New Vacation Rental Owners: Tips on Furnishing, Supplying, and Prepping Your Vacation Rental

New to owning or managing a vacation rental? We're diving into some of the tricks of the trade when it comes to furnishing, supplying, and prepping your home to hosts guests!

Furnishings:

Furnishing a vacation rental is truly a balancing act, but as an owner, the following statement serves as words to live by:

Buy cost-friendly and good quality - NOT luxury items.

Most guests really appreciate and recognize good quality and/or comfortable furniture, decor, etc., but not every guest will recognize or respect when an item is considered "luxury." Good quality = good reviews and can even save you money in the long-run as an owner. Poor quality can result in not-so-good reviews as well as faster damage to your furniture and belongings. Stocking your vacation rental with luxury items and/or furniture, on the other hand, can result in unnecessary overspending... Especially when something becomes damaged and needs to be replaced!

Another thing to keep in mind as an owner is that you should never purchase or install decor, art pieces, or items to which you have an emotional attachment. (This nearly always results in owner heartbreak!) When it comes to decorating, we highly encourage purchasing cost-friendly but good quality artwork, light fixtures, wall decor etc. This will allow you to completely style your vacation rental without spending an arm and a leg. Plus, if anything becomes damaged by a guest, it will be more affordable for you to replace the item quickly and cost-effectively.

Supplies:

When it comes to supplies that will be reused for a length of time, high quality items can go a long way! For day-to-day items like linens, kitchen utensils etc., we recommend purchasing high quality in bulk to get a lower price with great quality. Purchasing "cheap" kitchen appliances or utensils will result in the need for replacement far more often than spending a little extra money up front on items that will last! Similarly, investing in high quality bathroom and bedroom linens will help these items to last longer and typically result in better guest views. It's no secret that guests love thick, fluffy bathroom towels and soft and silky bedsheets!

Prepping for Guests:

Lastly, it is very important to take steps that will minimize your footprint as an owner. Guests enjoy feeling like a vacation rental is their own space to relax and unwind in, and they appreciate when their hosts are receptive and responsive... But not necessarily physically present. To minimize your owner footprint, we recommend having a locked closet with all of your personal items in it so that guests cannot see or stumble upon them. This allows your personal items stay stay safe and sound and allows your guests to make the space their own during their stay. Locked closets are also great places to keep extra towels, linens, cleaning supplies etc. for when it's time to flip your vacation rental for your next guests!

Need help managing your Southern California vacation rental? Turn to professionals at AMG to help maximize your homeowner revenue and elevate your guests' experiences. Receive your custom Management Proposal from us to get started!