We at White Rose Villas are constantly searching for ways to increase those valuable bookings for our owners; particularly in these unprecedented times. We’ve previously discussed altering your cancellation policy and rate flexibility to encourage wavering potential bookers; today we want you to take a look at the many positives to be derived from making your home pet-friendly.

Many of you may, for different reasons, have never considered such a move: property damage, extra cleaning, allergies etc. We certainly wouldn’t wish to advise you to take a path you’re not entirely comfortable with. We would, however, ask that you take a few minutes to consider the many benefits of offering your home to pet owners (and their precious animals).

We at WRV have a selection of pet-friendly homes and experience very few issues; in fact, these homes are renting and filling up first, plus the renters tend to re-book!

You may, if you prefer, make your home dog-friendly only, and specify the maximum weight of canine you’re happy to welcome. This may remove concerns about huge, unusual or exotic creatures inhabiting your home! Provided you make any such policy clear in your T’s and C’s, you should have no concerns.

Looking at the US: in 2019 there were 44% of households owning a dog and 35% a cat; an enormous potential market. According to a recent TripAdvisor survey, 53% of pet owners take their beloved animals with them, only 25% of rental homes are willing to accept them. 64% of dog owners plan their trips specifically with the ability to bring their pets with them, and 53% would pay extra ($100 or more) to ensure this. On average, pet-friendly homes have between 10-20% higer rental income and higher occupancy than others. Switching to accommodate them could be a further weapon in your armoury, and provide the competitive edge we’re all searching for.

You can charge more to cover extra cleaning costs; require a deposit against possible damage and make it clear that any and all damage will be charged for. Any responsible pet owner should be happy to accept this. The WRV professional cleaning team are well-versed in cleaning our pet-friendly homes, and will ensure your home is sparkling clean between rentals. Guest reviews show no difference in the cleanliness or condition scores of these properties.

To sum up: you may earn more, you’ll encourage repeat bookings, your property condition won’t be affected and your overall occupancy level should increase.

These are all positive reasons to consider when formulating your rental policy; offering a pet-friendly home may not be for everyone, but it’s something we advise you to seriously consider.

White Rose Villas are constantly on the look out for pet friendly homes, if you would like to discuss this option or are interested in us managing your home, please email us at admin@whiterosevillas.com or complete the form below and we will get back in touch with you.

Trisha is one of our homeowners from the UK.  She lives in Yorkshire with her partner Mandy.  Together, they own the beautiful Anchor’s Away property on the Tuscan Ridge community in Davenport.

Browse Trisha’s home here.

We caught up with Trisha to ask her about being the owner of a vacation home in Florida and what she loves about her home and the state of Florida.

What made you decide to buy a holiday home in Florida?

We were looking in Spain originally, but then a friend told us about a company selling houses in Florida.  They flew us out for a week and showed us a load of homes.  We fell in love with the second one we saw, right on the first day.

How long have you had your home in Florida?

We bought it in 2003 and we’ve never looked back!  When we bought it, it was brand new.  We bought it with the intention of keeping it for five years, but we’ve had it now for 17 years.  We love the house and the area and we absolutely love Florida.

When did you first fall in love with Florida?

I went for the first time in around 1989, I think.  We’d been a couple of times in the 1990s.  But now it’s a home from home that we really love.  When it was my sixtieth birthday, we went out and stayed for a month.

Did you always know where you wanted to buy?

Osceloa county is Disney county and the homes there are much more expensive.  We bought just over the county line in Polk county.  At that time there was quite a few neighbourhoods going up and it was a lot cheaper to buy in Polk county.  What I love about it is the close access to the I4.  Within fifteen minutes of leaving our home, we are driving under the Welcome to Disney arch.

What is the area like?

When we first bought the home, there were just a few restaurants nearby.  Now, there’s everything you could want right on the doorstep.  There’s an English café that serves English food like Sunday roasts.  We love Bob Evans and Mani’s Chop House and Longhorn Steakhouse.

It’s just five minutes onto the Interstate and, from there, you can explore the whole of Florida.

Did you always know you would rent your home?

If we can’t rent a home, we won’t buy it.  This home has been great for us, especially with White Rose Villas managing it. Every year it’s already booked up for most of the next year!

How did you find White Rose Villas property management?

