This was something I started a couple of years ago after a guest at the cottage called and just asked the question, “What is there to do round here when the weather’s bad?” We’d provided a good library of books and a few videos and DVD but hadn’t gone much beyond that. My family spent years camping in the UK and were so used to disappointing weather that we always had a ‘Plan B’ to keep the kids occupied, so I guess I expected everybody does that. But we are finding that many guests are not so self-sufficient, particularly those who are new to vacation rentals and whose past experiences have been in hotel complexes and resorts where every activity under the sun (or rain) is provided for them.

I want my guests to have a wonderful time regardless of the weather. When the weather is great, it’s easy as there’s so much to do outside. Swimming, fishing, kayaking; sitting on the dock with a good book; campfires at night, and the hot tub, all add up to wonderful experiences. However, when it’s grey and cool and the rain lashes down, it’s worthwhile providing a range of indoor activities to keep the family happy.  My Rainy Day Book has a long list of ideas ranging from

Books

Apart from a range of novels to appeal to a variety of tastes and ages, provide some books that will give your guests ideas on what to do. A recipe book for candy making (just make sure you have a robust pan for them to use if they are making hard candies); a book on the art of origami with a supply of paper; or a book on teaching your dog to do tricks ( if you allow pets), are just some suggestions.

Cooking and baking

Supply cookie sheets, muffin tins, cake pans and some recipe books for making sweet stuff. Provide a box of items guests are unlikely to bring with them such as sprinkles, cup cake papers, icing tools, etc. If you take a little time and imagine what you would like to have in a kitchen if you decided on the spur of the moment to do some baking, then stock accordingly, your cooking inspired guests will be happy.

Craft Box

Create an activity inspiring craft box. The number one item in your box should be a large plastic tablecloth, perhaps two. Then you can include glue sticks, paints, crayons, colouring books, sewing kits, activity packs etc. I would suggest taping a sheet to the top of the box that asks guests to keep the box tidy and to always use the cloth when doing crafts on your dining table. I have a large tote with several smaller plastic boxes inside for different items – all labeled. Things don’t always go back in the place you want them to be but moms are generally so appreciative they have been provided that they usually make a good attempt.

Videos and DVDs

If you’ve ever curled up in front of an old movie on a rainy day, you’ll know it’s a feel-good thing to do. My favourites are Paint Your Wagon; The Great Escape and Inn of the Sixth Happiness. Get a good collection to suit different tastes – you can probably find them at yard sales and in the discount bins at Wal*Mart – and list them in your RDA book. 

Board Games & Cards

Stick to the known favourites such as Monopoly, Trivial Pursuit, Scrabble, Yahtzee and Clue and provide a chess set. Supply several packs of cards, a crib board and a book of card games.

Places to go in the rain

Don’t just collect leaflets from your tourist office; provide a list of places to go with a short description of each. For instance we have directions for a couple of half-day driving tour. Our Chocolate, Cheese and Beer Tour is a round trip that takes in a chocolate outlet, a cheese factory and a local brewery.

Your Rainy Day Activity Book is your key to great reviews from your guests which can be hard to get when the weather is not in their favour. They will appreciate that you have thought about their needs and have taken the time to give them some ideas on what to do. It is one of those value added extras that can get you more repeat bookings and word of mouth referrals. And, apart from all that, it’s a lot of fun to do!

Let me know what you do to offer your guests rainy day options.

This was the start of a learning experience that lasted through our two-week vacation and had us in trouble on a couple of occasions and scratching our heads on others. There were a lot of frustrating experiences that could have been prevented by a little forethought on both our part and the cottage owner who knew this was our first time in Canada.

