How to set up a rental vacation home that will be easy to clean

How to set up a rental vacation home that will be easy to clean

Renting out your Kootenays vacation home in Fernie can be a great way to earn extra income – as long as you don’t waste your earnings fixing it up after tenants have left. Goldstar Cleaning Services offers housekeeping, security check and janitorial services for vacation homes and this is our guide to making your vacation home experience run smoothly.   Mudroom and entranceway Create some cubbyhole storage spaces so everyone has their own place to store shoes, jackets and sports equipment. Rubber flooring is a great choice to minimize damage by skis, ski boots and bikes.   Kitchen Stick to basics. The more kitchen equipment there is available to your guests, the more they will use – which means more chance of items getting damaged, and more mess for your housekeeping company to clean up. Encourage your guests to wash up as they go by providing the same number of table settings as your house’s maximum occupancy, plus two (in case they invite the housekeeping staff to dinner). So, if your condo sleeps six to eight, provide no more than 10 sets of tableware. Don’t put all your old kitchen gadgets or small appliances in your rental vacation home – they will just gather dust or get broken. Do buy good quality, hardwearing appliances – a self clean oven is worth the investment. Leave some empty cupboard space for guests to store groceries. Do provide dish soap, tea towels, cleaning cloths, bin liners and a washing up brush to help guests keep the area clean. If you have a dishwasher, provide tablets so guests aren’t tempted to use dish soap that will clog up your appliance. Keep placemats and coasters near eating areas. Living areas Declutter – vacation homes with many trinkets and moveable items take longer to dust and tidy. Resist temptation to fill shelves with the board games you haven’t used for years, or your old VCR collection. Don’t move your old white suede couch to the vacation home – choose quality furnishings that will be easy to keep in immaculate condition – this will help your vacation home maintain a higher rental value. Remove all personal photographs – your guests are paying for a home away from home, not a reminder that they are in someone else’s house. Create a binder with local visitor information, including your expectations of how guests should leave the vacation home and how to report any maintenance problems or emergencies at the property.   Décor Leave your personal preference for black walls and striped wallpaper for your own home and decorate your vacation home in keeping with the location. Ski condos should have a modern lodge feel (but go easy on the antlers and ski furniture) and beach or lake houses need to be light and airy. Make sure high-traffic areas are painted with good quality, wipeable paint. Choose flooring that can be easily cleaned – dark carpets, light hardwood or laminate flooring are ideal. Avoid floor rugs.   Supplies Give your guests access to an all-purpose cleaner, cloths and paper towels, floor brush and small vacuum cleaner so they can clean up any small spills during their stay.   Have a lockable cupboard so you can stock up on toilet paper and cleaning products that can be easily accessed by housekeeping.   Washrooms Put a toilet brush, hand soap, hand towel and air freshener in every washroom. Resist temptation to leave dozens of lotions and potions that have to be moved every time the room is cleaned. Provide a few essential items like shampoo and body wash in a cupboard if you wish. Buy two small, machine washable bath mats and keep one with your spare sheet and towel sets.   Bedrooms Spend a night in each of the beds to see what your guest’s experience is like, and make changes to mattresses, room layout, window coverings or furniture as necessary. Consider replacing pillows once a year so they remain in the best quality condition. Get two sets of bedding and towels of the same pattern for every bedroom in the house, to make changeover day simple.   Housekeeping Vacation homes always need to be kept in immaculate condition ready for the next potential paying guest. Goldstar Cleaning Services offers a turnaround service for vacation homes, including a laundry service. We can also do security checks for insurance purposes. More information on vacation home cleaning options.   Family and friends If you let your family or friends use your vacation home, ask them to cover the cost of getting the property cleaned by Goldstar Cleaning Services at the end of their stay. A Goldstar Cleaning Services gift certificate is also the perfect thank you gift for a friend who has lent you their condo or vacation home.   Thinking of buying a vacation home in Fernie? Contact Fernie Vacation Properties to view one of their ski hill condo properties.