Tag: holiday home

How To Update Your Cottage Country Bedroom

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It’s easy to let things get out of date up at the cottage. It’s already furnished with the things you’d replaced in your home. You’re only up there on the weekends or (if you’re lucky) for a few weeks in the summer, and you have to make room in the car to bring up new furniture.

But the cottage should also be a place where you can relax and enjoy yourself. Human bodies are sensitive to their environments, and there’s no place that affects us more than where we sleep. Updating your bedroom in cottage country can help you relax and unwind on your getaways from the city.

First of all, let’s talk about light. Your bedroom at the cottage wants morning light. That means light curtains that you can draw at night that will still let the sun shine through in the morning. Thin white curtains should do the trick, while a lighter paint on the walls and in the fabrics are better at reflecting light. Use mirrors and lighter tones if you don’t have east-face windows and want to make the most of diffuse morning light. One of the best parts of cottage living is waking up naturally with the sun instead of an alarm clock. When the sun shines in on you in the morning, your body stops releasing melatonin (the sleep hormone). It’s the secret to waking up naturally and happily.

Second, it’s time to get rid of that squeaky old bed frame. You’re not getting a good night’s sleep when you hear creaking and metal groaning every time you or your partner shifts onto their side. An old bed frame can keep you up at night. You can find a huge selection of bed frames online for a reasonable price and even have it delivered, saving you room on your Friday night fight with traffic.

When it comes to bedroom furniture, wood will feel warm and appropriate for cottage living. Your headboard and any kind of night table or side table should be a real, natural-feeling wood. When you’re surrounded by the water and the woods, your home should feel earthy and rustic.

These are the kinds of things that will help you settle in after a long drive. If you’re not comfortable at the cottage, you’ll wind up struggling with the first night effect, where you struggle to sleep because you don’t feel comfortable in your surroundings. Pay attention to the details and make yourself feel at home.

Last but not least, don’t forget about the kids’ bedrooms. They should be easier-going than your own, but you can have a lot of fun with themes. For the cottage, keep things simple – you don’t want to have to redo everything when they get older. Stick to classics like nautical themes or cabin-in-the-woods, something they won’t be eager to see changed when they get older.

Updating the bedrooms at the cottage will make you feel more at home and relaxed. It’s your weekend getaway, your home by the lake. Make it feel like home.

What you Should Know About Listing Your Home as a Vacation Rental

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If you have a property that you are considering offering as a vacation rental, you have more options than ever.  Between Airbnb, VRBO and similar “do it yourself” platforms to arrange rentals, many owners find that they are able to find suitable renters and to earn additional income.  However, these options can be fairly time-consuming as they involve making all the arrangements with guests, cleaners, service and tradespeople, and also being on hand to solve problems.   For this reason some owners prefer to work with professionals like the team at Elan Vacations who can provide property management services.  If you do decide to use your apartment or house as a vacation rental, here are some things to consider.

Be a Good Neighbor

Many owners of vacation rentals overlook the ways in which the process can cause problems for their neighbors, even when the guests themselves are perfectly behaved and respectful of the space.  Common complaints include the constant flow of people dragging suitcases through the halls, especially at night, or always finding rental vehicles taking up the guest parking in the building or regular street parking.  In gated communities or controlled-entry buildings, neighbors may raise legitimate concerns about security when it seems that half the world now knows the security access code. You can try to minimize the potential that your vacation home is causing problems for your neighbors by being sure to have clear rules in place for your guests, and to respond immediately, fully and respectfully to any concerns that your neighbors might bring to your attention.

Know the Law

For various reasons, some cities or municipalities are beginning to ban short-term rentals.  In some cases, it is because neighbors complain about the disruptions, and in others it argued that the trend among owners to rent their apartments or homes out short time is having a negative effect on the local rental market as people find it more difficult to rent apartments in which they plan to live.  Reports have been shared online about city officials posing as vacationers looking for a rental as a way to try to “catch” owners who are breaking these bans, and even using images shared online rental sites to try to identity the apartment.  If you are renting your space in violation of local regulations, your guests could find themselves turned out in the middle of the night.

Check Your Lease

In some instances, renters of an apartment have been tempted to place their apartment on a vacation rental site when they themselves are planning a vacation.  Be very cautious about this as most leases will have clauses preventing subletting, and tenants have been successfully evicted as a result.

Of course, there are many other things that you should consider before making the decision to put your home on the vacation rental market.  Be sure to do your homework and make sure that you are prepared in order to have a positive experience.