Renting out a vacation property can be a good way of generating some extra income. As it is a second home, you are not going to spend more than a few weeks a year there, so it makes sense to let it out to other people during the periods when it is empty. Unfortunately, letting out a property on a short-term rental basis leads to a far greater wear and tear, so you will need to have a regular decorating schedule in place to ensure the property stays in optimum condition. Here are a few tips to help put you on the right path.
A Neutral Decorative Scheme
A rental property is very different to a home you live in full-time. Since different people will be traipsing in and out week after week, there is little point in spending a great deal of time and money decorating the rooms using expensive wallpaper and premium paint finishes. Yes, it might look lovely, but before long the rooms will need decorating all over again and your money will have been wasted.
If you are lucky enough to own a condo in Montreal or other type of vacation property, make sure you stick to plain, neutral colours. That way you won’t offend any of your temporary guests and should you need to re-paint a wall or two, it won’t be such a mammoth task.
Comfortable Furniture
Just because you are not living in the property full-time, it doesn’t mean you can get away with furnishing it with cheap furniture. Obviously you shouldn’t install any family heirlooms, but the furniture does still need to be of reasonable quality or it won’t stand the test of time.
Look for practical pieces that look attractive, but are also fairly robust. Sofas and chairs need to be fire-rated, and preferably made from hard-wearing fabrics. Whatever you do, don’t go for cream sofas and chairs. Cream is a nightmare to keep clean and unlikely to look great after a few weeks.
Home from Home
Guests will expect a wide range of modern conveniences to help make their stay more comfortable. This should be pretty easy if you spend time in the property because it will be kitted out to suit your needs, but if you are starting from scratch and are not sure what to provide, think about what you would like to have and go from there.
Practical Accessories
There are always a few practical accessories you may wish to leave for guests. For example, if the property is situated on the beach, provide some beach toys or a couple of sun chairs for guests to take on to the sand. These are all things that are useful when on vacation.
The Personal Touch
Try and include a few personal mementoes in your vacation rental. It is a good idea to lock most of your personal possessions away when you are not staying in the property to avoid breakages or theft, but leave a few bits and pieces out to add a more personal touch to the décor.
Vacation rental properties can be a great investment, but you do need to look after them if you want to maximise their potential.
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