Give Your B&B A New Lease Of Life
Are the wood floors in your Bed & Breakfast unit, short-term rental, or even holiday home getting worse for wear? Does it look tired and in need of a fresh new start? Your vacation rental guests want a clean and well-maintained space for their comfort and relaxation. Dilapidated interiors are an instant turn-off, where you lose out on guests who would have checked in, and also suffer the bane of negative reviews. The floor – one of the largest structures in the household, will impact the decor. When it is all dull and forlorn, deteriorating over the years with signs of wear – from stains deeply set into the surface to scratches covering the entire area, it reflects poorly on the rest of the space You can have elegant furnishing and state of the art electronics, but their effect the ambience of the space will be watered down by the ruined floor. With floor sanding and refinishing processes, you will be able to give your surfaces a fresh start.
Durability is Key
When making upgrades to your vacation rental, remember that it will see guests from all walks of life and different ages – and perhaps even pets if you allow it. As such, the kind of finishes you make – whether it is on the flooring, the countertops or even the furnishings, should be able to hold up to the abrasion that they will be exposed to. With fragile finishes, you will end up spending way much more on repairs.
With floors in particular, the type of finish should match the levels of traffic that are expected. There is a wide range of oil-based and water-based finishes for you to work with, in line with the requirements of your particular B&B. One and two-component lacquers, finishes with anti slip properties – they each have functionalities that they have been optimised for. Certainly, the quality of the floor preparation before the finish is applied is essential. During the floor sanding, the surface is smoothened and imperfections like scratches and gaps are dealt with. However, you don’t want to have a surface that is too smooth that the subsequent finishes that are applied are prevented from bonding well with the surface. Also, if it’s a case of removing old worn out finishes, these should be completely got rid of, not leaving patches of them on the surface. The floor sanding needs to get to the bare wood, that way the new treatments will bond properly with it.
Extra Ways To Upgrade Your Vacation Rental
- Stay up to date with your appliances
While trends change quickly and it is unfeasible to keep switching to the latest home technology with each season, appliances that are very old will stick out. Part of keeping your guests happy is getting them appliances that they will have a smooth time using. For instance, an 8-year-old fridge is high to have some nicks and will need repairs done. Ensure that it can still keep the perishables fresh. Most refrigerators can actually last for over a decade. However, once it’s clocking more than 15 years, it’s probably time to have it replaced. Of course, whether new or old, each refrigerator needs to be cleaned after the guests check out. Washing machines are another key appliance to keep an eye on. No one likes using a washing machine that’s smelling of mould or leaking due to its tub getting split. Look into the energy efficiency of your unit as you weigh whether to have it repaired or replaced.
- Spice up the décor with wallpaper
Whether it is bringing some pzazz to a blank wall, covering up holes or stains, or switching things to go with seasonal trends, wallpapers do the trick. They are an economical way to quickly touch up the house and provide a pleasant ambience for the guests.
- Local maps & guidebooks
Sure, the guests checking in are likely to have their itinerary all planned out. However, having guides for local attractions, restaurants and cafes for them to look through will be a plus when it comes to the reviews they leave behind. For instance, pamphlets featuring prominent local sites, including parks, theatres and areas with significant historical importance will be handy for them during their stay.
- Stock up office supplies
This is particularly beneficial for people travelling to work, and are looking for vacation rentals that have some ‘office comforts’. Getting a spacious desk, a notebook or two, some pens, and even a desktop PC will show them that your property can also be a suitable spot for a “working vacation”, especially for the remote workers and digital nomads.
The Cost Factor
Just like other kinds of home renovations, making upgrades to your short-term rental will require quite a beefy budget. From the installation upgrades, spending funds on furnishings and electronics, all through to the small items like the towels and sets of bedsheets, a lot needs to be factored in. There could also be unexpected costs, such as for those situations where you find out that you will spend on issues like insulation or other raw building materials. However, you can save money by going for more budget-friendly finishings, working with brands to sponsor you with the furnishings or even finishes in order to market their products to guests checking in, all through to hiring professionals for those critical jobs where mistakes from a DIY or rookie job would be way more expensive, such as with the floor sanding and refinishing.
Handy Tip: Be A Guest In Your Vacation Rental
One sure way of finding out if there are issues in the property that will interfere with your guests’ experience is staying there for a while. Living there for a few days will bring to light aspects that you had skipped during the upgrades, and show you where changes need to be made. From daily aspects like using the coffee maker, bathtub, washer and dryer, looking at the window coverings to check what feels comfortable, to lounging in spots where your guests will be spending most of their time – this will force you to see what the impact of the features in your B&B will be like for your guests.
