Tag: holiday home

Turning your spare space into welcoming holiday accommodation

Turning your spare space into welcoming holiday accommodationmacrovector_official – www.freepik.com

Do you sometimes think that your home could be doing more for you? Perhaps the kids have flown the nest and you have empty bedrooms not being used. You could have a big garden that’s crying out for a shepherds hut, caravan, yurt or annex to be installed. Maybe you live in a part of the world that people love to come and visit. There’s a great way of getting your home to contribute to your livelihood; as a holiday let.

Whatever you want it to be; a side hustle, a bit of pin money or full-on new business venture you can decide. Here are a few useful tips on turning your under-used space into desirable holiday accommodation.

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Quality counts

The space needs to be immaculately clean; make sure the walls have had a fresh lick of paint and worktops have been disinfected and there’s not a speck of dust on any horizontal surfaces. Carpets should be shampooed and solid wood flooring mopped & polished. The bath and shower must be spick-and-span and the shower curtain spotless.

Provide freshly-laundered luxury towels & bed linen; if they look stained and threadbare it makes a really bad impression. Miniature toiletries such as handmade soaps luxury bubble bath add a lovely finishing touch.

Lastly, in this day & age, reliable wi-fi is an absolute necessity; unless of course, being remote and off-grid is your USP.

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Legal requirements

You’re allowed to make a small amount of income (currently £7,500 [tax year 2020-21]) before you need to pay tax on it. If you find that your holiday property is let for 105 days of the year or more (not including times when friends and family are staying for free), it then qualifies as a ‘Furnished holiday letting‘. Check the HMRC website to see whether you’ll need to register for self-assessment.

Health & safety considerations are of utmost importance when providing holiday accommodation to paying guests. This involves carrying out a risk assessment and ensuring the property complies with a number of standards and regulations regarding such things as fire, gas, electricity and carbon monoxide hazards. You will need to install smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, provide a fire extinguisher in the kitchen and make sure that furniture (especially mattresses, sofas and curtains) meets with British Standards requirements.

You will need to take out a new insurance policy which covers holiday letting. It should include public liability, accidental damage and loss of rent. Your regular home & buildings insurance won’t be sufficient – and may actually be voided if you need to make a personal claim.

To make all these statutory obligations easier to deal with, it is essential to keep proper records. Put away all relevant invoices & receipts – even if it’s only in a shoe box under your bed.

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Promotion

You’ve followed all the tips above and your holiday accommodation is ready to go; so how do you find paying customers? You need to get yourself out there!

Firstly, register your property on listings sites such as Airbnb, HomeAway and onefinestay. If you’re interested in house exchange opportunities, sign up to a site like PeopleLikeUs.

Set up social media accounts specific to your property and regularly upload beautifully styled photos of the space you have to offer. Instagram and Facebook Pages are perfect places to start.

Finally, never underestimate the power of word of mouth. Invite friends & family to give your new lodgings a trial run. Ask them for their honest opinion and to give you suggestions about what you could do to improve. They can then act as unofficial ambassadors, recommending your place to their friends and family – and so on, and so on.

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Tips on how to style your holiday home

Tips on how to style your holiday home

If you own a holiday home or have recently purchased one, you need to know how to prepare for the guests to arrive. You have a blank canvas on which you can truly use your style to give it a unique touch. Thanks to the rise of sites such as Airbnb, you can now rent out your property for days or weeks at a time when you aren’t using it, meaning you can get some welcome additional income to help with your household bills or Christmas presents. However, you don’t want your home to lose those quintessential touches – making it feel more like a hotel than a cosy bolt hole. So, whether you plan to use your holiday home yourself, or are looking to rent it out to holidaymakers, then keep these styling tips in mind.

Large picture window in a holiday home

Flooring

Believe it or not, flooring can make or break a holiday home. If your property is by the beach, then carpet is a nightmare to clean, while woodland cabins could soon see your dream floorboards become mud stained and damaged. If you are planning on renting out your home for several months of the year, then you need to make sure that you put practicality over style when choosing the right flooring for your property.

If your home is likely to be popular with families, then a non-slip and easy clean option will be a functional ideal to help any little accidents to be removed quickly and easily. If your property is in a more urban setting, or you only rent out to adult guests, then go wild with your dream cream carpets or wooden floors. However, if you want to make sure that you protect your flooring then warn your guests before arriving. Stiletto heels will cause some serious damage to your oak floorboards, so it’s better to set some ground rules before you start welcoming guests.

Open fire in a rustic holiday home

Embrace the surroundings

Remember, that your property is your second home, rather than a hotel or guest house. So, don’t let yourself be too influenced by the latest style trends or colour palettes. If you are fortunate enough to own a log cabin or cottage in Cornwall, then embrace your surroundings and any features that your home already offers. Don’t spoil gorgeous wooden beams with garish paint, or get rid of architectural features – as these add a unique touch to your property. Remember, these are all aspects that you can highlight when marketing your house to potential guests. If visitors wanted to stay in a hotel, then they wouldn’t be choosing your home.

Neutrally decorated sitting room in a holiday home

Be bold

Use colour to give your vacation home a truly unique touch. Remember, that you can use bright and vivid colours in the living areas, although bedrooms should be kept neutral so that your guests can feel a sense of calm when they are resting. Neutral tones can make the house feel modern, open and clean, but the use of dark colours in small, cosy living spaces can make any property feel cramped and oppressive for guests. Always buy sample tins of the paints that you like and test them in natural daylight for a true representation of how it will make your room feel. If you have a room that is for younger guests, then you may even want to consider using paint that is designed for easy cleaning. Tots and little hands will soon wreck any white walls, so make sure that you choose a darker neutral tone to conceal any damage.

Neutrally decorated double bedroom in a holiday home

Add unique touches

If your home is full of quirky or unique furniture, then this could influence whether your guests keep coming back year after year. Especially if you are marketing your home for adult guests, then make sure that you use a few unique pieces and items across your home to give it a personal look and feel. From adding some flea market finds, to leaving family photos on display, there’s no reason why you should make your home a sterile or boring environment. So, let your creative juices flow and be sure to include several items or pieces of art work that celebrate who you are as a family. It’s advisable, however, to refrain from keeping objects of high sentimental value in your holiday home, some things cannot be replaced!

Patio overlooking the Greek coastline

Ample seating

Don’t scrimp on seating! Even if your home is small and perfectly formed, remember that when your guests stay in your property they may invite friends and family members over for meals. Be sure to have ample seating in your living room, with a cosy couch and lazy chairs for your visitors to chill out in after their family meal. If your property has a deck, then be sure to provide some outdoor seating too, as your guests will love the opportunity to spend time eating and sharing time with family outdoors. You could even consider keeping some extra seating in store, if you have a garage, so that any visitors can help themselves and make good use of the space. If you’re looking for advice or help on renting out your holiday home, then sites such as TripleNet Gateway can help. Visitors may be put off returning to your property if they can’t enjoy it to the full, so make sure that you consider all options as you prepare your home to receive paying guests.

As a holiday home-owner, you need to make sure that your property reflects your own tastes and style, while providing a practical and welcoming space for any potential visitors or guests. Make sure that you provide enough seating and consider the type of flooring within your home. Don’t be afraid to include a few unique items or family photos to make guests feel welcome and at home – it’s a holiday home and not a hotel. Finally, have fun with colour to make your property feel stylish and warm. There’s no reason why you can’t inject your holiday home with a few stylish touches and colours, just make sure that whatever you choose suits your space. Once you’ve given your home a makeover, you can sit back and enjoy your stylish efforts.

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