At that time, the internet was not the massive source of information it is now, so our knowledge of travelling in Canada came from a few dog-eared guide books, none of which were focused on self-catered vacations. This is what we found out the hard way:

• In Ontario, beer and wine is not sold in supermarkets; only in government regulated stores – The Beer Store and LCBO. These can be few and far between in cottage country.
• A four-way, or All-Way junction is a beautiful thing in action but not if you don’t have a clue what it is.
• If a school bus is coming towards you and it stops, then you must stop too. Not knowing this could have been costly if that nice traffic policeman hadn’t taken pity on our ignorance.
• Wow – you can turn right on a red light (don’t forget we are driving on the right). Not being aware of this one really annoys the guy behind you!
• Septic systems back-up if you treat the plumbing like you do at home and attempt to flush stuff that was clearly only intended for a super-high-efficiency city waste system.
• There are not gas stations on every corner in cottage country so filling up before the last stage of the journey 40 minutes of f the highway is important, because you have to drive that same 40 minutes to get back to the highway.

There were more of these. All little nuggets it would have been nice to know before we started out and found ourselves in our little piece of paradise with not enough fuel to get back to the nearest Beer Store, which was closed anyway!

A few years have passed since then and most travel information like this is now readily available at the click of a mouse, but we remember the damper put on our vacation by our in adequate knowledge of the differences between daily living in the UK and Canada. Consequently, we developed a guide that we send to all our international guests that comprehensively covers everything they may encounter from the arrival at the airport to travelling and living in cottage country. Here are some examples from our guide:

Documents:

You must have a current driving licence for renting a car – the licence card is insufficient on its own; you will also need to present the paper portion of the licence.

On The Road

If a school bus is stopped with its lights flashing, traffic in both directions must stop to allow children to cross the road in front of the bus, unless the road is dual carriageway with a central reservation (median).

Out and About

It is an offence in Ontario to consume alcohol in a public place such as a park or public beach. No alcohol can be carried or consumed any boat that does not have permanent sleeping accommodation and toilet facilities. These regulations are strictly enforced particularly on the larger lakes

At the Cottage

Leaving a screen door open is an invitation to a mouse to join you on vacation. Never prop a screen open, even while you are getting stuff in from the car as you may be bringing in more than your shopping!

We also provide detailed directions on how to leave the airport safely; join traffic on the highway and which lanes are best to be in for accessing exit ramps.

Providing a guide for international travelers is not only a helpful resource for your guests; it’s a responsible action on your part as an owner. In educating your visitors they will have a happier and hopefully a trouble-free stay.

I’m more than happy to share my Guide to International Guests so if you would like a copy, just email me from the comments page.

What’s happened? Well, it’s a curious thing this year that we’ve had such a massive boost in traffic to our vacation rental management web site; booking enquiries and subsequent reservations that all else has been put into limbo while we cope with the influx of business.

For those of my readers who don’t know what I do for a day job, I’m President of one of Ontario’s top rental management agencies. We manage around 150 cottages (more every day) in southern Ontario which means creating great relationships with our owners and playing matchmaker to find the best rental clients for their properties.

There’s no complaints here; just an air of manic depravity that invades the office on occasions causing bouts of hysteria and maniacal laughter. Jokes that have been heard a hundred times have gained a new ability to reduce us to tears; and even the dogs have become wary of settling under a desk since foot stamping to the strains of Susan Boyle became the norm.

I mentioned the increase in business on Twitter yesterday and was asked what the secret was. I’m not telling all because this is a really competitive business, but here’s a few pointers to our success this year:

• We hired an SEO company to help us boost traffic to the web site. Result: 35% increase + we are on Page 1 of Google for our top 3 keywords, and climbing fast. This was a great investment.
• We’ve got a great looking web site that gets rave reviews, and is continuously tweaked to provide more information and better navigation.
• We only accept the best cottages onto our rental management programme. That means they have to meet (and maintain) our increasingly higher standards. Renters expectations are rising so we have to make sure quality is not compromised in any way.

I don’t often talk about the day job because the purpose of this blog is not to promote my company, but there are some things we are doing that could work just as effectively for rent-by-owner properties. I’ll be talking about these over the next few days.

There’s quite a few other things in the pipeline, plus a new newsletter I am preparing for my subscribers so stay tuned. I’m back on the ball.

And if you haven’t taken a peek yet, here we are at CottageLINK Rental Management.

For the moment, forget the interior and concentrate on what they see as they drive up to the property.  Look at the approach; the driveway; the steps up to the place, and yes - the welcome mat - then ask yourself the following questions:

· Does it look attractive and appealing?

