5 Ways To Make Your Dorset Holiday Cottage Shine

What’s that special, secret ingredient which makes your Holiday Cottage stand out from the others? In this blog, we will be sharing our top 5 tips to ensure your property shines and gets noticed, for all of the right reasons.

A must-read for anyone who currently owns, or is looking to buy, a holiday home.

1. Know your guests

Know what kind of guests and parties you would like to welcome into your holiday cottage? Would you like to create a romantic retreat for couples? Or perhaps a luxury home for large groups and families? Will you welcome pets, children or the elderly? These are all things to consider.

The next step is making sure your holiday cottage has everything your ideal party would expect. For example, if your holiday cottage is pet-friendly, then the inclusion of walk, beach and pub information is super handy and simple to pull together.

Little bonuses, such as a dog bowl and snacks is a great way to welcome furry family members to your home. For child-friendly holiday cottages, cots, gates and high-chairs can be super handy for parents who would otherwise need to pack these necessities.

2. Features in your Holiday Cottage

Not all special features have a large price tag attached to them. Starts with the basics to ensure standard guest satisfaction; think WiFi, a dishwasher and a washing machine. It’s also worth checking out mobile reception so that you can set expectations from of the start.

Next up you can explore more “flashy” features such as a hot tub or swimming pool. Whilst this can be expensive, this will certainly appeal to holidaymakers and give your property the real “wow” factor.

An alternative for holiday let properties which have gardens is to invest in outdoor furniture, a swing seat or even a summer house.

3. Welcome packs

To make all guests feel welcome when they arrive at your holiday cottage, create a welcome pack that includes all the necessary information on how to use appliances. They might be different from what they are used to (hobs, TV, WiFi password, etc.).

It’s also great for guests to know emergency procedures and any other important information about the property.

Furthermore, another wonderful idea is to leave some biscuits, tea and coffee. Your guests will appreciate a drink after a long journey whilst they settle and unpack.

Don’t forget to include some interesting information about the area, such as the nearest attractions, pubs and restaurants.

Or maybe your cottage has some interesting history? Share it! Guests love to know about where they are staying.

4. Refresh your holiday cottage regularly

Listen to your guests’ feedback! Understanding what is making guests have a good or bad experience will help you to change and develop your property for future guests.

Lacking in feedback? Then another simple option is to update furnishings or tired appliances.

Even having a gardener and window cleaner once a month to refresh things can go a long way.

5. Finishing touches

Once you’ve made your property “livable” i.e. bedrooms, loo roll and dining ware, you need to think about how you can make your guests feel right at home.

You may want to consider teaming up with your local pub or entertainment park, and offer a special discount to your guests that they can only get from your holiday cottage.

You can also leave items such as an umbrella for both rainy days or to provide shade for a seaside trip.

If your cottage is by the harbour or near the sea, a bucket and spade can go a long way to raising a smile.

Your guests will appreciate the little touches and will be sure to leave positive feedback and may even be returning guests next year.

Talk to our experts now about letting your holiday cottage with Dream. Email dreamownerrelations@dream-cottages.co.uk or call us on 01305 789000 (option 2).