A 5 Step Guide to Winterizing Your Vacation Rental
Winterizing Can Help Protect Your Property From Damage
The first snows have begun to fall across the country, heralding the end of the fall season and the beginning of the cold winter months. For many vacation rental owners, the busy time of year is about to begin as travelers flock to mountain towns for a bit of cold-weather fun, so now’s the time to prepare your vacation home for the season ahead.
But what if it’s your first winter as a vacation rental owner or you’re unsure of how to prepare for winter in a mountain locale? Let us help you out with our easy 5 step guide to winterizing your vacation rental.
Why You Should Winterize Your Vacation Home
For those of you who live in a tropical location or have never experienced a winter in the mountains, you might be wondering: why do I have to winterize my vacation rental? There are a few reasons, such as:
Prevent Winter-Weather Damages: Winterizing helps your property stand up more strongly against the intense winter weather often experienced in the mountains, allowing you to prevent problems such as leaks or frozen pipes from occurring and costing you thousands in avoidable repair bills. Furthermore, repairing problems during heavy winter weather can be even more costly than normal repair bills.
Winterization Can Help Your Rental Become More Efficient: The cost of electricity is always rising, but winterizing your short-term rental is an easy way to keep down utility costs and save you more money.
Step One: Start with a Seasonal Inspection
The first step to winterizing your vacation rental starts with a seasonal inspection to identify any maintenance issues that need to be addressed and help upkeep your property throughout the harshest scourge of winter.
Allow a professional to take a good look at both the property to help you find any problems that could pop up in the midst of winter and work on fixing them before the worst of the winter season is upon you.
Step Two: Schedule a Pre-Winter Deep Clean and Pest Control Service
After you’ve inspected every inch of your short-term rental property to ensure that there are no lingering issues or problems to repair before winter, it’s time to schedule a good deep cleaning and a full pest control servicing to the property.
No ski season traveler will want to stay in a home that’s still full of summer dust or overrun with pests, so before the season gets into full swing, take the opportunity to take care of some pre-winter cleaning tasks, such as:
A full servicing to your chimney, if applicable
Cleaning the interior and exterior of all appliances, like your oven and refrigerator
Vacuuming up dust from your heating system to ensure there’s no “heater smell” when guests turn it on
Step Three: Invest in Some Winter Basics for Your Vacation Rental
No one wants to set foot in a vacation rental that offers no winter essentials, so for step three of your winterization process, stock up your property with some cozy cold-weather basics to help keep your guests warm and comforted. Invest in items like soft, plush blankets for the living room, cozy robes to bundle up after a bath, a boot dryer for those long days on the mountain, and extra firewood so guests can enjoy the fireplace to its full potential.
It’s also a good idea to stock up the home with more practical essentials, like a snow shovel, salt for the walkways, and ice scrapers for guest’s vehicles.
Step Four: Ensure the Exterior is Well-Prepared
Now that the inside of your property has been taken care of for winter, it’s time to turn your attention to preparations on the exterior of the home. While the interior is incredibly important, it’s not a good idea to ignore exterior maintenance and preparations, especially if your property has a hot tub, pool, or a sprinkler system. Here are a few ideas for winterizing the outside of your property:
Close Down the Pool for the Winter: Ski season guests won’t be able to use this amenity, so now would be a good time to remove any dirt or debris with a good skimming before installing a pool cover for the wintertime.
Give Your Hot Tub a Good Once-Over: Winter guests love to sit amidst the snow in a warm, bubbling hot tub, so schedule a servicing appointment for this amenity before winter hits.
Service Your Sprinkler System to Prevent Freezing: It’s important to prepare the exterior of your home for winter by draining any water still left in your sprinkler system and shutting off the water to prevent anymore from getting into the pipes.
Step Five: Think About Upgrading Your Tech for Future Winter Savings
Last but not least, if you’re hoping to upgrade your home to help with winter maintenance, think about adding in some smart technology to make maintaining your vacation rental even easier in winters to come.
Installing a smart thermostat can cut down on heating costs, particularly when the home is empty, as you can control the heat from a smartphone app. Technology-enhanced water sensors can also be a life-saver, as they can help to detect any leaks before they become a huge problem.
More Tips and Tricks for Boosting Your Short-Term Rental Business
Winterizing your vacation home is not a difficult task, but it still involves a lot of planning and a bit of work to ensure that your winter season goes as smoothly as possible. Winterizing can pay off big in the long-term when it comes to savings on emergency repairs, especially if guests are staying at the property when things go wrong.
Looking for more ways to cut down on costs and maximize your revenue as a vacation rental owner? Take a look at our guide to kitchen essentials at your short-term rental or our breakdown on how to attract more families to your vacation rental.