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Preparing your Second Home for holiday letting, which items should be removed and which are expected in your property?

Your holiday home is likely to be already furnished and decorated; however, when you begin renting it out, it's important to find a balance between personal convenience and guest comfort.

Walk through your second home and remove any irreplaceable or valuable items. Create a lockable closet in your home for storing personal items and extra supplies. The rest of your home should be relatively free of personal affects and clutter.

In addition to removing and locking away personal items, it's also important to add the items that travelers expect to find in a holiday home.

The Kitchen
When it comes to the kitchen, guests appreciate convenience. Your kitchen should be equipped with enough plates, glasses, and flatware for double the number of people that you sleep, a tea pot, adequate cooking equipment, and a dining room table that will seat the number that you sleep. If you sleep large numbers, have a fold-up table and chairs readily available for the children.

The Bedrooms
All holiday homes should have quality and ample bedding. This means high-quality sheets for each bed, pillows with pillow protectors, duvets and covers, extra blankets, and mattress pads. Also consider supplying an alarm clock and reading lamp on a bedside table in each bedroom.

The Living Area
Your living area should have comfortable seating for at least the number of people that you sleep, a TV large enough for guests to watch from across the room (27” or larger) with basic cable or satellite TV, a DVD player or at the very least a VCR, and a couple decks of cards and a board game or two for rainy days.

The Bathrooms
Renters expect the bathrooms to be spotless. They also demand quality towels. Provide at least 1 bath towel and 1 hand towel per guest.

The Extras
When equipping your holiday home, remember why renters are choosing to stay in a holiday home instead of a hotel. Consider providing items like a washer and dryer, high-speed Internet, an iron and ironing board, a hair dryer, books, games, videos, and a first aid kit. Small objects like books, vases, and flowers can make the property feel more like a home than a hotel room. Also consider adding extras particular to your holiday rental market. For example, if your property is near the sea, consider leaving some leaflets from your local fish restaurant by the telephone.