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How to Attract Guests to Your Vacation Home 313 Views :: 0 Comments :: :: Rentals How to Attract Guests to Your Vacation Home If you own a vacation home that you rent to others, you may be a bit nervous today with the news about the economy and gas prices. You may be worrying needlessly, the economic downturn actually benefits vacation homeowners. In stressful times, people crave vacations more than ever, we all need something to look forward to! It just makes sense that when things are bad, people plan vacations. We want to spend time with family and friends because we’re more aware of how precious our loved ones really are. Vacation homeowners are particularly well positioned to capitalize on people’s desire to “get away from it all” on a budget. After all, it can be considerably less expensive to drive to a nearby vacation home than to hop on an airplane and fly to some big tourist attraction-even with higher gas prices. You just need to make this case to potential renters. No matter how you attract people to your beach cottage, do everything possible to sell potential guests on the fact that your home is a fun and economical choice. Helpful Tips • Make the case for a short road trip rather than a long flight. Yes, it’s more expensive to fill up your tank these days. But plane tickets still cost more. And no matter how high gas prices may climb, it surely costs less (probably considerably less) to pack a family of four into a vehicle and drive a few hours than buy plane tickets for everyone to fly a longer distance. And that’s not even taking into account the hassle and inconvenience factors that come with air travel. • Play up big cities within driving distance. • Give a “gas incentive.” Even though people can save a lot more money driving to your vacation home than they could flying to some other destination, they may still cringe at filling their tank a couple of times at $80 a pop. Rational or not, it just feels too expensive. It’s all a matter of perception, not reality. If you can make them feel you’re giving them a break at the pump, they might be more inclined to choose your home. • Point your guests toward inexpensive or quirky local attractions. Some potential guests may not want to drive to a big city for shopping, culture, and fine dining. Perhaps they’d prefer to tour the local cheese factory, hike to a nearby waterfall, go see the world’s biggest ball of twine, shop at a sleepy country store, or dine at the hole-in-the-wall restaurant that has delicious barbecue. • Spell out all the benefits of staying in a vacation home-economic and otherwise. There are many reasons vacation homes are a better deal than hotel rooms. Often they just cost less, period. Even if they don’t, people can share a vacation home with friends and family members and split the rate among them. They can cook their own food rather than having to eat every meal at pricey restaurants. And of course, vacation homes often have tons of attractive amenities like hot tubs, swimming pools, and acres of private land to enjoy-perks that just aren’t the same at crowded hotels. • Allow pets. Many people hate to leave their pets behind when they go on vacation, regardless of the state of the economy. But when money is tight, even people who would normally board Fido or Fluffy might just decide not to go at all. After all, kennels and pet sitting services can cost hundreds of dollars. Offering to let renters bring their furry family members might make all the difference. • Tap into your network to start a word of mouth campaign. Let fellow employees, friends, relatives, church family, and even casual acquaintances know you have a great vacation home only a short drive away. Ten Tips That Will Keep Guests Coming Back 1. Plenty of “inside information.” Chances are, you know which gas station has the cheapest gas, which farm stand has the best produce, which Thai restaurant wins raves from diners. And you probably know the best places to go for an afternoon of hiking or guided river tours. You can mention these kinds of helpful hints on the phone when people call to reserve your home, or better yet, keep a list you email to guests. 2. A ping pong table. Great for basements, garages, and screened-in porches. Ping pong tables are cheaper than their billiard counterparts ($100-$300 vs. $300+) and have fewer pieces for your guests to lose. 3. A soft-serve ice cream maker, espresso machine, or Belgian waffle maker. Guests love playing with kitchen gadgets they don’t have at home. 4. High-speed Internet. It has become a must-have for most vacation destinations; however, vacation rentals in urban settings absolutely must provide high-speed Internet to capitalize on business travelers. 5. Baby gear. It will cost you around $50 for a foldable high chair and $60-$100 for a portable crib. Look for deals at garage sales and consignment shops. 6. Great bed linens. Egyptian cotton sheets will run around $40 to $60 for a king bed-a small price to pay to make guests feel as though they’re sleeping in the lap of luxury. 7. Terrycloth bathrobes. Ask any vacationer: There’s nothing more decadent than lounging around in a cozy robe each morning while you sip coffee and listen to birdsong or a roaring ocean. 8. A DVD player and good library of movies. If your guests have kids, at some point they will want to pop in a movie. It helps the little ones unwind before bed and gives parents some welcome “adult time” free of childish chatter. 9. A selection of games. Think of this as “rainy day insurance.” If bad weather strikes, you want guests to remember the fun they had playing Monopoly, Twister, or Scrabble-not the boring hours they spent staring out the window at the downpour. 10. A small parting gift. This could be a magnet, a picture frame, a seashell. Not only will renters feel grateful for the gift, they will likely think fondly of your vacation home each time that they see it. From an artcle by Christine Karpinski: Christine Karpinski is the author of How to Rent Vacation Properties by Owner, 2nd Edition: The Complete Guide to Buy, Manage, Furnish, Rent, Maintain and Advertise Your Vacation Rental Investment (Kinney Pollack Press, 2007, ISBN: 0-9748249-9-2) and Profit from Your Vacation Home Dream: The Complete Guide to a Savvy Financial and Emotional Investment (Kaplan, 2005, ISBN: 1-4195069-1-9). Avoid all the hassles of renting your vacation home on the Bolivar Penisula, by letting Swedes Real Estate take care of all the worries!