I loved the photo posted by Rebecca Brigolante on her Facebook page recently. It’s not just an outdoor photo but an experience and reminded me how important it is to stage photos to evoke emotions. Her web site at Brigolante Apartments shows a real grasp of how important it is to create images to capture interest.

We’ve been blessed with a last blast of summer here in Ontario. The trees are beginning to change with the reds and orange of the maples giving a hint of what is to come in the next few weeks when full-blown fall will spread across the countryside in a riot of colour. It reminded me to get out and get some great photos for the Flickr albums I’m putting together to promote Osprey Cottage in different seasons.

If you are marketing a cottage or vacation rental throughout the year, it’s important to show images of what it will look like at different times. Because you may have a limited amount of photos on a listing, using Flickr to create additional albums you can link to can be just what you need to show off all your seasonal images.

If you can get your potential guests to imagine what they will experience if they stay at your property, and what they’ll see in the local area, you stand a much greater chance of getting them to hang around on your listing or site and convert them to paying guests.

  I wanted to share a blog post I read today on At Home in Tuscany because it says very succinctly what renters want when they book a vacation home. 

The post is written by Pauline Kenny, someone I admire hugely for the knowledge and information she shares on the vacation rental business, from a renter’s perspective, and we should all take the time to read the article and draw what we can from it.  I think most owners who manage their rental homes professionally do all of these things to some extent – I’m not sure many of us would be offering stiff line-dried towels though – but to those that are new to the business, there are some great points made.

The one that resonated with me the most was #1:

Someone or something is there to greet me. It is nice to be welcomed by the owner or local representative but we have stayed in places where the key was left under a flowerpot and they still felt welcoming. Tea was set up on the counter or there was a note from the owner or fresh flowers in a vase – something that let me know the house was ready for me.

We are often not able to meet our rental guests however we do make sure they know someone was there and made it ready for ‘them’.  We leave a personal note of welcome, a gift basket with produce from our local farmer’s market, a list of what is on in the area.  We always leave the radio on a classical station; lights on if our guests are likely to arrive after dusk,  and in winter the wood stove is lit.  I don’t think there can be much more unwelcoming than guests arriving to a cold, dark cottage and having to fumble around for light switches and then have to look for ways of warming the place up.

What do you do to make your cottage or vacation rental feel like home?

Pauline is currently renting a cottage in the Cotswolds while on a year-long stay in UK. You can check out her Slow Europe site here

We have another gloomy, rainy day here today, and I got thinking about the families who excitedly set off to their cottage rentals on Saturday, anticipating the hot sunny weather that has characterized this summer. They will have woken up this morning in unfamiliar surroundings, looked out onto grey skies and drizzle and contended with fractious kids desperate to get out into the water and onto boats. Some seasoned renters will have a plan – after all it’s only weather – but others will be lost as to what to do to keep spirits up.

We know from a decade of experience of managing vacation rentals that more complaints come in during bad weather weeks. Usually spurious, they are generated from a need to blame someone or something for the disappointment in the weather.

On the other hand, many of our properties receive their best testimonials and reviews when the climate has offered a curve ball. Those that have big libraries of books, videos, DVDs & board games and have owners who care enough about their guests to make the rainy day experience a great one, come in for high praise. I wrote a post last year about writing a Rainy Day Book and I’m expanding this into an ebook with more suggestions for guests to enjoy less than the best weather. If you have ideas, I’d love to hear them and will include contributions in the book (accredited of course!)

Photo by Mattman4698 on Flickr

   The past few weeks have been nuts but things are beginning to slow down a little so I thought I’d take the opportunity to share a little of what my day job entails and what I’ve learnt from a summer of rentals.

We are blessed in our part of Canada to live amongst thousands of lakes and many, many miles of river. The cottage vacation is a traditional part of the family summer with cottage ownership being a major ambition amongst those who haven’t been fortunate enough to inherit their little piece of paradise, but this ownership comes at a price. Maintenance & upkeep of properties that live through the extremes of our hot & humid summers and icebound, snowy winters is costly so many owners rent to cover the maintenance costs. For those who prefer not to manage their own rentals there are several excellent agencies that look after marketing, advertising, enquiries and paperwork, and handle all the money. I am part-owner of one of these agencies – CottageLINK Rental Management, and with 150 properties to manage, it keeps us on our toes throughout the high season.

