Take the ‘luck’ aspect out of renting your home out abroad…

Hello there!

What a week I have had! One of the things I did was to go on an arranged walk to Belgravia, here in London, which promised to visit Chester Square among other places.

The reason I wanted to see Chester Square comes down to what I thought was a rather amusing experience I once had. Very many years ago now, my husband and I had befriended a young English chap, Nick. He had popped in for dinner at our home in South Africa and stayed for 6 months!

Anyway, fast forward to a number of years later in London and his rather pompous brother, whom I had not met, was to collect me for a lunch with Nick. He phoned to get directions from me and I could hear by his voice that he thought I was a rather common-place ex-Colonial type. I happened to be staying with a friend of my Dad’s - an ex-Air Force friend - who had ‘made good’ and lived in one of the best addresses in London, where Roman Abramovich now lives and where houses are among the most expensive anywhere in the world, costing up to £125 million.

“Chester Square, Belgravia” I said; “Do you know where that is?”

There was a long pause…and then he answered “Yes, I know where THAT is.” It was a very satisfying moment…I must admit I had a bit of a giggle!

Back to buying abroad.

Watching the news and reading the newspapers, there is a very definite sense that the economic stresses of the past while are still with us. Many people are foregoing those expensive cruises or hotel holidays in favour of renting a home abroad for the family. If you have either bought a home abroad or are planning to do so, and you are thinking of renting it out, then you need to be aware of a number of things if you want it to rent out quickly and easily.

Location is of major importance, but a close second is how your holiday home abroad is presented - people are strongly influenced by their immediate impression of your home. I don’t know whether you watch those TV programmes like ‘House Doctor’, but I found myself thinking that there is a great deal of truth to what they reveal. Plus there are a few extra touches that can make all the difference and keep people coming back to your home year after year. Here are a few ideas to get you started:

- When buying, be aware that people do not want to spend hours getting to a place. It must be easily accessible if renting it out is your main objective

- Think clearly about why people are coming to the country. If it’s for sunny weather and beaches, then you must be near the beach. Also, the expense of a pool may well pay dividends

- It needs to be near shops, restaurants and transport. You may like seclusion but most people require facilities relatively close to hand

- You need someone reliable locally to clean and change bedding etc. and to assist with any problems that may occur: burst geysers and so on cannot be dealt with from the UK!

- Before you think about renting your home out, stay there for at least a week or two. Test out what it would be like for a guest, what they require and how you could make it more pleasant so that they want to return time after time

- Before they set off, send them an email or pack with directions as to how to get to your home plus names of car rental companies or how to get there via local transport

- Make up a welcome pack to greet them on arrival: pop in things like transport amenities and timetables, flyers for local pubs and restaurants, a list of annual festivities or fairs and emergency phone numbers. Plus perhaps the name and phone number of a cleaner should they want to use one. Always have milk and a bottle of wine waiting in the fridge to welcome your guests…it’s amazing how these small things will give the impression that your guests are important to you

- Leave a form asking for feedback. This is essential as it will give you a clear indication if you are getting it right

- Decorate your home in a simple yet welcoming way. It should be as relaxing and stylish as a hotel. Neutral colours are cool and inoffensive – you can introduce splashes of colour with pictures. Ikea is King when it comes to decorating touches, but good, sturdy furniture will last longest and give fewer problems in the long run.

- Remember too that the very last thing guests will want to do is to be constantly cleaning. There must be a hardy dishwasher and a washing machine. Hard floor surfaces are best, where a quick sweep will do the trick. Guests are often wet from the pool or the beach and greasy from sun lotion, so sofas and chairs need to be easily laundered and robust – perhaps throws may be a good idea? Simple shutters could be a great idea rather than curtains that need to be laundered. I personally now have blinds at home: I love the sleek look and I became very tired of bulky, grubby curtains.

I would say “Good luck”, but that is the point. You need to take the ‘luck’ aspect out of the whole process and work towards a recipe that ensures certain rentals and repeat business on an ongoing basis.

Bye for now and I hope this has been helpful!

Carol
http://www.portugalbuyingguide.com