The key to owning a successful vacation rental home is to think about the details. Stylish homes are usually more likely to get booked by guests. Believe it or not, stylish décor doesn’t have to be expensive. To help you skyrocket your short-term rental business, we have some fresh ideas to share with you. If you’d like to create a trendy environment that’s comfortable, cozy, and appealing, then make sure to check out our top six vacation rental decorating tips below.
1. Be Smart with Your Vacation Rental Décor
When it comes to furnishing your rental, there are two main things to consider – looks and durability. Although it can be cost-effective to purchase cheaper, good-looking items, this might not be ideal in the long run. First off, short-term rentals are visited by dozens of guests every year. Moreover, not everyone is careful, and accidents sometimes do occur. This is why, you should invest in durable, comfortable items. Here are some smart vacation rental decorating tips for you to follow:
- Invest in easy-to-clean surfaces and items
- Choose durable items
- Invest in stylish storage boxes to manage clutter more efficiently
- Purchase decorative necessities in bulk (candles, pillowcases, air fresheners, etc.)
- Check out other rentals for examples and inspiration, such as Rentals Ocean City NJ.
Pro tip: Consider setting up a security deposit to ensure that your guests take extra care of the items around the house.
2. Brighten Up Your Vacation Home
One of the best vacation rental decorating tips is to introduce more light to brighten up your space. Having good lighting will accentuate certain aspects of your rental, and it will visually enlarge the space. Be smart with your lights, though. Place lamps or overhead lighting where people actually need them and try to incorporate as much natural light as possible because it makes the space livelier.
Pro tip: Always purchase bulbs and other related accessories in bulk.
3. Design a Functional Kitchen
Having a functional, stylish kitchen is a huge plus for customers. The whole point of vacation rentals is to have a home away from home. Your rental should make the guests feel as though they were in their own kitchen. Choose one style or a color story and choose kitchen accessories accordingly. Your kitchen should have as much space as possible, ideally decorated with cute accents throughout. Invest in durable cutlery and cookware. You can find a wide variety of affordable, quality, and stylish sets online.
Pro tip: Include some foods with a long shelf life to ensure that your guests always have at least some essentials at hand. Use decorative food dispensers for items such as rice, beans, cereal, oats, or pasta.
4. Pay Attention to Details, They Are Important Too
Furnishing your rental is much more complex than just placing furniture and amenities throughout the home. If guests only wanted a bed and a room, they would have booked a hotel room instead. You should always look for ways to elevate your rental, and using cute decorative items is the way to go about it. Combining comfort and beauty is the perfect formula to follow. Here are some decorative, functional items worth investing in:
- Decorative pillows and pillowcases
- Flowers and plants
- Air fresheners
- Candles
- Stylish hangers
Pro tip: Purchase these items on websites such as Amazon or AliExpress for a very reasonable price. Plus, they usually offer a wide variety of styles to choose from.
5. Use Art to Make Your Rental Property More Appealing
When choosing a suitable vacation rental, guests are equally drawn to amenities and décor. They want a full experience. To ensure that your rental stands out, use art and other artistic elements throughout your home. Your vacation rental interior design should include details, such as:
- Bold wallpaper patterns in of the rooms (not everywhere)
- Paintings, preferably from local artists
- Color accents
Introducing smaller art can also be beneficial. However, these smaller items are prone to breaking, so don’t rely too much on them. If you’re really keen on incorporating smaller pieces, then use double-sided tape to ensure that they aren’t moved around.
Pro tip: Hire a professional photographer to make the most of your space.
6. Decorate the Outdoor Space
One of the most significant selling points in the vacation rental industry is the outdoor area. You can do a lot of exciting things with this open space without breaking a bank. Think about those cute Pinterest backyard images and try to come up with something similar. Moreover, you can bring a lot of these ideas to life yourself and save money. Here are some things to consider:
- Build a raised brick patio
- Introduce plants and trees
- Invest in hanging lights, lanterns, or fairy lights
- Create a comfy sitting area with pillows, benches, blankets, etc.
- Invest in an affordable outdoor projector screen to increase the entertainment value of your rental
Pro tip: Invest in coated, waterproof outdoor furniture. It’s more durable and easier to clean – this can help you save time and money on cleaning.
These vacation rental decorating tips were created based on our long tradition of working in this industry. Our experience has shown that guests are more attracted to stylish and functional properties. Therefore, such rentals usually receive more bookings. Be sure that your photos showcase your property in the best light and can entice potential guests to book with you. By following these tips, you will be able to rack up a ton of positive reviews in no time.