Much of what I write about here is drawn from the 10 years experience I have of over 1200 rentals each year, and growing. At one time I also owned several cottages but have now whittled that down to one – Osprey Cottage – which is a great renter achieving maximum occupancy through the high season and a considerable number of low season rentals too.

In our busy season with 100 or more families in our properties every week, we have to maintain a fine balance between addressing the issues raised by our owners and those experienced by guests, and often this brings us into a challenging area where we have to assess a situation based on two very differing accounts. This might be a cleanliness situation where standards vary; at other times it might be minor damage that an owner is convinced was caused by the rental guest while the renter claims it was done before they arrived but hadn’t noticed it. Our job is to evaluate each situation and make a detached judgment based on the evidence supplied. Of course, one party is invariably unhappy as we either charge a damage deposit or tell an owner they need to absorb the cost because there is insufficient proof of when the damage occurred.

On a personal level, with my own property, I fully accept that doing this business comes with risks, and occasional damage and wear and tear are part of those risks. Only on very rare occasions would I ever consider making a claim on a damage deposit and even then would err on the side of leniency. We don’t often come across anything that amounts to ‘wilful damage’ so most situations are entirely accidental. However, there have been a couple of examples of sheer stupidity such as the holes punched in a stainless steel fridge door by the guest trying to crush a bag of ice against it, and the upturned canoe split by several people sitting on it. Both of these resulted in costly claims that were quickly settled.

On the other hand, complaints from rental guests occupy a considerable amount of time too, and most of these could be prevented by attention to detail and a healthy respect for the consumers for whom the accommodation is supplied. Because of the diversity of cottage locations we do not provide property management – changeover and cleaning services – so rely on our owners or their caretaking staff to ready the cottages for the next guests. Our standards are high, but occasionally we are disappointed to learn that the expectations of guests for pristine accommodation have not been met.

Lastly, this year has brought forth a startling increase in what we term, ‘serial complainers’. This comes partly from the media who encourage consumers to look for refunds for anything and everything almost as a god-given right, and partly from what seems to be a growing sense of entitlement to getting money back for every minor detail, however accidental, that may impact on them having their expected experience.

I don’t want any of my readers to get the wrong impression. I love this business – I really do. It’s just sometimes frustrating that kindness, respect, understanding and flexibility seem to be forgotten in the pursuit of wanting to be right.

Just sayin’……

I’m curious to hear how many owners have experienced requests, or even demands from their guests for services that we would not expect to be provided in a vacation rental.

I recently heard of a few incidents of guests seeming to believe they were in a resort or hotel, asking for items to be delivered or a minor repair carried out. The first was a call to a caretaker saying there was no hairdryer supplied and could one be delivered ‘as soon as possible’. Second, was the message left for an owner that a light bulb required changing in a hallway, and that it was OK to let himself in as the family would probably be on the waterfront, and he need not disturb them. Finally, an owner of a fairly remote Ontario cottage was blown away by the family arriving from Saudi Arabia, whose first question on arrival at the property was “Where’s the food?” Their version of a vacation rental apparently included fully stocked cupboards and refrigerator.

While we can shake our heads in disbelief, it’s also important to be aware of the nature of expectations and how the rising popularity of our style of vacation accommodation is bringing a new generation of rental guest to our doorsteps.

We have long been used to guests experienced in renting a vacation home each year; those who accept the quirks and oddities of self catering, and who enjoy the freedom and flexibility that rental brings. However, as more and more newcomers are being wooed by media reports and articles – those showing how celebrities are turning to rental properties to find more privacy are a good example – we should be aware of the expectations that are being raised and think of ways to inject a dose of realism without turning off the wave of interest.

Many owners do offer a concierge service; those who are on site or may have a nearby caretaker are able to deliver additional services, however for most this is neither realistic nor practical. A better option would be to educate and inform from the outset, and ensure rental guests are fully aware of the difference between a vacation rental and a resort style bungalow with self-catering options. Here’s a few ideas:

Ensure the property is fully equipped so ‘call-outs’ should not be necessary. A hair dryer, spare lightbulbs and a stepstool are essential items in my book and not providing essentials is likely to trigger service calls of one sort or another.

