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6 Tips for Converting a Vacation Home Into a Rental

6 Tips for Converting a Vacation Home Into a Rental

By: | Date: October 14, 2012

renting a beach house

Whether you want to offset the cost of owning a vacation home, don’t use it often, or are concerned about it sitting vacant, turning it into a rental could be a smart move. Here are six practical tips to help you convert your vacation home into a rental property.

1. Decide on an Objective

Determine your rental income goals and usage limitations:

  • Calculate expected weekly, monthly, or annual income.
  • Include all expenses (e.g., insurance, upkeep, utilities).
  • Decide how many weeks per year you want to rent it out.
  • Consider if you’re willing to give up using it during peak holidays.

2. Check Local Laws and Consult Your Accountant

  • Verify with your city or HOA about necessary permits and licenses.
  • Talk to a tax professional to understand rental income implications.

3. Choose Between DIY Rental or Property Management

Consider your location, availability, and interest in hands-on management:

  • DIY Option: Good for local owners with time and interest.
  • Property Manager: Best if you’re remote or lack time—professional help can handle renters, repairs, and maintenance.

4. Remove or Secure Personal Items

  • Don’t leave personal belongings accessible to renters.
  • Use a locked closet to store personal items like clothes, toiletries, and food.

5. Hire a Cleaning Service

  • Professional cleaners ensure the property is ready between guest stays.
  • Essential if you’re not available to clean personally after each rental.

6. Provide Essential Amenities

Stock the home with key items to enhance the guest experience:

  • Bathroom towels, toilet paper, and a hair dryer.
  • Fully stocked kitchen with pots, pans, and tableware.
  • Reliable high-speed Internet access.

By following these tips, you can transform your vacation home into a rental that brings in income while allowing others to enjoy its charm.

Carpet Cleaning: Steam vs. Shampooing

Should You Shampoo or Steam Clean Your Carpets?

Maintaining clean carpets keeps your home looking and smelling fresh. Regular carpet cleaning—whether by shampooing or steam cleaning—also helps extend the life of your flooring. Here’s a breakdown of the pros and cons of each method.

Shampooing

Shampooing involves a carpet cleaning machine with a solution tank and a spinning nylon brush. The machine distributes cleaning solution into the carpet to create foam, which is scrubbed in a circular motion. Vacuuming is required both before and after cleaning.

Advantages

  • Effective for heavily soiled carpets.
  • Ideal for small rooms and area rugs.
  • Helps lift embedded dust and dirt from carpet fibers.
  • Shampoo machines are widely available for rent.

Disadvantages

  • Scrubbing motion can damage delicate carpet fibers.
  • May leave soap residue that attracts dirt.
  • Requires drying time, which may take longer in cold or wet weather.

Steam Cleaning

Steam cleaning a carpet

Steam cleaning uses a high-powered vacuum and pump system, often attached to a truck or a portable unit. A cleaning wand sprays hot water and cleaning solution into the carpet while a vacuum hose extracts the dirt and moisture.

Advantages

  • Great for deep cleaning wall-to-wall carpeting.
  • The wand can reach around furniture and edges easily.
  • Extracts dirt lodged deep within the carpet fibers.

Disadvantages

  • More complicated than shampooing.
  • Requires both cleaning and rinsing solutions.
  • May leave some cleaning solution behind, leading to quicker resoiling.
  • Truck-mounted systems are usually not available for DIY rental.

Understanding the advantages and disadvantages of both methods helps you make the right choice for your home and your carpeting needs.

Tips for Decorating for a Baby Shower

Creative Baby Shower Decorating Tips

Decorated baby shower table with balloons and cupcakes

A baby shower is an exciting, joyous event full of anticipation. Make the occasion as festive as possible by trying the following tips for
decorating for a baby shower.

1. Decide on a Theme

Choosing a specific theme helps guide your décor choices. Some fun and versatile baby shower themes include:

  • Stork Delivery – Classic and whimsical
  • Diaper Shower – Ask guests to bring diapers as gifts
  • Baby Chick Party – Adorable fuzzy chick decorations

2. Showcase Old Photos

Create a nostalgic photo display featuring childhood pictures of the parents-to-be:

  • Photo garlands strung across the room
  • Framed photo collages
  • A photo album for guests to browse

Guests will enjoy guessing who the baby might resemble!

