In recent years, many rural guesthouses have joined the rural tourism sector. There are various reasons for this, but they are mainly inherited houses, second homes that are rarely used, or family homes that weren’t generating income.
In just a few years, the increase in the supply of rural guesthouses has outpaced the increase in demand, making it increasingly difficult to achieve good occupancy rates and bookings at good prices. Consequently, income suffers in many cases.
We are therefore in a competitive and challenging environment. In this situation, the best-prepared and best-managed guesthouses will be the ones that succeed.
Characteristics of a well-prepared rural guesthouse:
- Fully equipped kitchen. Guests of rural guesthouses spend a lot of time there, tend to be in large groups, and eat several meals at home. Therefore, the kitchen and its utensils must be thoroughly prepared.
- Bed linens and towels. It is essential that the bed linens and towels are of good quality, freshly laundered, and ironed. In winter, be sure to provide enough duvets and blankets.
- Amenities: Hand soap, shampoo, toilet paper, etc., sufficient for the number of people staying in the house.
- Welcome pack: If you manage to surprise your guests upon arrival, you’ve already done a great job! Why not leave a selection of local products (cheeses, cured meats, wine, etc.)?
- Facilities: Especially in winter and summer, it’s very important that the heating and air conditioning work properly. The hot water system should also be adequate and sufficient for the group.
- Terraces: It’s important that they are clean and, if possible, furnished with plants (hardy, leafy greens) and furniture so guests can relax and unwind.
- Garden: Often the first thing we see of the house, the first impression. It’s very important that it’s well-maintained, tidy, and regularly landscaped. It should also have the necessary furniture for enjoying an outdoor meal or simply relaxing with a vermouth.
- Swimming pool. Inform guests of the opening schedule and whether the water is heated or at room temperature. If possible, also specify the minimum height. It’s increasingly common for swimming pools to be fenced to prevent unsupervised access by young children.
- Games room. For children and adults.
- Activities. Prepare information and explanations about activities available in the area. Any information or advice you can give to future guests will be very helpful.
- Sustainability. Set up elements that improve the sustainability and energy efficiency of the house: temperature control, water leak sensors, sustainable energy generation,…
- Electric car charger. If you really want to stand out, go the extra mile: install an electric car charger at your rural house.
If you manage to equip your rural house with all these features, you’ll have distinguished yourself from the competition and be in a better position to rent your property.
The next step will be to analyze how to make your rural house listing stand out from the competition; we’ll cover that in another post.