• Write a page on your web site or blog describing the differences between hotel/resort accommodation and self-catering. Talk about the great benefits – space, privacy, a home-from-home environment with a well-equipped kitchen; not having to share a waterfront or boats….you know the advantages, so set them out. Then you can humorously mention the ‘drawbacks’ – like having to change the occasional lightbulb, or drive out to get some more milk.
• Make it clear in your Welcome Guide who your guests should call “in case of an emergency”. It wouldn’t be fair to tell them to only call under those circumstances since they may have questions or concerns that need an answer, however there are ways to get this across. If you make your Guide really comprehensive, the time taken over this will pay back in reduced service calls. Tell them where they can go to shop, eat, and find local attractions, and provide a wealth of local tourist information.
• If you don’t meet your guests, make a quick call to them on the morning after their arrival to check if they have any questions. Then you can tell them it’s OK to call you with additional questions before a set time – say 6pm. This will prevent the 11pm panic call because they can’t figure out how to make the microwave work!

Being proactive and one step ahead of the expectations will benefit you in the long run. I’d love to hear of owner experiences of ‘unrealistic’ expectations so please comment or email me directly at heather@cottageblogger.com

As a proponent of raising standards in vacation rentals and an enthusiastic follower of other successful owners, I often come across examples of best practice to share. This morning, when I checked Facebook there was an update from Margaret Leach, who runs a number of self-catering apartments in Bavaria, Germany. Margaret is a great example of an owner who focuses on guest satisfaction to the extent her properties have 69 five star reviews on Trip Advisor. Most of the reviews comment on Margaret’s attention to detail and the lengths she goes to fill the apartments with amenities. Here’s some examples:

“I have used self catering accommodation quite regularly over the last dozen or so years but until this holiday I had not come across owners who included so much in the rental price”

“We had two nine year olds who made use of the ample games and sports equipment available at the apartments, as well as a wide choice of DVD’s and books for all ages.”

“The proprietors (Martin and Margaret) are phenomenal–they have thought of everything you could want/need–including …… a well-stocked library of books and DVDs. It’s truly amazing.”

“Their attention to detail to ensure that you have the best stay possible is outstanding. The information on trips and local activities makes life so much easier on a first visit.”

“the personal touches made us feel completely at home.”

“We have never rented accommodation where our hosts provided such good facilities for low or no extra cost – e.g. Lego for the children, a library of DVDs, …. free WiFi access, easy parking…etc”

“it seems there is nothing that hasn’t been thought of in terms of amenities.”

These testimonials demonstrate how attention to detail and the provision of lots of extras can give a huge return by way of feedback and referrals. I’m often taken aback by the reluctance of some owners to offer anything more than the basics, and who then wonder why there are no glowing testimonials coming their way. Take a leaf from Margaret’s book and generate raving fans. They are your walking, talking, networking commercials and having them work for you (for free) is worth a lot more than any amount of paid listings!

We can all learn from reading reviews from other properties, and can get some great ideas for what works and what doesn’t. For example, this one (which I will keep anonymous) just shows how taking an opposite approach to Margaret’s works (or doesn’t!)

“The place was OK , and the beach was lovely but it was all so spartan. No pictures on the walls, not even a magazine to read or a video to watch on the very ancient VHS machine. Every appliance was the cheapest Walmart sells and all the dinnerware was plastic. It was like the owner didn’t care about our comfort”

Which type of review would you prefer, and which one will bring you more guests?

When was the last time you checked under the beds in your vacation rental home or cottage?

Did you check the bathroom cabinet; the dresser drawers and the shelf in the nightstand?

I hope it was on the last changeover day. If not, how do you know what your last guests left behind. Dust bunnies and candy wrappers; used Kleenex and items of clothing; medications and empty shampoo bottles are just a few of the things you might find. Others I will leave to your imagination but trust me…if you aren’t looking, your next guests are.

Never underestimate how important it is to do a thorough check on each changeover and using a checklist can be the best way to ensure nothing is missed. Reminding your caretaker or cleaning team to do this can save you from complaints, negative and damaging reviews and feedback you would prefer not to have.

Photo by Mavis on Flickr

I’ve heard the phrase, “It’s the cost of doing business” on several occasions recently and thought it would be interesting to reflect on what this actually means. I use it myself at times when I feel a grumble coming on about having to replace the mesh in yet another screen door ($30 + time), or buy another set of chair cushions for the breakfast bar stools to replace the food stained ones, or spend an hour draining and refilling the hot tub because bathers have been wearing thick coatings of sun screen, contrary to instructions.