3. Highlight Balloons

Use balloons in creative ways to bring your theme to life:

  • Baby bottles, pacifiers, or rattles made from balloons
  • Animal balloon art such as giraffes, elephants, or bears
  • Hire a balloon artist to entertain guests—especially popular with kids

4. Feature Cupcakes

Use cupcakes for both decoration and dessert:

  • Decorate cupcakes to resemble baby items like carriages, bibs, or bottles
  • Create a show-stopping cupcake tower centerpiece

5. Take Advantage of Nursery Rhymes

Decorate with beloved nursery rhyme characters like:

  • Humpty Dumpty
  • Little Bo Peep
  • Mary Had a Little Lamb
  • Rock-a-Bye Baby

Use themed placemats, posters, or even give nursery rhyme books as party favors.

6. Use Practical Baby Items

Decorate with items the mom-to-be can reuse later:

  • Bottles and booties filled with candy
  • Gift-filled baby carriages
  • Hanging baby mobiles
  • Stuffed animals adorned with ribbons and bows

7. Make a Baby Shower Wreath

Welcome guests with a charming handmade wreath using:

  • Socks
  • Onesies
  • Pacifiers
  • Rattles
  • Washcloths
  • Baby lotion

After the shower, the wreath doubles as a sentimental gift for the mom-to-be.

With these creative baby shower decorating ideas, the guest of honor is sure to remember the celebration fondly for years to come. For more inspiration, explore party supplies in your area.


How to Extend the Growing Season in Colder Climates

How to Extend Your Vegetable Garden Harvest

1. Plant in Summer

While the days are still warm, plant crops that thrive in fall and can tolerate frost. These include:

  • Lettuce
  • Spinach
  • Broccoli
  • Cauliflower
  • Root crops like carrots and beets

These crops grow quickly in summer heat, establishing strong roots before cooler weather sets in. This head start helps ensure robust growth as daylight shortens and temperatures fall.

2. Carefully Choose the Planting Area

Your planting location significantly affects how long your vegetables will produce. To maximize your growing season:

  • Choose a raised area with excellent drainage
  • Avoid low-lying spots where cold air settles
  • Good drainage helps prevent root rot in cooler months

3. Mulch for Warmth and Protection

A 2- to 4-inch layer of mulch around plants helps trap soil heat and protect roots. For best results:

  • Use shredded bark or straw
  • Apply mulch 6 to 8 inches around the base of each plant
  • Replenish mulch if washed away by rain

4. Protect Your Crops

Use season-extending structures to shield your crops from cold and extend harvest time. Consider these options:

  • Hoop House: A series of metal hoops covered with plastic creates a mini greenhouse. This protects plants from wind and rain while raising the internal temperature.
  • Cold Frame: A box-like structure made of wood, brick, or concrete with a clear lid. It captures sunlight while insulating plants from the cold.
  • Greenhouse: The most effective option, offering consistent light and warmth for year-round vegetable growing.

Outsmarting the weather and extending your garden harvest takes effort, but the delicious results are well worth it.


Dangers of DIY: When It’s Best to Hire a Professional

While fixing your home yourself is certainly a satisfying experience, there are inherent dangers in some DIY projects. The savvy homeowner knows when it’s best to hire a professional. Consider calling in the experts before attempting the following types of repairs.

1. High-Elevation Tasks

Falls and slips from ladders and elevated locations such as trees and roofs can be more than uncomfortable — they can be fatal. Hiring a professional landscaper or roofing contractor who has the proper safety equipment for high elevations and knows how to work at heights is a much safer move.

2. Projects Requiring Power Tools

Unless you’re a pro who knows how to wield dangerous tools like power saws, it’s often best to hire a professional for projects that require equipment that could take off a limb or damage your eyes. Tool accidents in DIY projects often result from improper handling. Professionals like carpenters have years of experience and are much less likely to have an accident.