· Is it welcoming?

· Does it have curb appeal?

Take a video camera and record your arrival at the property. When your run it back look at it candidly and decide if it would entice potential guests to book if you put it on your website.

There will be parts of the approach that you may not have control over, such as the condition of neighbouring properties. However, if you can improve the first experience your guests get of the entrance to your own place; this can have an impact on their overall impression.

It may be something as simple as positioning an attractively painted sign or planting some flower tubs. You might be motivated to replace a front door or do some painting; cut back some branches or prune shrubs. Whatever you do, it may be very surprising what an impact it can make.

I am starting my annual cottage audit today, which means doing exactly what I have described here. Watch out for the video in the next few days as I plan on recording everything for a short video series on the audit. And I’d love to hear about how you create your first (exterior) impressions at your own property.

“Great waterfront for the kids; a clean and well-maintained home, and comfortable beds”

There’s not much that can be done about a waterfront location. If you have one and it’s got a sandy beach, shallow water and fabulous views, this may be the best selling point, however more potential rental clients are commenting on the bedrooms photos and this suggests that these are having more of an impact on the decision making process than other rooms.

This seems to me to be just common sense. Create a superb looking listing with enticing images and it will attract more interest, and most owners understand that. But in my effort to root out the bad apples in the barrel and challenge complacency I’m still coming across some just unbelievable pictures. Bare mattresses; stained comforters and pillows; rooms with just a bed and no side-tables, lamps or window coverings, are common in this category. This seems such gross disrespect to the people that are paying to stay in these places and of course, reflects badly on the industry as a whole.

I’d love to name and shame and upload the photos, captioning with the Dr Phil comment, ‘What are you thinking?’, but since I’m having an ethical kind of day I’ll make do with some examples where I’ve worked with new owners to create more attractive images.

I’m in the final stages of a new ebook called ‘The Mandalay Project’ which follows the work of Canadian home-stager Rachel Gilooley and her team, to increase the rental rate of a property from $1800 to $2800 per week. Part of this was to revamp the five bedrooms and demonstrate just how to create a stunning environment on a small budget. This was one of the rooms as I saw it on my first visit with Rachel:

This was better than some I’ve seen. At least the bedding was straightened and the pillows looked fairly new, but the overall look was sterile to say the least and lacked any ambience or appeal.

This same bedroom after Rachel wove some magic. The small basement window was covered in full-length curtaining; the wallpaper border removed and wall painted in a warmer colour which immediately brightened the overall look. The bedding is complemented by floor rugs which are not shown in the photo but add a lovely touch.  We also loved the Ikea tree mural on the wall behind the beds.

The Mandalay Project is nearing completion and we have already rented out 7 weeks at the new pricing.  As each stage is finished, we are sending renters updates which is adding to their excitement and anticipation of their vacation. 

The next photo is of a small (800 sq ft) cottage, where the owner has created ambient and appealing bedroom spaces with the use of good bedding and lighting.

This photo was taken just after the room had been painted in white to give an impression of more space – it’s very small! The door opens onto the electrical panel so it is not an access to another room (just in case you were wondering!)

The two small side-tables with lamps worked well to create a more attractive looking bedroom. Even though it’s still a tight squeeze to get to one side of the bed, it does feel more welcoming overall.

To be fair, this photo was taken in a property before the owner had closed on the sale and had not been rented. However, it’s not unlike many images shown on rental listings, where little thought has been given to the impression a prospective renter may take away.

The same room after the new owner took over, put in a new bed with good quality bedding and photographed it well.

I hope this short post has inspired you to take another look at the photos you have on your listing. Do they show the bedrooms in the best possible light?  Do they look attractive and appealing?  Will they make renters want to come and stay? 

Do you have any makeover ideas I can share with my readers?  I’d love to see some more before and after shots, and will offer a short review to the first few I receive. And there’s more about staging coming soon!

According to Property Wire, many areas of the US are reporting a downturn with competition high and the expectancy of a last-minute market driving discounts and deals, while here in Ontario, we’ve just experienced our most active first quarter since our business began.

