A vacation house is one of the best investment anyone can have. You can welcome guests from different walks of life, effectively use the property and earn at the same time. And if you’re someone who loves to travel, a vacation house is a perfect business for you! However, with the number of vacation houses available in all parts of the globe, making yours stand out can become a challenge.
You’ll have to pour in time and effort just so you can gain and retain customers. You’ll also have to think about what the competition is doing to get ahead of them. If you’re concerned about your business as a vacation homeowner, consider having makeovers for your vacation home. With the right tweaks and additions, you’ll be able to create a positive brand image which can help your business thrive in the long run.
How your vacation house looks right now might be aesthetically appealing but if you want to drive in more customers and profit, you should be willing to make changes – and this time, it’s through makeovers. These makeovers are very simple to do and will require minimal costs. Here’s how you can do it:
- Change how your interior looks:
Everything you’ll do with your vacation house will have an impact to the property’s value and rental bookings. Aside from making sure that your vacation house looks appealing outside, it’s just as important to give customers the same experience once they step inside. How your interior looks can make or break your chance to create a positive impression on your customers. Work with these things for the interior changes for your vacation house:
- Paint your walls: If you want to increase the value of your property and your rental bookings, start by adding a few coats of colors on your wall. For vacation homeowners like you, it’s best if you stick to neutral paint colors such as shades of creams and browns. This color palette is appealing to most customers. If you want to add a pop of colors, use pillows, vases, rugs and art pieces.
- Remove dated features: Customers would want to stay in an accommodation which can offer the luxury and modernity. But when you’re still using popcorn ceilings in your vacation house, you’ll never gain the favors of the customers. Popcorn ceilings are features which were a trend back in the 1950’s. Anything that’s old will not bring in profit for your business.
- Spend time in the bathroom and kitchen: The bathroom and the kitchen are two of the most important areas in your vacation house. Once customers see how these areas are outdated, don’t expect that they’ll ever stay in your vacation house twice. Always spend the time to update your bathroom and kitchen as this can yield at least 65% increase in your property value compared to the expenses you’ve put in. for starters, consider the upgrades listed below:
- Play around with natural lights in these rooms. Add more windows or give customers the option to have curtains opened. These will influence their mood while creating more space in the rooms.
- You can also add new tiles in the bathroom for a splash of color and update of scenery.
- Nothing screams modernity better than new appliances. Although some appliances can be costly, this can be an excellent investment – the more appliances a customer can use during his stay, the more justifiable your rental fee increase is.
The makeovers you’ll do inside your vacation house can increase your property value for up to $150,000 and an increase of at least 23% in your rental fees.
- Don’t forget about the exterior: Your customers might be staying inside your vacation house but what they see outside can already create an impression – and whether this impression is in a positive or negative way solely depends on how your exterior looks like. Consider changing the following areas of your exterior:
- Update your landscaping: Never use plants and other greeneries when you don’t have the interest and time to look after them. You’ll end up having a landscape that’s brown and withered. Instead, choose greeneries which don’t require maintenance. Perennials can be an option since these will grow every year as long as they’re watered. Bushes and trees can also add dimension to your vacation house without the needs to tend them every now and then.
Have a working roof:
The roof might not be as evident compared to other things in your property but this affect how your vacation house looks like. No matter how modern and new your exterior looks like, when it’s paired with an old and sagging roof, it’ll never do any good. Assess your roof and if you need repairs or replacement, call for help right away. If you’re living in Utah, there are many professionals who can take care of your roofing in Salt Lake City.
- Think about walkways and driveways: Walkways and driveways are very obvious once a customer steps in your property. Both of these can add visual appeal to your property so consider having these repaved or sealed.
- Add exterior lightning: If you want your vacation property to have that romantic feel and additional charm, add exterior lightning. You can have one in the garages, decks, porches and even back patios. And with the variety of exterior lighting to choose from, you’ll surely find one which is perfect for your vacation house. Aside from adding value to your property, exterior lighting can also affect customers’ moods especially when they’d prefer being outdoors during night time.
Depending on the extent of the makeovers you’ll do in the exteriors, your property can increase its value for at least $15,000. You can also increase your rental fees for up to 15% of its original price.
- Hire a professional cleaning service: All of the makeovers you’ve done inside your vacation house will be useless if it’s covered in dust. This is why hiring a professional cleaning service should be on top of your to-do list. As a vacation homeowner, you should make sure that every customer will experience the same level of cleanliness every time they stay at your property. Cleanliness will have an impact on the experience they had during their stay. It can also showcase how well-maintained your property is.
Give Them What They Want
The business arena is fast-paced. Regardless of what industry you’re operating, your business should always be innovative. You should continually offer products and services which are new and creative to entice customers. The same also applies to your vacation house business. Customers will always want to experience something new. This means that customers might no longer be satisfied with the amenities you’re providing them repeatedly. If you want your business to grow long-term, always give what the customers want – and you can start by having makeovers for your vacation house!