3. Electrical Work

If you haven’t been trained as an electrician, attempting electrical work is extremely risky. Potential dangers include:

  • Life-threatening electrical shock
  • Damage to the equipment you’re trying to install or repair
  • Power failures or fire hazards
  • Breaking wiring codes that could lead to costly fixes if you sell your home

Hire a licensed professional for your electrical projects to ensure safety and peace of mind.

4. Fixes Involving Toxins

Some DIY jobs require the use of chemical solvents or exposure to hazardous materials like lead and asbestos. A professional will:

  • Understand the risks involved and how to handle them safely
  • Have access to protective gear such as special dual-cartridge respirators to protect your lungs during work

5. Additional Benefits of Avoiding Unsafe Repairs

DIY projects can be dangerous not only during the repairs but also after they are completed. For example, if you attempt to fix a back porch but the repair fails, you risk causing harm to yourself or others.

  • Hiring a professional ensures the repairs are done safely and up to code.
  • Professionals will provide secure repairs that reduce the risk of injury or further damage.

While hiring professionals for certain home repairs can be costly, the safety benefits and peace of mind they offer are well worth the investment.


How to Create Curbside Appeal When Selling Your Home

Simple Ways to Boost Curb Appeal

Beautiful front yard with attractive landscaping

When it comes to your real estate agent selling your home, first impressions matter. Since the front of your house is the first thing potential buyers see, creating great curbside appeal is essential.

1. Take a Hard Look at Your Front Door

The front door is one of the first things visitors notice as they approach your home. A well-maintained, attractive front door can significantly improve first impressions.

  • If the door is faded, consider repainting or restaining it.
  • Alternatively, invest in a new door for a fresh look.
  • Ensure the door handle and lock are in good working condition.

2. Landscape

A bare lawn or empty flower beds gives an unkempt, abandoned look to your home. Here are some simple landscaping tips:

  • Plant sod to create a lush, green lawn.
  • Landscape flower beds with large shrubs at the back, medium shrubs in the middle, and small flowering annuals at the front.
  • Place two pots with fragrant flowers on either side of the front door to create an inviting entrance.

3. Examine the Walkway

A cracked or broken walkway is one of the first things visitors will notice. To enhance curb appeal:

  • Repair any cracks or broken bricks along the path.

4. Wash the Windows

Clean, shiny windows improve the look of your home and provide a clear view of your beautiful landscape. Be sure to:

  • Wash all exterior windows to remove dirt and grime.
  • Polish the windows to make them sparkle in the sunlight.

5. Apply a Fresh Coat of Paint

If it’s been a while since your home was painted, now is the perfect time for a refresh. A new coat of paint can make a big difference. Consider the following:

  • Choose a neutral color that appeals to a wide variety of tastes.
  • If the house was recently painted, consider power washing the exterior to remove dirt and grime.

6. Consider Window Coverings

Don’t forget about the window coverings visible from the outside. Clean and well-maintained window treatments can contribute to a tidy appearance.

  • Ensure there are no stains or dust visible on the underside of the window coverings.

7. Remember the Seasons

Seasonal decorations can add charm and enhance curb appeal. Depending on the time of year:

  • Feature pumpkins, scarecrows, and cornucopias in fall.
  • Hang flags and patriotic decorations for the Fourth of July.

Remember, the goal is to make potential buyers feel like they could live there. By enhancing your home’s curbside appeal, you increase the likelihood that your real estate agent will be able to sell your home faster and at a better price.


Eight Steps for Finding the Perfect Vacation Rental Home

8 Easy Steps to Find the Perfect Vacation Rental

Finding the perfect place to stay is an important component of any vacation. Follow these eight easy steps to find the vacation rental that’s right for you.

1. Decide on an Ideal Location

Would you rather be:

  • On the beach?
  • In the downtown area?
  • On a quiet piece of land outside the city?

Narrow your search to a specific radius to save time and effort.

2. Set a Budget

Establishing a budget ensures you won’t overspend on lodging and limit your fun during the trip. Decide on:

  • The maximum you’re willing to pay
  • Your ideal price range

Keep that figure in mind while searching and negotiating rental prices.

