If you are like me, using your vacation rental for your own personal use is a ton of fun. I mean that is why I bought the home in the first place. Did you notice the word 'rental' in the sentence prior? That little word that is used so very often changes everything! Seriously, there is a big difference between a 'second home' and a 'vacation rental home.'
To me, the words 'second home' bring to mind: relaxation, fun, sleep, food, exploring, my own little hideaway, family etc... ." Yep, I had all of those at our little getaway. It seemed like every time it came time to pack up and leave our second home - we just had to add one more day to the trip! The extended day always seemed to be spent relaxing and taking time to enjoy the little things. You know, things like going on that last walk in the mountains, catching a great morning breakfast, taking the kids out on one last sledding hill, and a nice dinner in the evening.
I had no idea that changing that one word, that when our vacation home became our rental vacation home, I would experience a whole new set of little things. A scuff on the wall; broken fixture handles; a few months ago, I rented out our vacation rental to a respectable group of gals in their mid 30's. They were nice enough to tell me about the "accidental spill of bleach on the living room carpet." The wool carpet that was in just about perfect condition. Never mind the whole issue of what in the world they were doing with bleach in the living room in the first place...well, at least they told us instead of letting us stumble upon it. That nice bright orange mark right in the middle of the walkway to the bedrooms...and there are no fixes for that. The burned up frying pan. The broken dishes. The dishes put away dirty in the cupboard. The boogers wiped on the bedroom wall in the kids' room - I kid you not. Boogers. The thoughtfully put together collection of family games, none of which now has a complete set of anything. The hours spent providing answers to every question under the sun: How do we access the internet? How close is the nearest sledding hill? Are there sleds? Do we need to bring our own sheets and towels? Do you have stuff for kids? Are there any neighbors? How many parking spots are there? Can we bring 17 people? Can we check in early? Can we check out late? Did you find a stylus to my kid's DS?
But what's the flip side - every story has two sides after all. The guest book is crammed full of gratitude..."We enjoyed your home so very much." "It's so comfortable, we felt like we were home." "We want to start a family tradition and come back every year." "You've put so much thought into how the house is equipped." (Well, of course we did, it was our vacation home first!)
"We hope to come back again and again." And I've had many repeat renters who continue to have great experiences creating family memories in my rental vacation home.
Each moment of complaining about the administration, the upkeep, the picky renters (if that's not the pot calling the kettle black...my wife used to call property owners and ask them for all the same details to ensure our family vacations were as fun and relaxing as possible), the slight damage that occurs from time to time...each of those moments is balanced with satisfaction. Satisfaction that my home has become a part of many families' memories. Satisfaction that my rental vacation home is one of the best - it's not the biggest, it's not right on the ski slopes or on the edge of the lake - but it is a place where my guests feel at home and where their vacations can be what they should be: a time for relaxation, fun, sleep, food, exploring, their own little hideaway, family - all the things I wanted when I set out on this journey myself.
Come back soon to read more tales of our adventures managing a vacation rental home...Creating spaces that only we have access to, ensuring the snow plow doesn't break a blade on a rock, managing all the details of the rental transactions...the list doesn't really ever end, and it sure provides a wealth of funny, frustrating, and satisfying moments.
