Short term rentals, or vacation rentals as they are often referred to are becoming more and more popular these days. With awesome platforms like AirBNB, VRBO, Homeaway, Tripadvisor and more it is now easier than ever to make some cash from your empty basement. We have been doing vacation rentals for some time now and have discovered a few tips and tricks that leave lasting impressions with guests and result in positive reviews. It wasn’t until we were traveling as actual guests and staying in other people’s AirBNB’s that we started to realize how important these somewhat menial things can be. Here are a few things we have found to be important:
- Presentation is KEY: Studies have shown that the first 5 minutes a guest spends in your home is going to have as much of an impression on their stay and effect on their review as the rest of the time in your house combined. This is HUGE! This means that when your guest walks in you want their jaw to drop because of how nicely presented your house is. Things like making sure the remotes are straight, rugs are aligned, pillows neatly placed on the couch, and having the towels nicely folded have a larger impact than you could imagine. By doing these things it paints a picture to the guest that you care about your property and more importantly you pay attention to detail. When I walk into an AirBNB and see that the pillows are just thrown on the couch and the rugs aren’t straight it leaves me with the impression that the cleaning crew was in a hurry. If they didn’t take the half second to nicely arrange the pillows then what else did they slack off on? Is the toilet actually clean? How thorough was the shower scrubbed? As a guest I definitely don’t like having these uncertainties. So take the extra couple seconds to straighten the remotes, rugs, pillows, etc. Guests notice small intentions like this. More importantly if they can see that you care about your property then they are more likely to take care of it as well.
- Gift Baskets: After a long day of travel it is so nice to come in to the property and see a couple of small snacks waiting for you on the table. It doesn’t need to be anything extravagant or fancy, but it is nice to have something there as a token of appreciation from the hosts. We purchase a few items in bulk at Costco or also on Amazon and stock our supply closets. Our gift baskets at our properties usually have a value of about $3, but the guests don’t know that. They come in and the first thing they see is a basket full of treats and local chocolates. We like to buy personal bags of popcorn because they take up a lot of space and make the basket seem more full. We sprinkle in a couple of locally made truffles, some hot coco & apple cider packets and call it good. We also put a couple of waters in the fridge and occasionally some La Croixs as well. Guests love it! We get mentions in the reviews all the time about the gift basket and how it was a nice touch. I’d spend $3 to get a 5 star review every single time. It WORKS!
- Toothbrush & Toothpaste: Have you ever been on vacation and as you are getting ready for bed you realize that YOU FORGOT YOUR TOOTHBRUSH! It’s the worst! And it happens all too often. You aren’t about to go out and go to the store so instead you crawl into bed with grimy teeth. Nobody wants to do that. That’s why we provide 2 toothbrushes and a small travel toothpaste in every bathroom. We bought 100 on Amazon for $27 and a ton of travel sized toothpastes at about $0.70 each. It ends up being about $1.25 per bathroom, but often times guests don’t use them. However you better bet that if the guest forgot their toothbrush and you had one there for them that you are going to be getting a 5 star review!
These are just a few tips and tricks that we have discovered from our time hosting guests in our short term vacation rentals. By partnering with Vacation Rentals Cleaning for all of your short term rental cleaning needs you are partnering with a team of people who have been trained to pay attention to the small details. These small details make a meaningful impact on your guest’s vacation and in turn make a meaningful impact on your reviews, income, and repeat customers. Get a short term rental cleaning company on your side and give Vacation Rentals Cleaning in Salt Lake a call today to schedule a consultation.