3. Set Your Priorities

Decide what’s most important in your rental. Ask yourself:

  • Do you need a pool?
  • Is walkability to restaurants and nightlife key?
  • Is a large kitchen or family space a must-have?

You may have to compromise, so define your deal-breakers early on.

4. Complete a Thorough Search

With so many vacation rentals available, take your time:

  • Explore online listings thoroughly
  • Take virtual tours
  • Read reviews from past guests
  • Ask the property manager for references if reviews are unavailable
  • Consult with a travel agent and provide your preferences

5. Get the Specifics

Know what’s included in the rental:

  • Are linens and towels provided?
  • Is the kitchen fully stocked (pots, pans, paper towels, coffee maker)?

If you’re flying, included essentials are a must. If you’re driving, you can pack what’s missing—but avoid having to shop upon arrival.

6. Discover the True Price

Look beyond the base rate. Ask about:

  • Security deposits
  • Laundry or parking fees
  • Cleaning service charges
  • Utility fees (e.g., heating or cooling)

Find out when payments are due and acceptable payment methods.

7. Negotiate an Agreement

A written agreement is essential. Ensure it includes:

  • Financial details and payment schedule
  • Length of stay
  • Allowed and prohibited activities
  • Cancellation policy
  • Key exchange instructions

8. Research the Surrounding Area

Learn more about the local neighborhood before you arrive:

  • Find nearby grocery stores and restaurants
  • Check out local attractions and entertainment
  • Look into potential safety concerns, especially when traveling abroad

Make Your Travel Dreams a Reality

Finding the perfect vacation rental can set the tone for your entire trip. With a little planning and research, you’ll find a place that fits your needs and lets you relax in style.

Planning an Event? Find the Perfect Florist

Flowers add a decorative touch to any occasion, and guests are always impressed with an interesting arrangement. Here’s what to look for in a florist for your special event.

Top Quality

Visit the florist shop personally and take a good look around. The merchandise you see is most likely representative of the floral arrangements you can expect at your event. Look for the following:

  • Is the shop organized and well run?
  • Are the arrangements creative, attractive, and fresh?
  • Is there a good selection of arrangements?
  • Would you be proud to have these displays at your event?

Impeccable Customer Service

It’s critical that your flowers arrive in good shape and as planned on the day of your event. Seek out a florist that offers great service both on the phone and in person. Keep an eye on the following:

  • How does the florist interact with customers?
  • Are they happy to answer all of your questions?
  • Are their hours convenient for your schedule?

Customized Attention

Your event is unique, and the florist should treat it that way. Avoid florists that offer generic advice and products. Look for a florist who:

  • Asks specific questions about your event.
  • Responds with personalized advice and several options to choose from.

Happy Customers

Professional florists are willing to share the names and contact information of customers who have given permission. Ask previous clients about their experiences, particularly those who held similar events. Try to get detailed feedback about the flowers and the event.

Check DexKnows for reviews of the florist you’re considering.

On-Time Delivery

Punctuality is essential when it comes to floral delivery. Ensure the florist:

  • Has a reliable delivery system in place.
  • Has contingency plans for traffic or other delays.
  • Uses reputable delivery services if outsourced.

When checking references, ask customers about the punctuality of the delivery service and the quality of the flowers upon arrival.

Professional Ties

Reputable florists generally belong to professional organizations. This allows them to stay current on trends, access training, and maintain licensing. Look for seals from organizations such as:

Also check for membership in local and state organizations.

Now that you know what to look for in the perfect florist for your special event, you can enjoy floral arrangements that wow guests.

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About the Author ()

Julie Bawden-Davis is a Southern-California-based writer specializing in home and garden, real estate, small business, and personal finance. Since 1985, her work has appeared in a wide variety of publications, including Family Circle, Ladies’ Home Journal, Better Homes & Gardens, Entrepreneur, and The Los Angeles Times. Julie is a University of California Certified Master Gardener and has written five gardening books, including Reader’s Digest Flower Gardening.