Picture a family of excited vacationers, driving up to your beautiful Cape home, and the first thing they see is trash barrels and recycling bins, overflowing with debris left by the guest group that just left. Sometimes with the bonus of bags torn open with garbage spilling out, thanks to a visit by foraging raccoons or other critters. Yuck! Not to mention the arriving guests now have nowhere to put their trash until the next pick up day rolls around. Believe us, that does not make for happy campers.
We run into this problem more often that you can imagine and sometimes feel compelled to haul away trash and /or recyclables on turnover days to achieve the appropriate property first impression. True, some of the responsibility lies with the rental guests, who did not get the lion’s share of their disposables out in time for the final pick-up of their stay. But most, if not all of the problem can be prevented by simply providing adequate container capacity to handle the predictable volume in your Cape Cod summer vacation rental.
How much and how often?
That one big 95 gallon bin for trash is not enough, even with twice-a-week pick-ups, for most vacation homes sleeping eight or more. You need at least a second big bin, or a couple or three additional regular-size trash barrels with snug fitting covers, readily available at any home or hardware store.
The container space we see provided for recyclables is even more preposterously skimpy. That one little red or blue bin has about enough room for two empty milk gallon containers, a couple of wine bottles and the corrugated box that inflatable raft came in. Truth is, we observe that vacationers generate almost the same volume of recyclables as they do trash, yet recyclables are picked up only once a week vs. twice for trash. And the capacity provided for recyclables is typically that one plastic bin about the size of a clothes basket! No wonder we find plastic bottles blowing around the yard when we show up on turnover day to do our property prep!
Some disposal services provide a big bin for recyclables, same size as for trash. Still not enough for many guest groups and properties, especially given the only once-a-week pick up. We suggest four large bins, two each for trash and recyclables. Or the large bin plus at least two regular size trash barrels and covers for each function. Here’s the good news: your disposal service will probably cart away recyclables from any additional containers provided by the owner at no extra charge. Check with them and see. Just be sure to clearly label your extra bins “Trash” and “Mixed Recyclables” so your guests and your disposal service are clear on what’s what. Got questions? Talk to your disposal service. Need a reliable disposal service? Here are two that we confidently recommend: Nauset Disposal and Seaside Disposal.
You can’t anticipate and prevent all the problems that inevitably come up during the rental season, but here’s one big one that you can do something about!
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Recycling Helps Recycle Guests.
You might be surprised how often we hear the frustration of rental guests when they stay at homes that do not offer recycling. They are in the habit of recycling, they feel it’s the right thing to do, and they feel very uncomfortable throwing recyclable items into the trash. So, if you don’t offer recycling at your rental property, we urge you to reconsider. Sure, it’s good for the planet, but you have another important motivation: making guests happy so they will book your property again next year.
So you’d like to increase your rental income for those pesky off-season months? Join the crowd, because it’s a tall order.
But, you say, the weather can be great in June and September. Yes, but here’s the problem — too much supply, not nearly enough demand for Cape Cod off-season rentals.
“How come I can go through the rest of the year without a single repair issue at my house, but as soon as the rental season arrives, things start to go wrong?”
I have heard that lament from many an owner during Cape Cod rental season, and as an owner myself, I feel their pain.
A lot of owners blame guest abuse for some of the problems that come up, but in my experience it’s simply heavier usage during the rental season that finds the weak spots, if there are any.
Regardless of the cause, put yourself in the shoes of your rental guest – always a good way to look at things.
Imagine you have planned the perfect Cape Cod vacation for your family. You arrive at your beautiful rental property for which you paid several thousand dollars and things couldn’t be better. But when the refrigerator stops working, or the wifi won’t connect, people in your party start to get cranky. You’re staying only seven days, and even one day with an unexpected, major inconvenience starts to put a damper on that “perfect” vacation. You need the problem solved IMMEDIATELY!
Recognizing the need for rapid response, an owner, or a professional property manager must be easily accessible by cell, text or email while guests are in residence. A property manager should be authorized to take immediate remedial action. If you don’t do it yourself, your designated first responder must have a list of your preferred contractors, so that even if you can’t be reached, he or she knows exactly whom to call first.
Of course, at our rentals company, have our own trusted tradesmen for emergency repairs. Just recently we got a call from a guest at a home where the refrigerator had stopped cooling. We contacted the owner, who immediately OKed a tech visit. We suggested a local contractor who gives us preferential treatment because he’s grateful for all the business we have referred to him. He got the call at 4 p.m. on Sunday afternoon and was at the property early Monday morning. The fridge was cooling perfectly again before 10 a.m.
The guests and the owner were relieved to put the problem behind them. And if those guests don’t come back to the property again the following year, it won’t be because there was slow response to a problem that came up.
Many repairs – broken toilet seats, torn screens, etc. – you may be able to handle yourself, if you’re handy and have the time. But one way or another, you need to have in place a reliable SOP to solve any problem right away. It’s the only way to keep the guests happy and eager to come back again next summer.
Looks like summer is lingering on the Cape. Time to get away for a week or a long weekend and experience a truly select home for a fraction of the peak summer rental rate. All with uncrowded roads, beaches and restaurants, many of which are also offering off-season menu pricing. It’s not too late to enjoy the Cape in 2015
If you know families who haven’t gotten around to reserving their Cape summer vacations yet, please tell them it’s not too late! Yes, the improving economy has led more people to book with confidence this year. And yes, Pretty Picky’s select properties are the most sought after and tend to book faster and earlier than most. But you’ll be amazed by the fine selection of prime properties and choice summer weeks still available. For one thing, we have some properties that have come on the market in the last few weeks, creating some top quality new inventory to choose from. Some of the very best values are June weeks or even weekends and believe it or not, the 4th of July week, when most of our owners are offering an eighth night at 50% off or in many cases, absolutely free! So tell that friend at work or your cousin Betty: don’t assume you’re too late to the dance. Just sashay over to prettypicky.com and stake your claim to a Cape Cod summer vacation the family will always remember.