Every season has its allure. As a vacation rental owner, your home may be open all year or only during certain seasons. Winter months, like summer months, are wonderful for adventures; you have to show your guests that your property is in the best location.
Winter is a popular time to travel, whether for Christmas, Thanksgiving, or simply for a holiday. More than half of all Americans intend to travel this winter.
Make your accommodation offering stand out from the crowd. Set your home distinct with these ten rental upgrades that will increase the value of your property this winter.
Why does your holiday rental property require winter upgrades?
It can be difficult to think about adding extra labor and work to your vacation rental after a hot summer season, especially during a slower season, but upgrades are what may help your short-term rental gain some momentum in winter and attract some off-season stays.
Adding winter vacation rental enhancements can help your bottom line tremendously. How? These modifications will increase the value of your home, resulting in a higher average daily rate. Furthermore, if your guests are persuaded to stay, you may be more likely to fill your schedule in traditionally slow months.
Of course, some of these improvements will assist you in increasing earnings by cutting your costs. In the end, any improvements you make to your vacation rental this winter will only benefit your business.
Upgrades your winter holiday rental requires
If you’re ready to improve your winter holiday rental, terrific! Most business owners are unsure where to begin. Is it all about the amenities this winter, or do guests want to see more smart gadgets? We’ve compiled a list of the top ten upgrades you should make to your vacation property once the weather turns cold.
1. Purchase Heated Floors
Heated floors in the bathroom or living room are a fantastic invention that will appeal to any guest, especially during the winter. Several criteria will determine costs, including the square meters of your property, current flooring, kind of radiant heating, and others. As a result, Forbes estimates that the national average in 2021 will range between $1,700 and $6,000.
In the long run, it’s a beneficial investment because you won’t have to replace your flooring. Most of the time, what you already have will work with radiant heating.
Radiant heating can now be installed with a variety of flooring alternatives, including:
- Ceramic
- Wood
- Linoleum
- Carpet
- Stone
2. Construct a Fireplace
Everyone wants to experience the traditional winter chalet experience of sitting in front of a warm fire, curling up in a warm cuddly blanket, and drinking hot chocolate.
If your rental doesn’t already have a fireplace, now is the time to install one and make it more appealing for the winter. While a gas fire may not appear as rustic as a conventional fireplace, it saves your renters time and effort. All they have to do is flip a switch and relax; no need to gather wood to keep the fire going.
Aside from the initial purchase and installation fees, keep in mind that you will have to pay for an extra gas line regularly. However, with various people coming and departing and spending time away from the house, the fire will not be lit all day every day. People usually build things like this when they’re doing Airbnb rental arbitrage, in order to rent it out profitably (of course with approval from the owner).
3. Install a Hot Tub
A hot bath is one of the few ways for guests to decompress and relax, especially if your rental is in the mountains, where guests will most likely be skiing or hiking in the cold all day. Hot tubs are typically installed in the backyard. If you don’t have the space for a hot tub, consider upgrading your normal bathtub to a jet tub, and changing your bathroom into a temporary spa for winter visitors.
The idea is to use indicators to guarantee that guests take care of it at all times. Carolyn Mosby of Hot Tub Works advises the following hot tub signage, which can also be used for your new jet tub:
- No food or drink is allowed inside the tub. Spa operation
- how to turn on jets, air, warmth, lights, and so forth.
- Checklist for troubleshooting: quick fixes for common problems
4. Make use of a smart thermostat.
How do you intend to control the heating and cooling in your home when the temperatures drop? The thermostat is out of your hands during a guest’s reservation, but what about when your home is empty? Installing a smart thermostat will allow you to control the temperature of your home and hence the cost from wherever you are.
It makes little sense to maintain the heat on full blast on milder days. With a smart thermostat, you can easily modify and moderate the climate in your home. Not to mention, your guests will appreciate how contemporary it makes your home!
5. Enhance your Amenities
In addition to the comforts given, you can alter or add additional for the cold winter months. Because it usually gets dark by 4:00 p.m., guests have more time to spend indoors rather than outside in the dark.
You can provide extra utensils in the kitchen, such as a muffin tray for baking or a fondue set for a popular winter dinner. You can also stock your kitchen with various teas and mulled wine.
Guests can also unwind on the sofa and watch a movie, so having a Netflix subscription on hand will be beneficial. You can also include activities your visitors can participate in, like board games. This can set your company apart from the competition, especially for families with little children.
It is especially vital to provide warm blankets in bedrooms. Slippers, bathrobes, fluffy towels, and scented candles can also be included to create a warm atmosphere.
Don’t forget about the house outside. You may, for example, supply sleds, which the entire family will enjoy! Especially the children. If there are no parking spaces, leave de-icer spray and ice scrapers for guests who arrive by automobile.
6. Purchase snowsports equipment
Don’t overlook the great outdoors! Aside from the coziness, you may give to your guests. There’s a lot to love about winter. Having winter sports equipment and other outdoor activities for guests will enhance their entire experience.
Sleds, for example, are a low-cost method to provide something that the entire family will enjoy! Especially the children. Other winter sports equipment for your holiday rental could include snow tubing, ice hockey equipment, or anything else that could provide some winter fun.
Winter Real Estate Marketing
You may make your property more marketable for winter after renovating, no matter how big or minor. Don’t forget to update your listing photographs and descriptions to represent these advantages to potential renters. Make it clear that you have renovated your property by employing bold formatting such as “heated tub for cold nights.” Change the titles of your property listings to highlight their value to winter renters, making them more clickable in search results, such as “winter vacation rental.”
Takeaways
After the improvements and the marketing have been completed, it is time to sit back and enjoy the fruits of your labor. Winter enhancements should equal winter bookings, so be prepared for an inflow of reservations once you’ve finished the finishing touches.
