The short term rental market in the Dallas/Fort Worth area is becoming increasingly competitive. More and more property owners are deciding to try and maximize their profits by utilizing the growing number of apps and websites that market vacation rentals. In our next few blog posts, we will explore some of the amenities that you can add to your property in order to differentiate it from the crowded market.
One of the best ways to ensure that your property books as many days as possible is to entice people to stay in your property multiple times. You want to make sure that the entire experience is as pleasant and memorable as possible. Below you will find some of the amenities that rank highly in importance to guests. These services will enhance guests’ experience and greatly increase the likelihood that they will come back and stay with you again.
How do you welcome your guests?
They say you never get a second chance to make a first impression. Curb appeal should not be something that is overlooked. In addition, a lock box with the keys inside can allow for 24 hour check in without making it necessary for you or your Dallas property management company representative to be onsite for check in. This convenience is a huge benefit to travelers and alleviates any pressure they may feel if their arrival is delayed for some reason. Another item that can create a memorable first impression is a welcome basket. For a very minimal cost, having a few treats and a handwritten note waiting for your guests can be a sure way to start their stay in your property off on the right foot.
What are the most searched amenities on Airbnb?
You can get a pretty good idea what amenities are the most important to people staying at a Dallas vacation rental property by seeing what amenities are searched most often on Airbnb. The top amenities searched on their site are as follows:
- Coffee maker
- Full kitchen (kitchenette’s are much less desirable)
- Air conditioning (speaks for itself in a market like Dallas/Fort Worth)
- Free parking
- Pool (also a huge plus in the Dallas/Fort Worth Area)
- A set of wine glasses (the wine experience is so much better when it is sipped from an actual wine glass)
- Pet friendly property
- Wifi (a strong signal and enough bandwidth to support multiple devices is paramount in this day and age)
- Washing machine (having a dryer is a huge plus as well but not as important as the washing machine)
- Hot tub/Jacuzzi
- Television (the more the better)
- Heating system (Having space heaters accessible can be an easy and affordable remedy to not having a central heating system)
Prioritize your upgrades to get the most bang for your investment dollars
When travelers are using sites like Airbnb and Vrbo to search for properties to rent, they can filter their search parameters by the availability of specific amenities. You may be missing out on a whole segment of potential guests if you don’t have something as simple as a coffee maker or a set of wine glasses available for use at your property. These problems can be easily remedied with very little money out of your pocket. Something like a complete kitchen renovation or expansion or putting in a below ground pool in the backyard would obviously be quite a bit more capital intensive. It is best to look for items that you can acquire quickly and affordably first, and then allocate some of your profits towards bigger improvements down the road. Remember that your vacation rental property can be made increasingly desirable with every stay that you book.
Be sure to watch for our next blog where we will discuss more amenities that will further increase the attractiveness of your property to potential guests.