So if your holiday rental is on the beachfront or up in the hinterland it can have a unique style that suits the location & type of client you are looking to attract rather than feeling like it is someone’s home that was just vacated.

The Goal Is To Focus on Guest Experiences

Focus on the guest experience. Too many property owners take this for granted then wonder why guests don’t return or they can’t get a higher rental value for their holiday house.

Put yourself in the shoes of the guest.

What will enhance their experience, what will make their experience memorable?

Does the home flow, does it smell nice, are the towels fluffy and linen crisp and of good quality?

Regularly check everything works as it should – there is nothing worse than arriving and the AC is not working, a blind is broken or the dishwasher is stuffed. If the user experience is flawed, they will simply not return and even worse, they will post s a crappy review

Competition for south coast holiday rental accommodation online is at its highest that it has ever been because it is just over an hour away from Sydney, so it is the perfect location for a weekend away. Getting your property rented regularly comes down to the effort you put into presenting it.