It’s a two-handed market that is being driven by the economy with more renters staying close to home – boosting domestic reservations in some places – and more owners putting their vacation homes up for rental.

Brian Sharples, founder of the rental giant Home Away says in a Fox Business report, "The down economy has had a significant positive impact on the vacation rental market,"

"Not surprisingly, HomeAway is experiencing strong new listings growth across our sites. This increase in supply is being met by an upswing in demand from travelers, who continue to discover the exceptional value that vacation rentals offer compared to hotels," says Sharples.

The balance in some areas is working for the owners who are seeing a boost in reservations, and in others, the increase of properties on the market is tipping the balance in favour of the renter. But, this is a volatile market and uncertainty is the overriding factor across the board. Most reports suggest there will be brisk last -minute activity but with the growth in available properties, renters can probably afford to be picky and will be looking to strike deals and look for those places that have increased amenities and updated features.

There is one constant out of all the uncertainty. Expectations are rising, and owners who are complacent in any way will suffer if their listings don’t show quality, even in the smallest of properties. Yes, I’m beating that drum again, and will continue to do so until people ‘get it’.

I’ve heard recently of owners losing bookings because they won’t provide linens without a charge, or arrange for a cleaning service, if asked. A colleague sent me some photos of a property his client wanted to list showing blank-walled bedrooms with mis-matched bedding and stained pillows. Another owner expected his guests to bring their own propane tank for the barbecue. Another has refused to get a TV because his family don’t watch TV on vacation therefore he won’t be convinced anyone else will.

These attitudes will not win bookings and from my point of view, don’t deserve them anyway. This industry must move with the times and respect the changing needs of rental clients. Those owners who don’t become complacent and look for continuous improvement instead, will be the winners in the end.

Part-time vacation rental owners make up the bulk of those entering the market in many areas. By part-time, I mean those who are, perhaps reluctantly but for good economical reasons, renting out their cottages, cabins, villas, vacation homes (whatever you want to call them) for the weeks they are not using them personally.

I talked to many of these people at the Cottage Life Show in Toronto last week, and will no doubt do the same next weekend at the Cottage Show in Ottawa, and the same questions came up every time:

What do I do with my own stuff? How much can I leave in cupboards and drawers? Do I have to move all my personal belongings out?

In the seminar I presented last week, I talked about the changing face of vacation rental; the increasing expectations of rental clients, and how owners need to adapt to both of these to capture their share of the market. Part of this adaptation is realizing that this type of vacation is new to many travelers. They have been used to resorts and hotels for many years and they bring perceptions and expectations based on those experiences. To some extent it is a challenge to live up to those expectations particularly if your plan is only to rent for a couple of weeks in the summer. Some argue that it’s too much trouble to move their stuff out for such a short time , and that renters should accept they have rented a ‘lived-in’ property and be prepared to share the space.

My view is that the moment you list your property on a vacation rental site, you become a provider to the travelling public; and once you accept money for a period of time in your property, you have responsibilities to provide a good standard of accommodation. And this does mean moving your clothes out of wardrobes and dressers; creating space in the food cupboards, and cleaning out the junk drawers.

Take a moment to think about what happens when your guests arrive. If the weather is great they’ll probably be more focused on the outside, than on unpacking, but at some point during their stay, every cupboard and drawer will be opened, every bed looked under, and any storage box you’ve left out will be examined. It’s human nature and we are a curious species, so even the cupboard you have carefully labeled, “Owners” will be checked out.

So, how do you manage this when you use the place a lot yourself?

Several years ago we visited our friends’ fractional ownership property near Lake Tahoe. It’s a beautifully furnished and decorated property with everything supplied by the management company and owner syndicate for a comfortable stay. Along with 6 other owners they had 7 weeks each year they called the place their own and it was fascinating to arrive with them and see the place transformed into their personal space. Out of a cupboard came a couple of totes packed with photos, pictures, candles, ornaments, vacation clothing and shoes and non-perishable food items they had left from their previous visit. They even had their own sign with their family name that hung on a hook outside the main door. Within about 15 minutes the villa was their own again.

