You have just purchased your new holiday home and want to decorate and set it up for rental.
Our Property Management team at Blue Sky Luxury Barbados has lots of experience helping new owners set up and manage their new holiday homes. Here are some tips on how to set up your property as a Short Term holiday rental.
- Stick to a neutral color palette. Most guests prefer soothing tones. A color palette of white, tan, or grey, is also timeless, so it saves you time and money as it relates to updating your decor. If you love color, then add a pop of color to your neutral palette. This way, you inject a bit of personality and your style while making your guests feel comfortable.
- When choosing furnishings – select durable materials that will withstand multiple uses. Some suntan lotions may ruin materials such as suede or velvet so ensure that you understand the quality of the furnishings you are purchasing.
- Most of us love ‘knick-knacks’ but we recommend that you keep your decor welcoming and reduce the number of ‘knick-knacks. For the period that guests are renting, they want to feel that it is their home. Reduce or eliminate personal items, especially personal photos, and breakable valuables.
- We highly recommend white linens – at least 3 sets. White linens are easy to wash, they help create a feeling of calm and provide the perfect backdrop for a pop of colour! Have one set in use, one set in the cupboard, and one in the wash.
- Cutlery, crockery, and glassware – Our rule here is: your property can hold 10 guests maximum so have at least maximum capacity of the property plus 50% more. I.e 15 glasses
- Ensure that usable items such as electronics are in good working order. Don’t keep an old radio ‘just because’. If it’s there, make sure it is in good working order, if not remove it.
- The team at Blue Sky Luxury always recommends best practices as it relates to protecting the environment. To economise on electricity – use LED or energy-saving bulbs. We also recommend that you purchase Inverter type AC units. This helps to reduce your electricity bill and your environmental footprint.
- Ensure that your Internet package is reliable and has adequate coverage – especially if your property is a large one Make sure it is the fastest speed available.
- Install a water tank. When water outages occur, you want to ensure that your guests have access to potable running water. If there are also adverse weather conditions, you want to ensure that you can assure guests that they will always have access to the necessities.
- Choose a good Property Management company that will treat your property as their own. We cannot reiterate this enough. Most owners are not on the island and you want to know that you have a trusted partner to protect your assets. A full-service company is ideal. This way, you get better rates and better service for your property all in one place. A full-service company with great Reservations, Concierge and Guest Services, and Human Resources departments, can assist you in hiring the right staff for your property.
Written By: Pamela D’Andrade, Blue Sky Luxury Property Manager
Stay in touch, we love to hear from you!
Direct Barbados: 1.246.622.4466
Freephone UK: 0800 0885574
Toll Free US/CND: 1 866 404 9600
Email: experts@blueskyluxury.com
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