We had various nightmares with other property management companies.  We were even robbed by one of them!  But White Rose Villas property management is the best we’ve ever had.  Everything gets done if they say its going to get done.  They go above and beyond; we can’t fault them.   After all the nightmares we’ve had, White Rose Villas property management is like a godsend – they’re absolutely the best!

Do you have any advice for other people thinking about buying in Florida?

You need to be aware of all the financials.  You need your own accountant because you have to be IRS registered.  If you are going to rent out your home, you’ll be paying tax.  You have to consider the admin and the community charges, the homeowners’ association fees.  And the utilities cost a lot more than they do in the UK.  Get the right advice before you buy.

Have you got any tips that guests should know before booking your home?

We’ve tried to make it a home from home – so that nobody ever thinks ‘I wish this home had…’. It’s got everything you might need.  The only thing we don’t allow is barbeques because it can really stain the covered area around the pool.

What is the best thing about your home?

What’s the best feature – besides the pool?  I think the games room we’ve created by converting the garage.  There’s table football, pool, ice-hockey, a big TV with games. 

White Rose Villas comment: the heated hot tub on the pool deck is another superb extra.

Have you got any advice for anyone considering a holiday in Florida?

Everybody should go!  It’s every child’s dream.  And once you’ve been, you’ve got the bug!  I know two or three people who’ve bought a home there after going there on holiday.  It’s a fabulous place.  Last November, one of our guests went swimming with manatees!

We love to take our granddaughters to the parks.  When you watch the Disney parade with the fireworks over the castle afterwards, it has brought tears to my eye every time I’ve watched it!

We also love St Augustine.  It’s about an hour and a half to St Augustine but the drive is really interesting.  We’ve been to Anna Marie Island and Key West.  Miami is 240 miles away but it’s like a different planet altogether!  It’s so fabulous!  We’ve been all over, but we like Clearwater and Treasure Island.  We just book overnight at a cheap hotel and go and explore.

You can have your own Florida adventure by booking Trisha’s home.

View Anchor’s Away here.

Or browse all homes managed by White Rose Villas property management here.

The Governor has finally announced a plan to facilitate the re-opening of your vacation rental homes in the State.

It requires every County to submit a plan for the safe operation of vacation homes to the Department of Business and Professional Regulations (DBPR). The DBPR will then allow those counties to re-open or request further information. We are, naturally, hopeful that this process can be completed as soon as possible.

 

News for White Rose Villas vacation home owners

We at White Rose Villas are anxious to comply with the stringent DBPR sanitary guidelines and follow the CDC recommended guidelines for home cleanings and the staggering of bookings to allow a 3 day gap. We await any further requirements and will implement them without delay.

From May 18th gyms can open and restaurants, retail, museums and libraries may operate at 50% capacity; theme parks can submit plans to re-open. Along with further testing and the ability of pro sports teams to gather without fans, there are gradual but positive signs for our industry.

 

What’s next for Orlando vacation home owners?

We will, of course, keep you updated as the situation develops; rest assured that we’ll be ready to go as soon as the green light is given!

If you have any questions, please get in touch. Reach out to us at admin@whiterosevillas.com

 

 

 

These are tough times for us all.  But tough times also present new opportunities and this blog is written to help you seize these opportunities.

 

Until just a few weeks ago, it was business as normal.  Somehow, in those few short weeks, everything has changed for everyone in the travel industry, including vacation homeowners.  We’re all grappling with how to keep each other safe, while adjusting to the new normal.  

 

Renting out your Orlando vacation home

 

As the short-term rental industry navigates the impact of COVID-19 global pandemic, new strategies for overcoming the challenges of this period need to be developed.  To help you, we’ve identified the main areas that you need to review in order to maintain business stability and longevity.

At a glance – the important actions you should take now:

• Diversify marketing channels
• Adjust listings to attract new audiences and emphasise key changes
• Discount long stays
• Change cancellation policy
• Improve communication – stay alert

 

Diversify your marketing channels

We might as well make most of the lull and make it work for us.  Use this time to research and advertise on other listing sites.  You could even use this time to make a start on becoming listing-site free!

This quiet period is a great time to concentrate on creating a website for your vacation home – or revamp your existing website, if you already have one. 

You could design a newsletter to keep in touch with previous guests.  Or advertise your home on social media.  Test out different channels to see what works for your home.

