What makes for a holiday that is truly up to scratch? Well, this is a particularly good question, not least because the answer is totally dependent on what your relationship to that home is. You could be in one of three situations.
You could actually be going on holiday and looking for a holiday home to rent for the duration, you could be buying holiday home to use yourself, or you could be buying a property with the intention of renting it out yourself to holidaymakers. In each case, your priorities will be quite different, but the long answer to “what makes a great holiday home?” will overlap with all three.
Most fundamentally, a great holiday home will do two things. First, it will be in a location where people would like to go on holiday, and second, it will provide a range of amenities that holidaymakers need. Nevertheless, do not mistake a holiday home for a hotel or a resort. You don’t need to provide the whole holiday experience with a holiday home, and you don’t need to look for the full holiday experience if you’re looking for one to rent.
Rather, it just needs to be amenable to rest, relaxation, and fun, and there needs to be a few conveniences beyond what you would expect from just a typical house. People tend to pack things like bug repellent, a travel first aid kit and sunscreen when they go on holiday – they don’t expect to be provided them at the property itself. Again, it is not a hotel.
So, what are these things that mark out a great holiday home? We can certainly provide a pretty comprehensive list but bear in mind also that much depends on the location too. Picture in your mind a lakeside holiday home and a ski cabin; there are certain things that one requires and the other does not. So, things can vary quite a bit too.
So, with those caveats out of the way, let us attempt to give a run-down of what makes for a top holiday home.
For Those Buying a Holiday Home
When you are buying a holiday home, the chances are that you will be renting it out to others for at least some of the year. It is not that you will be living in it all the time – then it would just be your home.
So, how should you go about this and what should you look for in the property? Here follows some pointers:
Will it Increase in Value?
Just like any property anyone buys, there is an element of investment to the purchase – unless you plan to live in it permanently until the day you die. A good holiday home is one that is in a holiday location that is on the up – not one that is declining.
This is not only because you want the value to have increased by the time you sell it off, but also because a declining area (the most common cause of value decrease in holiday homes) is also going to negatively affect the number of renters you can get and the amount of rent they’ll be willing to pay. This is the type of investment you need to think about.
Is It in a Great Location?
We have already mentioned that a great location will boost a home’s value, but is the specific location of the house favourable to enjoying that location? For example, if it is a lakeside holiday area, can the lake be easily reached on foot from the holiday home? Or is it a bit far from the lake but within an easy distance of a string of village restaurants and cafes? And which of these would boost its value more? And what is more important to you?
Can You Fix it Up?
Sometimes, people buy holidays homes that are not particularly suitable for that purpose at first, but they can be renovated into a top holiday property. If this is the position that you are in, will it be cost effective to do so? And do you have a clear plan of how to go about it and what it is that your holiday home will require? Let us turn to that now:
Vital Holiday Home Amenities
This is the section relevant to those that are hoping to rent out their holiday home and for those who are looking to rent one only for their own holiday. What makes a holiday home great in this arena is the amenities. AirBnB recently conducted a survey and found that no less than 97% the respondents claimed that rental amenities affected their travel experience. Here are some essentials:
24-Hour Check-In
This becomes more essential the more rural the holiday home is. Travel can go wrong in any circumstance and arriving at the holiday home late and being unable to get in is sure to aggravate the guests.
Wi-Fi
This is today considered a holiday home essential. Sometimes, even when on vacation, holidaymakers need to see to certain tasks or to be able to contact certain people. Having no wi-fi is a total pain. So too is a slow wi-fi connection.
TV and Streaming Services
A great holiday home is one in which people want to spend time – not just a roof over the head. Some holidays take a lot out of you if they are filled with activities and sightseeing. Sometimes, even on holiday, you just want to chill-out in front of the TV.
Books
This is a bit of an old-fashioned amenity in these days of Netflix streaming, etc. And, of course, you cannot be sure it is going to be books that your guests will want to read. But there is a real charm to providing this option; for avid readers, carrying their library with them is not feasible.
Electrical Chargers and Adapters
The value of these is simply the value of easing guests worries about remembering to bring every last thing. Moreover, in rural areas, losing a phone charger can be a real pain – unless, that is, the holiday home provides one.
A Complimentary Welcome Basket
Not exactly a necessity, but this is the perfect finishing touch that is guaranteed to put a smile on guests’ faces Think things like fruit, chocolate, local fare, and maybe a bottle of wine if you’re really pushing the boat out.
Conclusion
As you can see, what makes a great holiday home can be a diverse number of things, depending on why you are buying or renting the holiday home and what you hope to get out of it. Nonetheless, a great holiday home is also simply one which adds to the holiday experience – and this is something that is universally appreciated.
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