If you own extra property then one of the greatest ways to profit from it is to create a vacation rental from it. This is better if you live somewhere that’s touristy or up and coming.  Vacation rentals have been increasing in popularity for travelers as more and more are opting for slower eco-friendly travel such as staycations or workcations. These are not only more eco-friendly but for property owners, this can be a great investment. You’re helping with pushing slow travel while helping the tourism industry in the area your rental is at. It’s a win-win.

While vacation rentals are one of the best methods for accommodation, it can be difficult trying to find customers who want to rent out the space. You’re having to compete with other vacation rentals, AirBnBs, hotels, and other methods of accommodation. So it’s important to find ways to make your vacation rental appealing. So how can this be done? How can you show off the vacation rental so potential guests know that they’ll be making a good choice? These are some ways to achieve just that!

Begin by figuring out who your audience is

One of the very first things you should do is figure out who your targeted audience is. This is so important as this is going to help you narrow down how you’ll decorate but also how you’ll market your vacation property.  There are so many different types of travelers, so you’re going to have to niche down. So find an audience that you’re after and try to attract them,  For instance, if the size of the  space is quite large, such as two or more bedrooms then this could be a vacation rental that you can gear towards families. In this case, you’ll want to decorate the space to where it feels homely such as sturdy furniture, no sharp corners, a well-equipped kitchen, and a laundry facility.

If you’re wanting to focus on getting couples to rent your vacation property then you’re going to need to spend time looking into ways to make it appear romantic and market this space as a romantic oasis for couples. Some ideas can include a large bed, a bar cart (where they can place their alcohol), champagne flutes, a large bathtub, a small dining table, and a hotel-styled appearance.

These are just a couple of ideas how you can niche down your vacation rental, but you can realistically niche it down either further just as for people of specific interest, guests who plan to do certain activities while they’re there (such as work), the list can go on and on. So you’re far better off not trying to aim towards multiple people and instead focus on one targeted group and go from there.

Think about how you can make your vacation rental stand out

How can you get your vacation rental to stand out? Why should a guest choose your vacation property rather than going somewhere else such as a hotel? It’s so important to find out what you can offer. You can even look into other travel properties such as Door County vacation rentals as inspiration. Some ideas can include getting a pool, hot tub, a pool table, large TV, or even just having a nice surrounding the vacation property.  

But when you are picking out nice amenities to make your vacation property stand out, it’s important to make sure that you cater these to your targeted niche.  Overall, just look around for ideas and inspiration on what you can add to your vacation rental to make it seem more attractive.

Focus on decorating to perfection

Whenever you’re booking accommodations for travel, do you judge the appearance of the interior? There is a very high chance that you are without even realizing it.  While prices and locations are major credentials when booking accommodations for trips, the appearance itself is also something major that guests choose wisely about too. Guests love staying somewhere that’s visually appealing, they want to feel as if they’re at “home”, plus the interior can massively affect a person's mood. You want them to be comfortable so this is majorly important.

So how can you tastefully decorate your vacation rental?  Well, there are plenty of ways to do this such as adding wooded panels to cozy up the space.  But there is so much you can do too. It’s best to skip the matching furniture sets as those don’t look attractive (and unoriginal). Focus on adding multiple different elements as this is the best way to spruce up the space. Look into mixing up proportions, but colors, contrasts, patterns, and designs can be great as well. Just make sure you’re picking items that complement each other and the space as a mishmash doesn’t look good or welcoming at all.

Keep it nice and tidy

Cleanliness is a serious matter, especially if you’re going to have guests staying on your property. Whether you’re planning on cleaning up the space yourself or plan to hire a housekeeper, the rental should get a thorough cleaning before new guests arrive.  When you’re decorating this space, it’s important to keep housekeeping in mind. You’re going to want to pick out pieces of furniture that are going to be easy to clean. Shag rugs are far too difficult to vacuum, fuzzy blankets tend to be very difficult to clean, and certain materials can’t be thrown into the washer either. So all of these have to be kept In mind. 

Think about the curb appeal

Curb appeal can be just as important as the interior when it comes to attracting potential customers to your vacation rental. Images of the exterior of the rental (including the surroundings) will be judged when guests are looking through images when deciding whether they should book it or not.  This is also going to be the very first part of the rental that guests see once they arrive, and first impressions matter.  Curb appeal doesn’t have to be expensive. You can either opt into hiring yourself a landscaper or do the work yourself. Cutting the grass, planting flowers, and shrubs can truly make a massive difference.