“Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful.” – William Morris
Start the New Year Clutter-Free
Preparing your home for vacation rentals requires a whole new perspective. The focus shifts from your needs, to the potential needs of your guests; What they actually require versus what might get in the way and cause an unpleasant experience.
So, let’s talk about clutter. Clutter can be defined in a few ways, keep reading to determine if your home is in need of a good de-cluttering.
Too much stuff in too small of a space
Anything that is old, worn and is not/cannot be used
Anything that leads to a feeling of disorganization
Creating a Comfortable Ambience
You want your rental to appeal to most people and the best way to do that is to keep your style simple and modern. Think neutral colors, simple designs, and tasteful accessories. Keep in mind that your notion of “warm and homey” might not coincide with that of your guests. The goal should be to create a home that welcomes you with a sense of elegance, comfort and sophistication. Guests are looking for the best of the best when it comes to their one week vacation every year, and the last thing they want is to walk into an overly decorated, cramped home. The more your home is cluttered with knick-knacks and trinkets, the higher chances of dissuading potential renters.
Less is More. . .
Always remember, when it comes to decorating your vacation rental, Less is More! There should be art on the walls, but no visual clutter. Pay attention to items that are laying around, not messes, but particularly stationery decor. Make sure all surfaces meant for use are void of unnecessary items. Ask yourself if that ceramic fish on the coffee table is actually adding to the ambiance or preventing your guest from placing their coffee cup down. It may have sentimental meaning to you, but to your guest, it’s just in the way. So, channel your inner minimalist and take a stroll through your home and keep asking yourself, “Does this really need to be here? What is its purpose?”. A clean, decluttered rental appears more airy, open, and enjoyable than a cluttered cramped one.
The Topic That "Must Not Be Named"
Now, let’s talk about another topic relating to the benefits of decluttering your home. I know we are all tired of hearing about it, but here it goes. The Pandemic. Our guests are taking extra precautions when traveling this year and with that, taking notice of things that would normally be overlooked. Having small trinkets and decorations around your home increases the number of touchable surfaces for germs to lie and wait and could perhaps make your guest a little uncomfortable worrying about if it was properly cleaned. Our housekeeping team kindly asks that to ensure they have sufficient time to clean your homes, all these unnecessary items, within reason, be removed.