When Andrea, and her cousin Sue, along with their combined four children walked into their rented condo in Whistler this past Christmas, they gasped. The carpet was full of mold. In fact it was so bad, they couldn’t take off their shoes. The bathroom was even worse. At $220 a night they were angry and disappointed. This was not a wow experience for these vacation renters.

Renting properties via the Internet is a little like playing Russian roulette, you pay your money and hope for the best. The owner of this condo is actually doing themselves a huge disservice. Sure they may make money in the peak times, but this unit likely sits empty the rest of the year.
Goal is to Have Repeat Customers

If you currently rent out your summer cottage, or your are considering doing so to help cover some of the costs, one of your major goals should be to establish a regular clientele – guests that come back again and again, book a year in advance and come for out-of-season weekends, and rave about your property to their friends, relatives and work colleagues, writes Heather Bayer, a.k.a CottageBlogger, in her book, Renting Your Recreational Property for Profit.

Referrals are the easiest and most inexpensive way to attract renters. It’s also important to note that it’s not one thing that creates a wow effect, but rather a series of well orchestrated, thought-out steps that will exceed a renter’s expectations.

First Impressions Are Critical

Bayer explains, “The WOW comes from that first impression - as you enter the driveway, see the cottage, open the door etc. Check the approach to the cottage and make sure it is attractive. Hanging baskets, flower tubs and flower shrubs do the trick, but make sure they can be watered regularly, or choose varieties that can withstand hot, dry conditions and can go a week without water.”

She also notes, “Remember that sound and smells are important which is why we always leave the radio on Classic FM, and ensure the place smells really fresh. There is nothing more off-putting than old cooking smells or musty/damp odours. If the latter is a problem it cannot be masked with air fresheners. You may need to purchase a dehumidifier to take some of the moisture out of the air. I would caution against strongly scented air fresheners as they can cause allergic reactions in some people. Fresh, fresh, fresh is the key!!”

No Surprises

Make sure the guests know what to expect before they arrive. The pictures of the unit need to be up-to-date and provide as many details as possible. It’s great to have someone there to greet the guests, and provide a brief overview of the cabin or condo’s basic operations i.e. fireplace, hot tub, parking passes and garbage disposal.

Make Sure They Can Get In

If you can’t be there is person, use a lock-box and store the keys inside the unit, or pay the extra money and install a Weiser Keyless Entry System. (www.weiserlock.ca/wei-eng/powerbolt/default.htm they cost $95. This will help avoid the hassle of replacing lost keys.

Welcome book

The importance of this cannot be overstated. Bayer devotes a whole chapter to this in her book. The book should contain the following:

• Clear instructions for operating fireplaces, hot tubs, and appliance
• Policies on smoking, telephone, pets, garbage collection and additional visitors
• Emergency contact numbers including walk-in clinic, fire, police, including yourself or your property management company, how to handle noisy neighbors
• Local information on activities taking place that season
• Where to eat – very important – provide list of restaurants and telephone numbers ranging from high-end to family friendly. Note any delivery services

There are many things owners can do to create a wow experience and most of it is just common sense and empathy. If you’ve had positive rental experiences, I would love to hear about it.

Cheers,

Julie

This entry was posted on Wednesday, January 16th, 2008 at 10:52 am and is filed under Guests, Real Estate. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.