Tips to Make Your Vacation Rental in the Outer Banks More Appealing
Do you find that you are not getting quite as many people booking time at your vacation rental in the Outer Banks as you would like? It could be due any number of different factors; from your listing to the amenities you are not offering. Often, it is a good idea to look at the property from the perspective of someone looking to rent a place for their next vacation.
Think about the sorts of things that you would like to have and that you would expect. The tips that follow can help you to get a better idea of how to make your property more attractive so you can get more vacation renters.
Never Forget the Basics
The basics are all the things that vacation renters have come to expect from properties. You need to have these types of amenities if you hope to have any chance of competing with other vacation rentals in the area. These include things such as wireless Internet, cable television, DVD/Blue-ray players, microwaves, sheet sets, utensils, dishes, and cookware, as well as a washer and a dryer.
Just think about all the basic things that you would expect when you are on vacation. Make sure your property has those items. While this is a great start, it is certainly not all you need to do if you want to make your property more appealing. At this point, you are just making sure the competition doesn’t offer more than you. If you don’t have the basics, why would anyone choose to stay at your place?
Highlight the Best Features of the Property
In addition to having the right basic amenities, you can make your property more appealing when you make sure you are highlighting the best features and putting them into your listing. Are you close to the beach? This is something that many renters are looking for. Are you in a nice and quiet location? What is within walking distance? Do you have some great views? Think about all the things that give your property personality and make it a part of the listing. You should also have photos that go along with the listing to illustrate the great features of the property.
If you happen to have a pool or a hot tub, a patio, a grilling area, a fire pit, and similar amenities that go above and beyond what others are offering, these need to be highlighted, as well.
Make It Attractive to Different Types of Renters
If you would like to rent your property without having too many lulls between guests, you should make sure that you can appeal to different groups of renters. If you want to appeal to those who are on a honeymoon or anniversary, you can play up the romantic angle of your property. You can cater to families, as well, by letting them know that the place is kid friendly, and that you have activities or games available that the kids might enjoy. In addition, you might want to think about becoming pet friendly, if you aren’t already. This is a good way to get more guests, as many people today like to travel with their pets. Depending on your home, you might not be able to cater to everyone, but you should think about ways that you can expand your horizons to appeal to more of the renters out there.
Take Care of the Little Things
Think about all the little things that might otherwise be forgotten. If you have a propane grill, make sure that the propane tank is full and ready to go before the guests arrive. If you have a charcoal grill, having a bag of charcoal available is always nice. Consider replacing some things such as the vent covers, the lighting fixtures, switch plates, and outlet plates with something a bit nicer. This is a small thing, but those old plates and covers might be outdated or damaged. Go over your home pretending you are a visitor and look for the little things that you might not notice, but that you would certainly appreciate being done for you.
Make Them Feel Welcome from the Start
As soon as the guests step out of the vehicle, they should feel as though they are on vacation. This means you want your property to have great curb appeal. It needs to be very welcoming. Look for and repair any loose bricks or steps, make sure there is no paint peeling, or rusty metal fixtures. Make sure the landscaping looks great, as well. You should also have a welcome mat outside.
As soon as they step inside, they should be greeted by a clean home with nice lighting that is easy to turn on as soon as they enter. After all, you do not want them stumbling around in an unfamiliar house trying to find the lighting. You might even want to take it a step further and have a light on inside of the home for when they arrive. The exterior lighting should be on a timer, so if they arrive after dark, they will not have trouble getting themselves and their luggage into the home.
What Is the Competition Doing?
Another one of the most important steps to take when you are looking for ways that you can make your vacation rental in the Outer Banks more appealing is to see what the competition is doing. What are they offering that you do not offer? Can you do the same as they are doing? Can you do better? While you might not be able to compete with all the homes in the area, you should look for comparable homes used as vacation rentals and look at their listings.
As you can see, there are plenty of fantastic and simple ways that you can improve the overall appeal of your vacation rental. If you want to succeed and get more business, you will follow this advice.