At what point do you say that this is more than can be accepted as fair wear and tear, or reasonable cost to absorb? Is there a notional figure, that once reached is then passed onto the rental client as a deduction on a damage deposit?

Dealing with damage, and situations where a property is not left in an acceptable condition, is an area some owners fail to plan for, and when presented with an issue that needs immediate attention or decision making, can be stressful. It’s worthwhile taking some time to think about how you might deal with a range of scenarios so when you are presented with one, you’ve got a bare-bones strategy for dealing with it.

I will usually overlook genuine accidental damage under $100 when the renters have called and let me know that something has been broken or damaged. I appreciate their honesty and since most have since rebooked again and again, the leniency has been rewarded. At other times, we’ve found evidence of damage that has been clumsily concealed which is irritating, particularly when it has impacted on the enjoyment of the next guests. That needs more thought as to whether a claim should be made and would take into account other variables such as whether the property was left in a good condition on guests’ departure.

Each situation needs to be assessed individually and given a lot of thought. The ‘cost of doing business’ can impact on emotions as well as pockets so having a plan is the key. Do you have a plan?

My son & his wife just spend a sleepless night as their beloved Beagle took off for a walkabout yesterday while they were both at work, and didn’t come home until the early hours of this morning. It brought to mind a frantic phone call we had one Saturday morning last year, from a renter at a vacation home we manage. They were packing up to leave for their 11am check out time when someone noticed the dog was missing. Elderly and deaf, it had wandered off into the bush at the back of the cottage and failed to return. Fortunately, the owners arrived an hour or so later to do the changeover & quickly organized a search party with a few neighbours & the dog was eventually found – not too far from the cottage but in an area the rental guests would not have thought of looking.

The last day of a rental is the time pets often go missing. It’s a little stressful – people are busy and the place is in turmoil as the car gets packed. My dog would be in the car from early morning – determined not to be left behind – but others may react differently, and owners get distracted & fail to check on where Fido is. A little reminder on the checkout list may be all it takes to prevent everyone getting involved in a pet search when owners want to get on with a changeover, and departing guests need to be on their way home. Something simple like this works:

Before starting to clean-up and pack, make sure your pet is secure or tethered & doesn’t wander off.

We also suggest that all dogs that come on vacation to our cottage are micro-chipped or wear the temporary ID tag we provide that has local telephone numbers on it.

This is not about being responsible for your guests’ pets; its more about being a responsible owner and covering all the bases. If you accept pets, there is always the risk they will stray and end up taking up your time, so if it requires a little thought and action on your part to prevent this happening, it’s well worth the extra effort and care.

With the vacation rental season in full swing most owners, myself included, approach changeover day with a mixture of trepidation, anticipation and sometimes, confidence. Whatever we expect, there are times when we’re surprised, either by the pristine way in which the property has been left by the outgoing guests, or by an ungodly mess.

When I first started renting out, I allowed myself to get irritated at the small things that rental guests had (or had not) done. Finding the patio umbrella up when we had asked them to take it down; a life jacket left in a boat instead of being hung up on the appropriate hook; or perishable items left in the fridge, were just a few of the little things that could wind me up. And if there had been any damage, it had an impact way beyond the minor issue I would now see it to be. I’d have a rant, get upset and want to make an immediate charge on the damage deposit, for what I now see to be an emotional reaction, rather than taking the time to reason it out.

This is not to say I will condone blatant disregard of my checkout list, or obvious non-accidental damage beyond wear and tear, but my attitude has swung around in the last few years and my tolerance level has risen to a point where I no longer have any stress. It’s all to do with a quote I live by more and more these days:

“If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at will change”

Now, instead of arriving at the cottage wondering whether it will be in good shape or bad shape, I simply expect to arrive, do the changeover and create a welcoming environment for my next guests. If it takes an hour extra, well that’s just fine because another time it may be a much quicker turnaround.

I know there are owners out there who have a more rigid attitude and may not agree with my approach, but it works for me and for many other professional owners, so maybe there is something in a more flexible attitude to our guests varying standards. Let me know what you think.