Design Tips, Investment Properties
Shauna Lynn Simon
Expert Advice for Your Vacation Rental Property

If you own a vacation rental property (or are looking to invest in one), you know that designing a short-term rental cottage that stands out from the competition is key to attracting renters and earning repeat business. With the growing popularity of short-term rentals and Airbnb properties, it's important to create a space that not only looks beautiful but is also functional and comfortable for guests.

In this article, we'll provide you with expert tips and insights on how to design a short-term rental cottage that will have guests raving and coming back year after year. Whether you're starting from scratch or looking to update an existing space, this guide will provide you with the inspiration you need to create a truly exceptional vacation home.


Start with the Basics

Before you start decorating, make sure you have all the basics in place. This includes…

Expert Advice for Your Vacation Rental Property

Home Staging is an investment

Investing in Home Staging helps you to sell your home for more money, and is always less than a price reduction. Key to selling a home:

1. Stage first! Always stage prior to listing the house - you only get one chance to make a first impression

2. Price appropriately for the market, neighbourhood, etc - this is what Realtors are trained to do, so be sure to enlist the help of a Realtor as soon as you decide to sell, to help you with the process of preparing your home for sale.

3. Keep your home "showing ready" at all times - you never know when your buyer will walk through your home - as I always tell my clients, the better your home shows each and every day, the faster you will sell your house, and the sooner you can return to life as normal.

Beautiful Fall Weather! Time to get outside...

Kids are going back to school, and life is returning to normal. While Fall is not here yet, it is just around the corner, and now is a good time to start planning out what needs to be done before the winter hits - this will allow you to set an action without being overwhelmed and caught off-guard, such as how you plan to store items for the winter (BBQ, lawnmower, patio set, etc). By planning ahead, you can enjoy the season.

How to build confidence

Did you know that people that struggle with a low self-esteem find it difficult to give compliments? If you are not comfortable with who you are, you'll struggle to recognize and acknowledge the good in others, whether it's as simple as a nice new hair-style that your co-worker is sporting, or praising a friend for a nice gesture. One of the best ways to build confidence, and just genuinely feel good, is to give someone a compliment - that's your task for this holiday weekend - make others feel good, and in turn boost your own self-esteem. Happy Labour Day Weekend everyone!

Summer Projects aka Fall Projects

Feel like the summer "just flew by" and you didn't get everything done? Often we have high expectations of ourselves in the summertime and plan for more projects than time really allows for. While summer is meant to be our vacation, it still seems to be our busiest time of the year, visiting with friends, out-of-town trips, and just soaking up the rays. Don't be discouraged!! Fall weather makes many of our projects much more feasible - start with outdoor projects that you didn't get done in the summer. Many of these are often simply evening or weekend projects that can be completed in a day or two. Anything that can be done indoor can be saved for later in the season as the weather turns cold and we're seeking shelter indoors. So make a list, sort by indoor vs outdoor, and start checking items off!