Along with the decision to rent out, comes an acceptance that you’ll have to make concessions to your own use of the property. You’ll want your renters to feel welcome and not as though they have invaded someone’s personal space, so take some time to plan what you have to do. Here’s a few tips:

Personal belongings – clothes, shoes, bathroom cabinet stuff

Buy several totes. Label each one with the room the contents are from, and create an inventory list. Use additional boxes to pack smaller items in the totes, such as toiletries

Food

If you have your own food in the fridge – half used ketchup/dressing/margarine etc, consider moving them out. Buy a small fridge to go in the basement if you have space and keep your perishables in there if you must keep them at the property. Leaving non-perishables in the food cupboards is OK to a degree providing there is plenty of space for your guests to store their supplies. It is nice to supply seasonings, herbs and spices, olive oil, coffee, tea, sugar and flour etc., but just make sure the cupboards are not cluttered with half-full boxes of pasta and rice.

Videos, DVDs, books and magazines

I recall a rental guest’s concern after a stay in a cottage where he had found X-rated videos in the extensive collection. He appreciated having a large choice of video entertainment but didn’t feel it was appropriate to have videos available that his children may encounter. I agree. Take some time to go through your video, DVD and books and remove those that could offence or embarrassment.

Family photos and personal effects

It’s not necessary to take down every photo as this could result in an environment that looks sterile and lacking in atmosphere. However, it’s worth taking a candid look around and asking yourself how much of yourself and your family you wish to share, and how much they need to see. A couple of framed photos on the wall is fine, but rooms stuffed full of free-standing frames of assorted family weddings and events, along with a lifetime of quirky buys from various bazaars around the world may not be so well received.

It is in our interests as owners to respect our rental guests and provide them with quality accommodation for their stay. If that means there’s a little extra work involved then it’s best to accept that it goes with the territory. If you are unwilling to do that, it may be better to reassess your motivation to rent.

With so many new properties coming onto the vacation rental market, owners are bound to make some mistakes along the way. I did when I started out, and learnt to my cost that if you don’t do the homework and get the systems in place at the outset, more problems are created along the way.

Mistake #1 Accepting the first booking that comes along

It is so exciting to get your first booking, but if you don’t have some policies in place, you could find it doesn’t work out as well as you hoped. Common pitfalls are taking a weekend booking in the middle of high season without appreciating this has blocked the opportunity of a full week’s rental before and after, and accepting a group without fully establishing how many of them there are, including their day guests.

Solution: Create your booking policies in advance; write them down and post them on your web site so every visitor knows what your policies are. Decide on your maximum occupancy (including children) and stick to it. Don’t worry…if you have to turn down your first booking, there will be more.

Mistake #2 Agreeing to take a deposit then a cash-on-arrival balance

It may seem like a good idea to take a deposit on booking, then meet your guests who will give you cash on their arrival. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing to do, but it does have the potential to go badly wrong. Your guests may conveniently forget to bring the cash, and if you are not assertive enough to stand your ground and refuse entry until it has been paid, you might find you are out of pocket. It can be a very stressful situation.

Solution: Clearly state your payment terms on your web site or listing. It’s generally accepted that a deposit of up to 50% is payable on booking with the balance payable up to 60 days before the vacation commences. 30 – 45 days before is the norm.

Mistake #3  Not taking a damage deposit

It’s unlikely anything will go wrong and there will be any damage. However, accidents do happen and the damage deposit paid by the renter is your security that you will be compensated in the event of significant damage or a gross breach of the agreement. Let’s say you accept pets and your carpet is chewed. Without a damage deposit you may not be able to recover the costs of repair.

Solution: There are a couple of ways to handle a damage deposit. Hold a cheque for the damage deposit amount but don’t cash it ( you need a good amount of trust that it will be honoured if something goes wrong); include the damage deposit amount in the final balance, or ask for a cheque post dated to a week before the vacation and cash it then. If you have taken the money prior to the vacation, make sure it is returned promptly after you have checked for damage at the end of their stay.

