4 Tips to Make Your Vacation Rental Make Money Year-Round

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If you own and rent out a vacation home, you know the stark difference between peak travel season, when you have renters left and right, and the off-season slumps, where the place is vacant for weeks at a time. 

It makes sense why some months are more lucrative than others, depending on where your vacation home is. However, that doesn’t mean you just have to accept your losses when your home sits empty for extended periods in the slower months. With a bit of extra effort and smart tweaks to your marketing and rental management strategy, you can earn a steady, consistent income from your vacation home year-round. Here are four tips that can help you do just that.

• Invest in Professional Real Estate Photos

One of vacation rental owners’ biggest pitfalls is posting photos that don’t fully capture the grandeur and beauty of their property. Take down those weirdly angled photos taken with a phone camera five years ago and invest in something much better: professional photography.

Real estate photography is a great way to showcase your stunning vacation rental and entice renters to book your property. With the right angles, lighting, and a bit of editing, you can make your rental look warm and inviting. You can even stage your place before you hire a photographer to take pictures by lighting the fireplace or doing a bit of extra interior decorating according to the season.

• Market the Area’s Seasonal Attractions

It’s easy to advertise a vacation home and what to do in the area during the peak season. However, it’s just as important to promote the community’s activities and events throughout the year. This can help catch the attention of potential renters, even if it’s the off-season.

For example, say you have a vacation rental in Cape Cod, MA, which is known for breezy beaches in the summer. You can also market your home year-round by posting about other fun events, such as the town’s Christmas markets in wintertime and whale-watching activities during spring.

• Change Your Pricing According to the Demand

Incorporate dynamic pricing into your rental strategy to make your fees more attractive to potential renters depending on the season. For example, in the peak season, be competitive with your pricing, since a lot of people will be fighting for the best homes in the area anyway. But in the lean season, lower your prices. Getting renters in those months is more challenging, but a good deal might sway people to book your home.

• Leave It in the Hands of a Vacation Rental Management Team

Many vacation rental owners struggle to keep their listing active and attractive year-round, especially when they’re back in their hometown and busy with other things. If you want your vacation home to remain on the radar even if you’re more hands-off than usual, consider hiring a rental management company to do the work for you. These teams can take over the cleaning, marketing, and renter management for you.

We recommend hiring a local team to take care of your vacation home. That way, they know how to expertly navigate peak and shoulder seasons. For example, if you have a vacation rental in the resort town of Park City, UT, work with a reputable Park City vacation rental management team that can switch marketing strategies between ski lovers in the winter and mountain hikers in the summer. 

• Endnote

Renting out a vacation home doesn’t mean you only earn money from bookings during vacation time. By marketing your place right, switching up your pricing strategy, or trusting experts to manage your property, you can turn your idle second home into a money-making machine throughout the year. Don’t lose out on opportunities to rent out your vacation home. Follow our strategies above, and your rental property can become a consistent source of income, no matter the season.

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