Preparing Your Vacation Rental for Travelers

It is important that each room in your vacation rental is prepared and equipped with the necessary items for your guests to enjoy. All the appealing comforts of home will keep travelers enticed by your property and coming back for more. In addition, it is important that many items be removed, as they serve no purpose to your guests and only detract from the attractiveness of your home.

Before renting your home, you should remove all valuable items and all personal affects. Many owners choose a closet, small room, area in the basement, or garage that can be closed off and locked to store their personal items while guests are staying at their home. Guests enjoy a sparse and clean environment, with limited items in each room. If too many personal items are left out, your home will appear cluttered to your guests.

Have: Flat-screen TV’s are very popular these days, so if you don’t have one it is a good idea to add one to your living room, as it makes your property more appealing to travelers. We also recommend having cable TV and a DVD player. You should also have plenty of seats for guests of renters. If your couch is on the smaller size, you may want to think about upgrading or adding a chair or loveseat to provide more room for guests.

Have-nots: Too many items on coffee tables and end tables, leaving the room looking cluttered, and not giving the guests enough room to put their own items.

Have: Plenty of glasses, plates, bowls, and silverware. A coffee pot, toaster oven, pots and pans, and other cooking equipment are also essential.

Have-nots: It is okay to leave some food in your cabinets and fridge if you choose to, but to have them overflowing so the guests have no room to put their own groceries is not wise. Also, make sure to remove any food that may go bad or spoil while guests are staying at your home.

Have: Plenty of clean sheets and extra blankets and pillows for each bedroom and each guest. Guests also appreciate if the bedroom has a mirror on the wall, an alarm clock next to the bed, and hangers in the closet.

Have-nots: Personal clothing should all be put away in storage. Also, personal items that you normally keep in your bedroom should be put away.

Have: Plenty of clean and good quality towels. It is a good idea to have extra bath towels, as well as plenty of extra face and hand towels. Also, it is very important that you continuously replace your shower curtain liner to keep a clean shower. We also recommend you provide a bathmat, and possibly some liquid or bar soap. Travelers expect to find bathrooms in spotless condition, as they would at a hotel. Other conveniences such as a hairdryer, toothbrush holder, etc. are always nice to provide and highly recommended.

Have-nots: No personal items should be left in the bathroom including toothbrushes, hairbrushes, used bar soap or washcloths.

Amenities you choose to provide to your guests will only make your property more desirable, and, in turn, you will have more rentals. People appreciate having the comforts and amenities of home, which is why they choose VacationMouse.com over a hotel. It’s also important to have an iron and ironing board, internet connection, and laundry facilities. Videos, area guide books, area attractions, restaurant guides, etc. are also a nice touch.