With the popularity of vacation rentals on sites like VRBO and AirBnB, home owners have more opportunities than ever to make a strong profit from their investment properties. However, the maintenance that comes along with renting out multiple properties to business clients, travelers and families on vacation—never mind if you choose to enjoy the property yourself—can be exhausting, and inadvertently transform you into an exhausted ‘hotel’ manager against your will.Thankfully, there are myriad ways to minimise- and even eliminate - this ongoing hassle. Here are our top five suggestions to simplify your maintenance and ensure that over the course of this summer you spend less time managing your properties - and more time relaxing in the knowledge that they are well maintained.
1. Hire a cleaner for a bi-annual deep clean – Whileyou may employ a cleaner to make your property sparkle in between guests, scheduling a reputable company to do a comprehensive job at the beginning of the season will take all of the worry away from the approaching summer. Similarly, a thorough deep clean at the end of the season will make next year completely stress free.
2. Keep drinks fresh with a podmachine – Having fine teas, gourmet coffee and accoutrements on hand is a must for relaxing at home on a holiday, but you don’t want to be regularly restocking your cupboards. Avoid this hassle completely by using tea andcoffee pods – these little wonders don’t go stale, and come in a variety of flavours and roasts. We particularly like the Tassimo range of espresso coffee makersfor their style and small countertop footprint.
3. Durable yet stylish décor – High quality white sheets, towels and linens are all a great investment for your rental property, as they can be bleached back to their fresh original hue, but you can also consider dark colours (watch out for fading). Coir rugs, bamboo mats and stained wood can all providedurability and long lasting style. For more ideas on low-maintenance home goods, this article is worth a read.
4. Keep minimal food on hand to avoid spoilage–Stocking up with fresh food for you or your guests may seem like a hospitable idea, but the reality is that you may be providing a home for moths or mice. Instead, consider buying individual sealed packets rather than large bags or boxes, and keep your pantry stocked with some longer shelf-life staples.
5. Set up automatic toiletry delivery – Online chemists (such as Boots) and supermarket services like Ocado are a brilliant option when it comes to making a recurring delivery. Setting up a monthly delivery of soaps, shampoo, conditioner, body lotion, washing up liquid and other necessities will take the grunt work out of keeping your rental property stocked up.
Simplify your maintenance tasks, and take the effort out of enjoying your property, whether you plan to escape there yourself or rent it to others. After all, what’s the point of a holiday home if it’s more work than play?
Image via.
