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It can be challenging to tell what guests see in your home and how that affects the rate they are willing to pay to stay. If you want to rent your place for vacations, and the property goes beyond the size of a condo or cabin, you may also be considering whether or not your home qualifies as a “luxury home”.

Many companies offer full-service property management for luxury homes that goes beyond the management of bookings and payments. This form of property management includes the cleaning, restocking, and customer service availability for the vacation rental. While this is certainly advantageous for your time and peace of mind, your property must qualify as a luxury home that justifies a higher price tag.

Let’s take a look at what makes a vacation home luxury, and what guests are seeking in luxury vacation homes. If your property contains some or all of these features, you may be able to charge a higher rate and qualify for full-service property management.

Note: before listing any property as a vacation home, make sure you hire someone to photograph your place properly. This is an essential first step in giving your listing an optimal appearance online, which eventually leads to an increase in bookings.

Pools and Hot Tubs

Guests searching for luxury vacation home rentals are shopping for a vacation that isn’t necessarily about exploring a new place or visiting the nearby landmarks. Instead, these guests are searching for comfortable activities and relaxation options within their rental. For this reason, the inclusion of a pool or hot tub goes a long way in making a vacation listing luxurious.

When renting out a property with a hot tub or pool, include the words “hot tub” or “pool” in the property’s online listing title. Don’t relegate the fact that your property has a pool to the details section- this section most likely won’t be read until the potential guest has finished reviewing all of the property’s photos and made up their mind about your place. On that note, make sure to include a picture of the pool area within the first five photos of the property listing whenever possible.

Interior Design Style

Potential vacation home renters can judge the style and interior design of the property well before visiting or booking with the photos included in the online listing. High-quality interior design has the capability to attract guests, but poor interior design has even more capability to drive potential guests towards considering other properties.

Designing any vacation home begins with choosing a color palette that is relaxing and positive. Stick to brighter colors whenever possible, but try to avoid everything being white. Rooms with all white furniture and upholstery often appear somewhat sterile and are thereby less welcoming. Include natural tones and textures to match the lighter colors, with light wood finishes and decorative artwork or wall hangings.

Make sure rooms can get as much natural light as possible, though for bedrooms, make sure to give guests the ability to control that light easily. There’s nothing worse than not being able to sleep in on vacation because the curtains aren’t dark enough! Natural light is both welcoming and energizing for anyone staying at your place.

In all spaces, make sure to declutter whenever possible. Most guests prefer a minimalist interior design simply because it looks cleaner. Keep decorations consistent throughout the house so that the rooms do not differ significantly from the resort-like tone you want to set for the entire rental space.

Outdoor Spaces  

The outdoor areas in true luxury vacation home rentals are open, welcoming, and easy to access. These spaces should have features that invite guests to step outside and enjoy the sunshine and warm weather.

“The backyard” for a luxury vacation home goes well beyond being a backyard. These outdoor spaces should also be private, ideally without other properties in the immediate vicinity. Many luxury vacation homes have stunning beach or landscape views. While these views are usually a selling point, a view with many other properties can instead be unattractive.

The central focal point of the outdoor space for a luxury vacation home is often the pool. Include seating options that point towards the middle of this focal point so that it becomes a comfortable space even when you aren’t in the water. A fire pit is an excellent second option for properties without pools to create this central space with outdoor furniture. Including a grill or outdoor cooking kitchen can also be a point of attraction for potential guests. And on that note…

Kitchen and Cooking Options

Make sure your vacation rental home is fully equipped and easy to use, with new appliances and open countertop areas. The kitchen is another space of the house that should look and feel welcoming, yet at the same time serve a practical purpose. Open floor plans are always ideal, as they allow someone standing in the kitchen to stay connected with the people in the rest of the living space.

Make sure there is plenty of cookware and silverware, as well as several options for dishes, pots, and pans. Having a fully stocked kitchen helps guests feel they are not missing any of the comforts of home. Everything they can do in their home kitchen should also be possible in the ideal vacation rental kitchen.

Conclusion– 6 Things Guests Look for in Luxury Vacation Homes

If your vacation home property contains the features listed above, you may be able to list your property at luxury nightly or weekly rates. Managing luxury properties can be complex, and property repairs and cleaning can be an extensive project. To get your property up to the luxury standard, you may want to consider a full-service vacation management company, so it won’t just be your guests who are sitting back and relaxing.

This cottage is a summer vacation home dream and boasts everything you need for a unforgettable summer vacation. If you have ever visited connecticut, you’ll notice this home looks identical to the lavish Candlewood Lake realestate in Conneticut’s cottage country which not to mention, would make a remarkable spot for a hidden hideaway.

The cottage’s interiors were designed by Lawrence Boeder and feature lots of sunny décor like this luminous sun porch. Equipped with wicker furniture from Lyold Flanders, its great for easy entertaining and sipping fresh, cool lemonade.

The living room perfectly morphs with the outside setting and décor. Relaxing, casual, and comfortable patterns/textures were chosen to upholster the sofas, the curtains, and giant rug. The pretty, solid wood cocktail table is from Ralph Lauren Home and the oil painting is by Pauline Palmer.

The family calls this room the Break O Day room, which serves as a morning gathering place to sip coffee and eat breakfast. The picture perfect view of Lake Michigan and warm sunshine pouring in will have you singing for warm weather!

I love the cottage’s relaxed, timeless style which makes you practically float from one room to the next. The cottage style kitchen is spacious with tall ceilings and perfect for entertaining a big, bustling family. The kitchen island doubles as a breakfast bar and is equipped with a heavy duty butcher slab countertop which is practically indestructible.

Designer Lawrence Boeder surely didn’t leave out class and style in this little girl’s room. A pretty chandelier and low crown moulding breaks up the exaggerated tall ceilings, making the room more intimate and cozy. Romantic French furnishings and a soft palette of dusty pinks and rose gold make it an magical bedroom graced with  elegance.

In the master bathroom marble tiles line the floors, wrap around the whole shower and perfectly align the bath tub.

The guest bedroom has just about everything you need for a comfortable and enjoyable stay. The quirky comical painting is a nice retro touch to the traditionally styled furniture, fabrics, and patterns.

Who doesn’t like living in the lap of luxury? This gorgeous Siesta Key waterfront home is everything you could possibly want in a home – and more! I love this home since it feels like you are at a resort and an on-going vacation, each and every day.

The home was decorated in a typical Mediterranean style using light walls; reddish toned flooring and dark wood furniture. The designers used a typical natural, muted color palette compromised of beige, terracotta, soft gold, and a hint of red. It was accented with dark, decorative wood stained furniture in the living room with rich upholstering. The kitchen also features dark wood and natural stone countertops.

Mediterranean, or Tuscan style homes are all about staying intact with nature and using natural colors, and resources. To complement the style of the home, the designers used natural stone materials for the patio, walls, pathways, and flooring inside and outside the home.  To add a little garnish on top of all this luxury, this immaculate home even features its own private beach – you really can’t get any better than this!

Perrone Construction