Another option is to introduce a Groupon-style voucher for future bookings.  Perhaps you could offer your guests the option to purchase $1,000 of future holiday credit for $500 (or whatever ratio you choose).  This way, you can generate cash flow during these fallow months.

 

Update your listing to emphasise key changes

Take this downtime to update your listings and emphasise key changes.  Don’t just update the content, but look at adding the key changes you’ve made in response to Coronavirus.  Make sure these changes are reflected in your listing profile photos.

These changes will include: new rules for sanitising the property, plenty of toilet paper, masks provided, grocery shopping deliveries, fast WiFi, self-check-in, PlayStation and games provided.  These aspects let guests know at a glance that they’ll be comfy for a long stay.

WRV vacation home owners: to help our vacation home owners we are offering to update the profile photo with the above labels.  This is provided free of charge.  Just email your main profile photo to admin@whiterosevillas.com 

Highlight the features you already have in place for example self-check-in, thereby eliminating the need for unnecessary person-to-person contact.

 

Attract new Orlando vacation home guests

New traveller demographics will emerge out of this mayhem and, as a host, you need to be able to pivot from your usual target audiences and appeal to these new types of travellers. 

Four of the most common new guest types are listed here.  Get a head start on these groups: they are your future guests.

• Stranded guests
• Work from homers
• Staycationers
  With cancelled international travel plans, domestic tourists are booking more staycations.
• Medical staff / Self-quarantiners
  Local service providers and medical staff often require a place to stay while working so they can avoid cross-contamination with other family members.

 

Offer guests a flexible refund policy

It’s also worth considering making a change to a more flexible refund policy during these times of uncertainty.  It’s a simple way to help guests feel happier and more confident when placing a booking.  Guests want more protection. 

Don’t forget to highlight this new flexibility in your listing profile picture.  Once things go back to normal, you can always revert back to your standard cancellation policy.

 

Pricing your Orlando vacation home

Attracting shorter stays can be very challenging at a time like this.  In Florida, the governor has said that stays must be longer than 30 days.

Be flexible and offer large, monthly discounts to attract monthly stays and keep occupancy up. 

You may also need to look at heavily discounting your daily rates.  For example, you could offer a special price for people on the frontline of the fight against COVID-19, including doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals.

You may also attract people who need to book a place to stay for a 14-day quarantine by offering a discount.

 

Stay alert to changes in the vacation rental market

Even thought things are quieter, you need to be checking your messages and listing sites regularly.  Stay alert to messages and enquiries and attend to them as fast as you can. 

This will give you an important edge over your competition.  Things are moving fast for affected people and responding quickly may make all the different in securing the booking.

Do you best to remain in regular and frequent communication with guests – this is so important given how quickly things can change. 

 

Don’t write off cancelled bookings!

Don’t forget to nurture your cancelled reservations.  These guests wanted to stay; it is only circumstances keeping them away.  At some point they will rebook – make sure it is with you!

Keep in touch with guests who have cancelled.  The easy way to do this is to schedule an auto-message after reservation cancellations offering discounts for future stays.  This helps to encourage the guest to book with you when they are ready.

Remember, this is a challenging time for everyone.  Yet, during these quiet periods there is no better time to review your marketing strategy.  Do it now and you will be ready for the inevitable upsurge when this is over. 

 

Choosing the right partner to help you manage your vacation home is vital for maximising revenue – as well as for your peace of mind.

 

Every home and every home owner are different.  Naturally, this means that what each home owner needs from their property manager is different too.

However, there are a few questions that every home owner should ask before choosing a property manager – and that every property manager should be able to answer!

 

Ten questions to ask any potential property manager

 

The White Rose Villas team talks you through the ten questions you should ask of any property manager with whom you are thinking of working.

 

#1. How do you expect my home to perform?

 

You should be seeking a realistic but enthusiastic answer to this question. 

Don’t be fooled by wild statements about huge returns that the property manager can’t back up with evidence about how other similar properties in the area are performing.  But don’t settle for overly conservative estimates either.

If the answer you receive differs greatly from the estimations offered by your realtor when you purchased the property, ask the property manager to explain why this might be.

Most importantly, how excited is your potential property manager about marketing your property?  This is important, because you want your property manager to believe in your home’s potential and to relish the opportunity to help you achieve it.

