Posted on 24/10/2018 by David
Depending on the type of holiday home owner you are, you may be very hands-on in the maintenance and management of your property or decide to have someone else do it for you.
Some owners enjoy the practical jobs associated with managing a holiday home and most jobs are straightforward, albeit time consuming. Some, like gardening, are even enjoyable. However, even if you enjoy the whole process, other demands of managing your holiday home may take precedence over such tasks.
Instead, many owners prefer to get in service providers to look after their property. This allows them to concentrate on making their holiday cottage a profitable endeavour - after all it's the reason most people let their property.
Last month we started looking at the services you ought to have in place before you begin letting out your holiday cottage. Our previous blog discussed at the importance of cleaning, ironing and laundry services (read the blog here) and this month we continue in a similar vein.
This month, we're going outside - to consider the services you need to maintain the curb appeal of your holiday home.
Gardener
Big or small, country or formal, if your home has a garden it will need tending all year round. A nice garden can be a major selling point for a holiday home so, like the rest of the property, it needs to show its best side at all times.
If your marketing images show a perfectly pruned garden but in reality it's overgrown and weed-strewn, you're inviting bad reviews from disgruntled customers.
A gardener or grounds maintenance company will take care of your garden. How often you use them will depend on the size and type of garden you have and the time of year. For example, during the summer the garden will need tidying and pruning and the lawn will need mowing on a regular basis. During the winter months, however, visits are likely to be less frequent with jobs like sweeping the leaves and a general tidy-up being sufficient.
But what does a 'general tidy up' constitute? It will vary considerably from gardener to gardener so it's useful to set your expectations at the outset. Regardless of the time of year, we would expect a gardener to:
- cut back plants obstructing entrances or walkways - as well as the aesthetic benefits, it's important for health and safety;
- weed paths and driveways;
- clean down garden furniture, checking for wear and tear;
- check the garden for rubbish or broken glass (a hazard if your guests eat and drink outside);
- in dog friendly properties, remove any dog mess.
These jobs are important but can be overlooked, especially if your gardener isn't anticipating doing them. As with your cleaner, it's best practise to set out your contractual expectations with your gardener - this way you will know what is getting down and by whom.
NOTE: if your garden includes an outside living space - terrace, barbecue area, hot tub, patio and the like - you'll need to arrange for them to be cleaned and tidied as part of the general changeover routine too.
Window cleaner
We can't stress enough what an important job this is and we're always surprised by the number of owners who don't consider it a necessity. We mentioned curb appeal right at the start of this blog and sparkling windows - in and out - are essential for the smart presentation of your property.
Dirty windows can give the impression a house isn't cared for and, if you have a great view as many of our cottages do, it spoils the whole experience,
says Richard, NWHC.
If guest experience is marred by something like grimy glass you're putting yourself at risk of poor feedback post visit and, potentially, lost future bookings. As repeat bookings are an integral part of successfully running a holiday cottage business, we think clean windows are a small price to pay to secure them.
Remember, a window cleaner will only wash the exterior of your property so you'll need to include interior glass cleaning on your household cleaning/changeover itinerary (it's a small job but one that's easily overlooked).
Unless your property is located in a very exposed spot, you'll probably only need a window cleaner once every 4/5 weeks - preferably on a changeover day so as not to intrude on guests' holiday time. Bear in mind, however, that you may need some flexibility as they can't wash windows in the rain.
And finally...
As we mentioned right at the beginning of this blog, how much or how little you involve yourself in the day-to-day running of your holiday property will depend upon many things. Where you do choose to 'contract out' we've shown it's essential to do your research and know exactly what you want before you commit to anything. If it all seems like too much, we're on hand to take the hassle out of holiday home management for you, just get in touch.
Next time, we'll look at three more essential household services that should be organised before letting your holiday cottage: your essential insurances and gas safety certificate.