What Anyone should know before investing in a Vacation Rental Property
Oh, that feeling of having this incredible dream to be the owner of a business in a touristic paradise. One that will lead you to enjoy all that residual income you’ve been thinking about most of your adult life! You’ve thought of everything. It will rely on investing in a lovely property that you will rent most of the year. In a beautiful touristic zone, close to everything. Super relaxing, so nice, fun and comfy that it will pay back by itself. And you will even have the chance to enjoy whenever you vacation! What a great deal! You have really thought of everything…or not? But, what should you know before investing in a vacation rental property?
One of the first things you should know is that your investment will not return with the first rental. Obviously, as in any other business, there is a trial-and-error learning process before becoming an expert property manager. Also, at some point after investing, you will have to decide if you will use the services of a property manager or you will be responsible for your property. Therefore, you should consider everything that involves taking care of a holiday rental. But we will talk about that later.
Where…
The first thing to decide is where to invest. I am talking about the city, the type of area, the weather, and what type of economic activity is predominant. As well as whether it is a tourist destination or not, what type of tourism visits the area and for what purposes, the places they frequent or what kind of services they usually hire and, believe it or not, what kind of disasters or natural phenomena hit the area. Knowing all these things will save you time, money, and effort, as well as help you get the most out of it.
Already a lot to have in mind: should I still think about Investing in a Vacation Rental Property?
The answer is yes! You only have to gather all the information you can, prepare accordingly and start earning money! In the end, “information is powerâ€, right?
So, our suggestions on the next steps are:
Step 1
Get information on the neighbourhood. Maybe even try to rent a property on two different occasions: one over a high season and the other during a low season. You will have a better idea of what goes on in the area.
Step 2
Decide whether you want to invest in a gated community, residential complex, single property or even purchase land and build one on your own. Consider that you will have a significant amount of competition if you choose the gated communities or residential complexes. Opposite to this, if you decide to invest in a single property or land to build, your revenues won’t depend on your immediate competitor prices.
Step 3
Get insurance! First, it is mandatory in most places. Also, look at the different options you have available in the area or country where you will invest. Don’t go for the prices, but for the kind of coverage they offer and what’s guaranteed. There are several kinds: commercial property protection, property manager’s errors and omissions insurance, general / property / personal protection and liability, etc. It will be vital to know which events and damages are covered and to what extent.
Step 4
Invest in one property at a time. That will give you the chance to evaluate all of the matters mentioned above and go through that trial-and-error process we were talking about previously.
Step 5
Whether you choose a property manager or you will do it yourself, make at least one projection of expenses, income, and revenue. You might want to make a 3, 6, 12 and even 18 months projection. It will make handling your finances and budgets so easy. You will know precisely whether your business is going well or not and identify anything that is not going as expected faster than if you didn’t have those reports
Step 6
Make it easier for yourself in all terms. Use built-in platforms such as Airbnb, Vrbo, Expedia, Guesty, and many others in the market to help you with calendar handling, marketing, finances, charges, client communication, task manager, policies, etc.
Step 7
Be aware of all possible providers you will use: handymen, property maintenance, gardeners, bottled water suppliers, cleaning, housekeeping, electricians, etc. A good property manager should have all this figured out. Some Real Estate companies and brokers already work with property managers, make sure their option is trustworthy and registered.
We hope this information will be helpful and makes the whole process easier for you while building a successful vacation rental business.