Community: Message List - non vacation location

Re: non vacation location

community-no-reply@homeaway.com — Wed, 13 Jun 2012 17:53:57 GMT

Just to re-inforce choosing a deadlock over padlocks - most insurance companies will not accept padlocks as reliable, and won't insure or cover any loss if you use them. It's definitely worth the expense to call a locksmith.

Re: non vacation location

community-no-reply@homeaway.com — Mon, 11 Jun 2012 19:46:36 GMT

Hi, again, centralnc,

It's good to learn that you are going to "give it a go". There is an abundance of good information in other threads on this Community Forum. One in particular to visit and read is on the topic of "screening" {just type in that word at the top of this page in the field for "Search For Answers". All previous discussions will appear. When we all start out renting our homes, we have all discovered along the way how to set our personal/business criteria for which people "get the keys"...and who we "run the other way from". Screening is key! Generally, and I do mean the overwhelming majority of my guests over the course of years, have been super people...I could not have asked for better. I really enjoy helping make people's dream vacations become their reality. I hope you have fun with it, too. Wishing you wonderful guest experiences Stick with this Community Forum. I think this is a "class act" with all the owners here who are "top of the line" with all their various owner/rental business experiences.

Re: non vacation location

community-no-reply@homeaway.com — Mon, 11 Jun 2012 19:33:21 GMT

Agree with Gabriel - there was a thread a while ago and everyone agreed the worst lock for an owner's closet or off-limits area was a padlock as it just seemed to entice renters to know what was inside! Deadbolts are cheap and you will have a dedicated key for it.

Re: non vacation location

community-no-reply@homeaway.com — Mon, 11 Jun 2012 15:06:33 GMT

Wendy:

Make sure your closet where you lock personal things has a deadbolt. A simple door lock won't do it, you may have some guests who can open them with a credit card or a screwdriver and you will never know if anything has been taken.

A broken deadbolt is very obvious.

Best of luck,

Gabriel

www.Pochomilbeach.com

Re: non vacation location

community-no-reply@homeaway.com — Mon, 11 Jun 2012 14:18:31 GMT

Gabriel,

Thanks so much for your thoughtful response! I have decided to try it and see how it goes. I don't have a lot of "stuff", and I'm going to create a locked area in the house for anything of value. I figure I only need to rent it 6 times a year to reach my minimum financial goal.

Thanks,

Wendy

Re: non vacation location

community-no-reply@homeaway.com — Sat, 09 Jun 2012 23:28:36 GMT

Hi Wendy:

My suggestion: It all depends!

Depends on what you plan to do with the house in the next few years, are you going to use it as a vacation place for you, renters, and family members therefore you will clean everything and leave only standard items?

Depends on whether you want to keep grandma's china, your daughter's wedding pictures on the wall and your husband high school marching band trophies in the living room? Or you have a closet you can lock them in?

Depends if you only want to move out on peak golf weeks because you can make $10,000 per week and move back in the following week, and the fee will pay for professional movers to take things out and put them back in after the vacation renters leave.

Depends if you decide to switch to full vacation mode, where even you will feel like a guest in your home, with no visible signs of previous life, no pictures of kids, and buy new spices and ketchup everytime you go there, just like a vacation renter.

Depends on the rate you are able to charge and if it pays for all the hassle.

Depends on local zoning and regulations that allow the short term rentals.

Depends on your lifestyle, do you have an empty nest and the five bedrooms is too much for you and your husband? You have extra time and would like to take on this part time job (that will be full time from time to time).

I cannot answer your question, but I hope I left you with enough questions that you and your husband have to discuss before you make your decision.

We converted our vacation beach home into rental because we are no longer using it every weekend but every three months, so it took us a month to clean it up and convert it to a neutral environment.

Best,

Gabriel

http://www.pochomilbeach.com

Re: non vacation location

community-no-reply@homeaway.com — Tue, 05 Jun 2012 13:03:04 GMT

Linda,

Thank you so much for taking the time to offer your suggestions!!

Wendy

Re: non vacation location

community-no-reply@homeaway.com — Tue, 05 Jun 2012 13:00:40 GMT

Thank you, I appreciate you taking the time to give me some input!

Wendy

Re: non vacation location

community-no-reply@homeaway.com — Tue, 05 Jun 2012 12:55:16 GMT

Great ideas - thank you so much for your thoughtful response!!

Wendy

Re: non vacation location

community-no-reply@homeaway.com — Mon, 04 Jun 2012 22:31:32 GMT

I am going to make the same point as Carol....you need to research your local "market area" to see what people who live and rent there are doing. Because, we can not generalize to give you a better answer with knowing nothing more than what you've offered as information. In any event, research will give you all the answers you need.

Search online on the "rental" sites. As Carol suggested, start with HomeAway and VRBO. Search on your location...and then read all the advertisements to know what they feature in terms of your location, activities nearby, other nearby towns, their house rental rates, etc... to see what/how they are promoting visitation to your area....and do check their availability calendars...and read the "travelers' reviews' on their advertisinig pages. Also, check TripAdvisor.com...for your area...but also look at the TripAdvisor "forums"...there could be one for your area...and that's where you'll find locals answering questions {like here} from travelers to your area. You haven't mentioned where in NC, so I can't say if there is a TA forum for it. You find "forums" on the TA homepage {look at the left-hand side of the page...towards the top.}

I also agree with Irbaldwin/Linda. First, rental guests generally expect a home to be void of the *personal* contents of the owners - in the bedroom closets, bathrooms and inside the refrigerator and food storage closets....and everything spotless...as if no one has been living there before they arrived! You can offer them a "stocked pantry"...but as long as it's fresh and doesn't look as if you're offering yous or anyone else's leftovers.

So, you'd have to clear it out, completely, before someone "checks in". Do a deep clean each time before a guest arrives to check in...if guests see grime anywhere they usually remember it, e.g, when they write a review...and that will affect your future bookings. And, you would really have to be careful not to leave anything in the home that you will be sorry about if/when it gets damaged {guests break...stain...completely ruin things}....or it goes "missing" {that's been known to happen}. So, don't leave your really nice wine glasses...dinnerware....silverware...a silk/persion carpet....your best towels...valuable books, art, .jewelry....etc., which means, again, you'd need to do "inventory switches" each time -- have a stock of "guest inventory".

What to do with your stuff? If you have a spare room that you can *lock*...you could always move all your personal and cherished things into it. This moving "in and out" gets "old" and tiresome after a few times...which is why a rental needs to be stocked and equipped with items that are not "really your personal" ones.