Outfitting Your Vacation Home Living Areas
by Robin Fowler

The appeal of a vacation rental over a hotel or resort is the extra space that renters have to relax, entertain, and just hang out. A vacation rental is ideal for traveling families because of this spaciousness, and renters will find that the extra room to breathe will cut down on family squabbles and give everyone their own space, and help to make their vacation what it is supposed to be, relaxing and enjoyable.

The living areas or your vacation home - the great room, family rooms, or den areas – should be welcoming and inviting, and they should offer renters all of the comforts of home. As the owner of a vacation rental home, it should be your responsibility and your pleasure to make sure that the living areas act as a respite for travel weary guests, and as a gathering place for warm family celebrations.

Furnishings are important in your vacation rental home. They should be clean and comfortable, as well as contemporary. Depending on the size of the room, have one or two comfy couches, and at least one cozy chair and ottoman, so that guests can put their feet up and relax. Also add a coffee table and a few end tables. Make the room a place where guests can gather for games, meals, or conversation.

Though your renters are on vacation, a television is still an important piece of furniture to include in the living area, and it will get used. Providing a VCR and DVD player is also a good idea, and both can be found for very low prices. Consider adding an inexpensive cable or satellite television package, too, so that your renters have plenty of entertainment options. You might also want to consider adding wireless Internet capabilities to your rental home. This gives your renters the ability to check their email, get a little work done, or upload their vacation pictures, using their laptops, with ease.

Lighting is another important consideration for your vacation rental home. Make sure the living areas are equipped with both good lights for reading, as well as ambient lighting. Your guests will appreciate this attention to detail.

The little things are important, and your renters will be thankful for certain amenities you provide for evening gatherings or if there is bad weather. For example, leave out some local take-out and delivery menus on a side table, for those evenings when cooking isn’t in the plan. Also include a current phone book, in case your renters need to make restaurant or activity reservations by phone. Another nice touch is to keep a supply of playing cards and a few board games in a cabinet in the living area. Monopoly, Scrabble, and Trivial Pursuit are fun family games that renters will enjoy playing together.

If your vacation rental home is equipped with a fireplace in one or more of the living areas, make sure that you keep it well maintained. And don’t forget provide the proper accessories for the fireplace like a grate, screen, and a set of fireplace tools, as well as a supply of firewood. If you are too far away to maintain this area of the home yourself, hire a dependable local handyman to take care of it for you.
If your vacation rental home has a recreation room or a basement, you might want to consider adding a pool table or game table. This is an excellent amenity to offer your renters, and will be a big selling point for many potential renters, especially those with kids!

When it comes to decorating your living areas, use the surroundings of the home to create an ideal environment for your guests. If it’s a beach house, make it light and bright, but still cozy and inviting. If it’s a mountainside cabin, use warm tones and rich woods to create the sense of warmth and comfort. Make sure not to clutter it too much with a lot of knick-knacks, or excess furniture.

When it comes to setting up the living areas of your vacation home, think about how you would like to spend your time there. Pick comfortable and contemporary pieces, as well as some amenities that your renters will enjoy. They will appreciate your attention to detail during their stay so much that they will likely return over and over again!