Cottage rental basics
« Previous Entries Next Entries »How Is Your Cottage Packaged?
Wednesday, May 21st, 2008I bought an item yesterday and was eager to open it this morning. With no scissors or knife available, I gave up after fifteen minutes of battling with the packaging, threw the product on the floor and declared it useless. I found it quite a stressful experience and afterwards realised I had a completely different […]
Getting Ready for Rental - the Cottage Audit
Sunday, May 4th, 2008Whether you are a vacation rental owner who has been renting for some time, or new to the the cottage rental business, spring is a busy time preparing for the upcoming rental season. Although my place rents year round and I have honeymooners in there at the moment, I always set aside a week in […]
How to Prevent Overcrowding at your Cottage
Sunday, April 27th, 2008 Overcrowding in a rental cottage is a fear for many owners thinking about listing their place for the first time. Most of us have heard the horror stories of a friend or neighbour taking a booking for a couple or small family and then discovering that more people have turned up than expected.
This […]
Keeping on the Right Side of Your Neighbours
Tuesday, April 15th, 2008What do Sedona, Arizona; Maui; the Napa Valley in California, and Wasaga Beach, Ontario have in common?
These are just a few of the locations across north America that are cracking down on the growth in short term vacation rentals, by banning them altogether in some cases, and by introducing draconian licensing regulations in others.
With […]
How to Create a Web Site Your Visitors will Love
Sunday, March 23rd, 2008With the Cottage Life Show fast approaching, I’ve been spending the weekend doing some research for the seminars I will be presenting. Since one of the presentations is on Marketing Your Cottage Rental Profitably, I used a couple of hours early today to take a look at some cottage web sites to see what […]
Renting 101 - Creating Your Beginners Guide
Tuesday, March 11th, 2008I’ve had a couple of emails from potential cottage renters in the past few days that reminded me how many first-time renters there are each year and how important it is to provide basic information for them
It’s hard sometimes not to become irritated by seemingly ‘dumb’ questions which are in fact perfectly relevant if the […]
Vacation Rental Fire Safety
Tuesday, March 4th, 2008 Do you have an open fire or wood stove at the cottage? If so, do you allow your renters to use it? Do you supply clear and concise instructions on its use?
Julie Nelson at Cottage Daily highlighted the potential for a mishap in her post Fire Safety at the Cabin - a cautionary tale […]
Save Time By Including FAQs On Your Listing
Saturday, March 1st, 2008How much of your time is taken up by answering questions from your cottage rental guests? Questions about the length of the dock; the location of the nearest marina, Beer Store or supermarket; bed configuration or type of appliances, are common. It seems that as soon as I’ve finished answering a set of questions […]
What’s In Your Cottage Guide?
Thursday, February 28th, 2008f you have ever stayed at a vacation rental you will know that one of the first things you look for is the book that tells you where everything is, how to work certain appliances, where to find the local grocery store, and what to do in an emergency.
Well, maybe not […]
Does Your Cottage Have A Name?
Sunday, February 24th, 2008I like cottage names. A good name is evocative, inspiring or downright cute, and looks so much better on a sign than a house number or the surname of the owners. Great names are inspired by an array of sources - trees, animals, locations and views, literature and legends - and can be generated […]
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