Idyllic Country Cottage available for Short Stays
Here at Eventfulstays we know that renting out your house can sometimes be a stressful and worrying time especially when it is your family home, so we’ve drawn together some Top Tips from our own experiences (and mistakes!) of renting out our homes to make your renting experience easy and stress-free!
Firstly, lets remember why its such a great idea to rent out our homes for a short stay. We spend years getting our homes to look stunning and functioning perfectly to cater our needs, so why not show it off and give other people a chance to experience the same pleasure you get from your home on a daily basis? More importantly there is the financial benefit, the extra money you will generate from renting out your home for a weekend break could help ease a tight budget or go towards that much needed holiday!
Eventfulstays advertise properties linked to events, for example if you have a home in Henley on Thames it would be the perfect place to stay for guests visiting the Henley Literary Festival or the Henley Royal Regatta.
These are our suggestions which we think will help you to provide a great experience for your guests as well as giving you peace of mind in the run up to your rental.
- As ever, first impressions are crucial. Guests will aim to leave your home in a similar state as you left it. Simply make sure
Beautiful Country Farmhouse for self-catering short breaks
the house is clean, uncluttered and fragrant – it is amazing what a difference a few flowers can make to your guests arrival!
- We recommend finding a team of trustworthy local cleaners who can come in without a fuss and prepare your house and who will also be able to pop in during longer stays to clean round and do a linen change (this not only gives you peace of mind but also makes your guests feel well cared for and more likely to stay again!)
- Make sure all beds are made and leave two towels per person – a bath towel, hand towel and perhaps a facecloth, as well as sufficient toilet roll. (Have some spare linen and towels stored somewhere not too obvious, if your guests need them they will find them – if not then they wont use them unnecessarily!)
- In each bedroom, leave wardrobe space for a few dresses and a suit and clear out 2 draws hiding anything you might not want your guests to see!
- You don’t need to clear away shower gels and potions from the bathrooms, guests will most likely bring their own and they are always grateful if they do need to borrow some.
Stunning Self Catering Accommodation perfect for weekend breaks
- Your guests aren’t going to be stocking up on masses of groceries during their stay so you don’t need to empty every cupboard and draw! Just leave some fridge and cupboard space (getting rid of any perishables) and maybe a freezer draw. Offering your condiments to your guests is both practical for you and a kind gesture to them and simply ask that if they do use any of your tinned or frozen items, they replace them or leave a donation.
- A full ‘Welcome Pack‘ isn’t needed, leaving some tea, coffee, bread, milk and butter in the usual places is a lovely touch as well as giving useful contact numbers such as a local doctor and friendly neighbour and some information on the local area. Write down your WIFI code and give some instructions for the heating, hot water, and most importantly your security system (there’s nothing worse than a middle of the night call asking how to turn off the alarm!).
- On the guests arrival hand over 2 sets of keys (better than you having to come and replace a lost mid-stay), give a quick tour of you home and brief explanation of anything they may need to know and then leave them to it and relax!
- An Honesty book is a great idea; a notebook for guests to record any spills or breaks – guests are usually eager to tell you if anything has happened and then it is up to you to decided whether you want to charge or not.
- It is important to let your insurance company know that you are renting out your home for a short stay and that you have Public Liability insurance just in case anyone gets hurt.
- Don’t over prepare! You don’t need to hide all traces of your existence, the guests know they are renting a home and are expecting to see photographs and trinkets around!
Eventfulstays will do all the work hard work of organising the rental, running a check on the people staying in your home, taking the payment and holding a security deposit (although we’ve never had to use it, it’s good to be on the safe side in the event of any damages). All you need to do is ensure your home is welcoming and allow the guests to enjoy their short stay!
For further information on renting out you home with Eventfulstays please feel free to contact us
This entry was posted on Thursday, June 7th, 2012 at 4:14 pm and is filed under Our Favourite Places to Stay.... You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.