 

#2. What can you tell me about the local market?

 

Your property manager should be able to discuss recent regulations, trends, rentable values and what potential renters expect.

If they can’t talk confidently about these topics with you, be wary.  Sense check their answers with what you’ve heard from the other property managers you’ve interviewed. 

Once you have spoken to three or four potential partners, you should have a good overview of what the real picture is and who is on top of their brief.

 

#3. What regulations do I need to be aware of?

 

Of course, you can research federal, state and local regulations on sites like ours.  But you do need to ask this question of any potential property manager too.

A good property manager is not only up to speed with all the regulations that apply to their business and your rental property, they will be able to offer advice about how you can ensure you comply – and (hopefully) be able to explain how their services help you do this.

 

#4. How will you market my property?

 

You want a good mix of marketing approaches in answer to this question.  It’s so easy to get bamboozled by marketing speak but, at a minimum, you need to look for:

• Listing on your property manager’s own website
• Potential for online bookings
• Investment into online marketing and search engine optimisation
• Database of previous guests with a good track record of repeat bookings to whom regular marketing communications are sent
• Listings on major vacation rental sites, including: AirBnB, VRBO, etc.
• Partnerships with other vacation companies
• Social media promotions

Every property manager will offer a different combination of these marketing approaches.  It’s worth spending time to talk through a tactical plan for the first six to twelve months, including agreeing any promotions you might want to run together.

 

#5. How will guests be able to book my property?

 

You’ll know from your own experience that guests don’t make vacation plans within normal office hours.  How available is your property manager to answer guests’ questions during the evenings and weekends?  How quickly do they respond to guest enquiries?

There is an easy way to test the validity of each potential property manager’s claims in this regard.

 

#6. How do you price your services?  What fees can I expect to pay?

 

Property managers usually charge anything from between ten percent to twenty-five percent of rental income – so you may find some very varied answers to this question.

However, it is vitally important to consider what you are getting for that percentage charge.  It’s not always easy to compare like with like.  Ten percent of hardly any bookings could be worse value than twenty-five percent of nearly full occupancy.

You first step should be to clearly define where you need help and how you need the property manager to add value.  Then you can really make a judgement about whether you are getting good value for money.  Or, more specifically, the right value for your money.

 

#7. What services are included in your management fees?

 

We’ve already touched on this and why it is important.  Ask potential property managers to supply a full price list, so you can understand their charges and ask them to explain how and when they might apply.

Here at White Rose Villas, we offer three different approaches to fees – you can pay as you go, opt for a package which covers all the essentials, or choose an all-inclusive arrangement with us.  What is best for you will very much depend on how much help and support you need from your property manager and it what areas, e.g. marketing, maintenance, housekeeping, guest relationship management, etc.

Not everyone needs help with everything – so find a property manager with a package to suit you.

 

#8. How will I be charged for these services?

 

This is important for your planning; you need to know how your property manager is going to help you achieve your rental income goals. 

Does your potential property manager require you to open an escrow account?  If so, what amount of funds do they expect to hold in there?  How frequently does your property manager pay out income?  Ask them to show you some typical monthly statements, so you can see how costs and income will be reported to you.

 

#9. Do you manage local taxes for your homeowners?

 

Here in Florida properties are subject to a “tourist tax” as well as sales tax.  These are paid to local and state authorities respectively.

A good property manager will manage these tax payments on your behalf; automatically applying them to guest bookings and forwarding payments to the relevant authorities.  It is worth checking whether this is the case, and how the property manager proposes to administer these payments.

 

#10. What sort of reporting can I expect?

 

As a vacation property owner, you need to know exactly where you stand with regards to the rental income your property is generating for you.  This requires clear monthly statements at the very least. 

In the longer term, what does your property manager offer to help you keep track of your property’s performance?  Here at White Rose Rentals, we schedule an annual review with each of our home owners.  This gives us a chance to discuss how your home is performing against your expectations, how we are doing, and what suggestions we have that can help you maximise bookings and revenue.

 

 

We think these are the ten base questions you should ask any potential property manager before deciding who to sign with. 

You’re sure to have your own to add to this list as well.

If you have questions of your own, please get in touch. 

Email: admin@whiterosevillas.com 

US – 321-710-8779

UK –  0333-332-1411