Investing in Vacation Rentals

One thing that I have always wanted to do is invest in a vacation home. We have been to several places where we felt this would be a good and lucritive opportunity. Whether it be in the mountains or at the beach, the idea of a hands off approach to investing is really titillating to myself.

Vacation houses can provide excellent revenue, there is no doubt. There are a lot of things that vacation renters are looking for and we will explore those. You want to choose a vacation home in a secure and pretty location. You want the people who are renting your vacation home to feel safe. The area is also very important. You will also want to take into consideration purchasing a property that is family friendly. Couples with children will pay top dollar for those that can accommodate them. If you have a one bedroom rental, your pool of renters will be very limited. Look for those properties that have playgrounds and swimming pools. Any amenity would be nice for families that have children. The more amenities the unit has the more that you can charge in rent.

You also want to be sure that you price your unit properly to ensure that it is always fully booked. If you price your unit with the budget traveler in mind, you will out do the hotels as far as price, convenience and other amenities. Remember who you are competing with, look at what they are charging and see if you can do better. Keep in mind the seasons as well. Investing in a beach house in the south, for example, Florida, will give you a longer rental season typically than something in the northern part of the country.

Be sure you take the extra time to make the vacation rental feel like home. Decorate nicely and always be sure the home is clean and up to date. You want to have the latest appliances and make sure everything is in working condition. If you can provide pool tables and other recreational equipment, be sure to provide it, it can make a big difference in the quality of the stay.

One of the biggest assets you will have over a hotel with your vacation home is space. Most families will rent homes as opposed to hotel rooms for simply the space that they will enjoy. They can cook their own meals and spread out much more in a house than they ever could in a hotel room. They also do not have to worry about disturbing others.

It is becoming more and more common for more than one family to rent a vacation home and split the costs. They also combine the vacation with some other even such as a wedding or graduation. Many times they will even host a family reunion at the house. If you want to cater to groups, make sure that your vacation rental can accommodate them sufficiently. Be certain there are an adequate number of bathrooms and there are enough supplies in the kitchen to cook large meals.

While most investors are hesitant to rent to those with pets, you might consider doing just that. There is definitely a niche market for those investors that are pet friendly. I know that we allow pets in some of our units with success. You just need to be careful about the breed and size that you are letting into your units. If you want to cater to pets, you may want to install wood floors instead of carpet. If you have pets you realize how hard they can be on carpet, wood floors are a good alternative. Typically if you have wood floors, they can be sanded down if they get untidy. We try to focus on wood floors ourselves and despise carpet.