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Probally the most important question you have to ask yourself is,      
                                                                 WOULD I HOLIDAY IN THIS PROPERTY?

    
IS YOUR PROPERTY PREPARED FOR RENTAL?

Your property should be well maintained, clean and inviting. It should have every essential necessary for the comfort of the holiday maker, everything you would find in your own home. Bed linen, towels & t-towels should be supplied. A check list of items available in the property should also be left for the guests. Make your property a home from home.                                                                                                                  
What ever your personal taste, probably the worst thing you could do is to have your property painted in dark colours, it will give a cold impression. Bright colours create space and light, and it will always look and feel fresh.                                                    
Never clutter your property with things the holiday maker does not need to see, IE, your own clothes, personal letters lying about, to many fixtures and fittings. Take them home or lock them away. You don’t have to go all out for expensive furniture to make your holiday home appealing and comfortable. Shop around and you will find some good bargains. Your furniture and utensils however, should be durable for the demands of holiday life. Once again choose fixtures and fittings that will last and are easy to clean.

HAVE YOU THOUGHT ABOUT PHOTOGRAPHS?

Although we allow up to 10 photos please have many more at hand because quite often guests will ask for more shots which you can send by email. Every property has its own unique selling points, such as pools, views from the balcony etc, and these are the type of photos you should highlight. Always remember, be diligent when taking your photos
Guests like to see sunshine and nice blue skies, therefore outside photos of your property should not be taken on a dull or wet day, potential guests are liable to search for another property. They also like to see views of what the area has to offer, like tourist attractions, scenic areas and activities nearby, like golf courses and defiantly the beach, of course any great views from your property speak for themselves. But always check your back ground carefully for unwanted items when trying to focus on something. Photos taken at different times of the day also produce different results so maybe a chat with the local photographer in the area would help.

Inside shots again, should be taken in good sunny natural light, the property should be spotless with no clutter, and basically you want to “dress the area up”.  Put on a lamp or maybe add some flowers to smooth the back ground. Cushions and bedding should be tidy, dinning room tables could be set up nicely for lunch and balcony furniture could include a bowl of fruit and glass of wine, you’ll get some great ideas from furniture magazines. It’s not a good idea to have the TV on as this may cause a colour glare on your shots, and also try to avoid the use of flash because this may cause a reflection from a mirror or shinny surface. 
But if this all sounds like to much bother or you simply cant handle a camera, our advice is to get it all done by a photographer, a few pounds spent here will be well worth it and remember when looking at your shots, ask yourself “would I holiday in this property”.

HAVE YOU CHOSEN THE RIGHT WORDING FOR YOUR ADVERT?                               

This is also a very important area when advertising your property for a number of reasons.                                                                                                                                    

1. If someone does a search through Google or Yahoo looking for an apartment in Sunny Beach for example, and your title includes the words,” holiday/sunny beach/apartment/rental/to let” then you have a better chance of being found.

2. The “advanced search” on our site is a great tool as well because it allows guests to search within an advert for something they really want to have included in their holiday i.e. golf-ski-beach. So look deeply into what facilities your area has to offer and word carefully.                                                                                                                          

3. When someone clicks on your advert, you want those potential guests to “read more” from the exciting head lines you have given to your property so make this punch line effective.

Overall you are in the business of renting your holiday property so try and include common words that are searched for on the search engines that describe holiday areas, rental property type, attractions and facilities.

  
WHAT ARE YOUR SELLING  POINTS?                                                                    

You should include important areas of both the inside and outside of your holiday home. Open fire place, en-suite bathrooms, hi-fi and TV for example. Are there pool views or mountain views, also include activities, attractions, restaurants and night life, and a guide to what local transport is available, should be included as well.

HAVE YOU CHECKED YOUR INSURANCE?                                                                     

Please enquire from you insurance broker about building/contents and personal liability insurance before letting your property, after all accidents do happen.  Make sure you are covered. The holiday maker can also be asked to pay a refundable deposit to ensure against any damages/breakages caused by them to the property.

HOW QUICK WILL YOU REPLY TO A REQUEST?                                                         

It is absolutely vital that you reply to emails and phone messages as soon as you can. As a home owner myself, I have lost contacts because of negligence in failing to reply promptly, so please take my advice.

WHAT ABOUT YOUR PAYMENTS?                                                                                              

Usually a non-refundable deposit secures the booking. On receipt of this payment holidaymakers should be issued with details of the property booked, dates and times of rental. A receipt should be issued for the amount paid and a date for the final payment agreed. On receipt of the final payment the address of the property, the key, holder’s details and any other details necessary to the booking should be finalized with the customer.

IS YOUR PROPERTY SECURE?                                                                                 

We use security lights and alarms at home, why not abroad.  Locks should be checked on a regular basis, consider decorative door and window bars especially on ground floor property. If your property is closed up for any length of time maybe, friends or a representative could help to keep an eye on things. Good neighbours are always very important people whatever country you are in, they can provide vital information on important issues. They might look after your property while you are away or at least hold your spare keys so that maintenance or emergency people can gain entrance.
Remind your holiday makers to lock up securely on leaving your property at all times. A safe for valuables is also a welcome addition to your property.

CAN YOU PROVIDE CLEANING & MAINTENANCE?                                                                                                

We would like to think that our guests would leave the property in the same condition as they found it, empty the rubbish, wash dishes etc. However after every booking the apartment should be cleaned and made ready for the next rental party. If this service cannot be carried out by you then the services of local cleaner should be sought. Some complexes offer this service for a small charge.

SHOULD YOU PROVIDE WELCOME PACKS?                                                                                                               

This a lovely idea and a very welcome one for the weary travellers, these can be as basic or as extravagant as you wish. Water, milk, bread/biscuits, teabags/coffee and sugar, a bottle of wine or a few beers, a beautiful sight for tired and hungry holiday makers who may have travelled through the night. So easy to arrange for so little and greatly appreciated. A list of in-house entertainment can be provided as well, such as video games, DVDs, books or any other games you think might keep your guests happy. You should keep as much knowledge of the area in your holiday home as you can. Have a list of good restaurants, places to visit, tourist attractions etc. (Available free from the local tourist information). And most important of course is the emergency phone numbers, i.e. Doctor, Hospital, Clinic, Dentist, and Police. Your own details should also be included for any problems that may occur during the rental. All this info can be kept in a decorate file.

  
WILL YOU INCLUDE THE PERSONNEL TOUCH?                                                                                                

Go that extra mile with a phone call to the holiday maker, prior to or at the start of their holiday to ensure they have all the necessary details or to welcome them to the property and ensure they are comfortable. Remind them of the information available in your file for their peace of mind. Remember a happy guest will tell their friend about the good time they had. Recommendation is better than a million advertisements. You should also keep in touch from time to time after they return home, by email or phone, very handy for when you may have late deals to offer, or you decide to do a promotion. 

DO YOU INCOURAGE FEED BACK?                                                                                         

It is important to encourage feedback from your guests as this will give you an idea of how good your holiday home really is. Criticism, good or bad also helps us to improve our services to you.

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