Mistake #4 Not using a rental agreement or Terms and Conditions of Rental

If you don’t have a clear document that states each party’s responsibilities, you have no come-back if something goes wrong. There are many people who are renting for the first time, and without laying out what you expect them to do; the limits of your responsibilities as an owner, and the terms of the contract, they really have no clue what is expected of them. You then open yourself to the risk of counter claims if something should go wrong.

Solution: Write a contract that lays out all the terms of the agreement, such as maximum occupancy numbers; the time and day of arrival and departure; your policy on day guests, pets and cleaning, and a liability waiver. Googling ‘vacation rental agreement’ should bring up some examples, or go to www.laymyhat.com and search for posts about the topic.

Mistake #5 Neglecting to tell the insurance company

I wince every time I hear that an owner has elected not to tell their insurance company they are renting out their property. This is not a money saving option! If a catastrophic event occurs – the place is burnt down, or a guest is injured in some way on the property – not having appropriate insurance or third party liability cover could be even more catastrophic. A second home/cottage policy is unlikely to cover rentals as a standard clause so check thoroughly.

Solution: Check with your own broker or insurance company first as they may add a simple rider to your existing policy, however you may find you have to take out an additional policy or even change providers to ensure adequate cover. Don’t leave this one until you have an accident on your property to find out that your insurance is void because you have entered into a paid transaction for a rental.

How many times do you find you’re answering the same questions over and over? Often, the answers can be found on your web site or listing, but if they are on different pages, your potential renters may find it’s easier to send you a list of questions rather than trawl through trying to find them. If this is the case, why not write a page of Frequently Asked Questions?

Make a list of all the commonly asked questions; add a brief but succinct answer to each one, and either publish it on your web site, or include it as an attachment in your email enquiry response. If it’s a long list, separate it into sections such as Inside, Outside and Out and About. If most of the questions are about what is included, then an inventory list is helpful too.

There’s no real substitute for talking to your potential guests, as that conversation can be a conversion trigger, but FAQ lists can often reduce the time spent on minor issues.

Of course, there will always be the questions that will have you shaking your head in disbelief, but the fact that you’ve been asked means the answer is important to the renter. Even these (collected from our question archives):

• What will the weather be like on the August long weekend?
• Can we use the water from the taps to wash our dog?
• We like to leave windows open at night. Is there a possibility of wild animals getting in?
• How often will we see stars at night?
• Is the campfire self-lighting?
• How will we know when we have got to your cottage?
• How far is it from the well to the house and how many buckets are there?
• Could my child fall off your dock?

There’s more but I think I’ll stop there. There really is no such thing as a stupid question, but they sure make us laugh.

· Long emails with questions that could be answered by looking at the web site

· 3 or 4 telephone calls with additional questions, most of which you have already answered

· The list of occupants doesn’t include any children although they have asked about facilities for them. When you ask for more detail, they say they didn’t think that children counted in occupancy limits

· You have to chase them for a deposit and just as you are about to cancel, they call to say it’s on the way

· You have to chase them for the final payment and when it arrives they have forgotten to include the damage deposit

· They tell you they are very busy people and don’t have time to read the information you’ve sent

· They will ask to check-in earlier and check-out later than your published times

· They ask questions about the nearest vet when they hadn’t mentioned bringing a pet

· You get a call when they are on the way, to say they have forgotten the directions and can’t remember the lock box code

· They arrive 2 hours earlier than the check-in time states (a day earlier is not uncommon)

Once these guests arrive at your property, they either continue to maintain their high maintenance profile, or you don’t hear a peep out of them – you really can’t tell how it will turn out. In any case, it is probably a good idea to call them near to their departure time and remind them of the checkout procedure, as you can be fairly confident they won’t have read the guest manual. In fact, they probably won’t remember the day they were meant to leave either, and you’ll arrive to do a changeover and they are still there, thinking they have another day of vacation left. Believe me, this is not unusual either.

If you have plenty of interest in your property, you may even wish to by-pass the potential high maintenance clients, but if you are happy to answer all the questions and have a good amount of patience, they may end up being the best guests you ever had.