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WakeboardMom · 06-12-2013, 09:17 AM

Our lakefront lot is home to our cottage and a smaller cottage that we rent using HomeAway.com. We are entering our third summer of doing this and we are booked from June 29th straight through Labor Day. This is the first summer that we have no open weeks; and the first summer that we have rented the week leading up to Labor Day.

We have renters this week and some folks who are staying for a long weekend in June. This is the first summer we have had folks come prior to "high season."

I have had much better success with HomeAway than VRBO. In three years, I may have had one person who booked through VRBO; all others have come from HomeAway. This year 4 of our "prime" weeks are returnees.

We also have a book of "tips," including places to eat, places to shop and tourist attractions. The restaurants are listed geographically, with "$$" as well as what is accessible by boat. Grocery stores are listed in order of distance from the cottage; with notations like "thefurther one goes from the cottage, the better the prices" and "you can't beat JoJo's for the deli offerings."

We take a deposit that is only refunded after the people leave. It is not part of the rental fee that is due in full two weeks before arrival.

We also charge a $75 cleaning fee. Most renters leave the place in good shape, but I like the peace of mind that comes from knowing the turnover will be seamless. We use Great Northern Cleaning and they are extremely reliable. I offer sheets and towels for an additional $50 which is to cover my own labor to launder them. (I'm actually worth more than that, but it's a "what the market will bear" thing...lol)

The web listing is completely honest in that we tell folks they will be sharing the beach with us on weekends, but will have the place to themselves during the week. And the property is set up in such a way that they have their own space to hangout on the waterfront without any of us tripping over each other.

We also offer the use of a small sailboat, a canoe, a paddleboard and kayaks. We usually take the folks for a boat ride in our 27-foot Baja or our friend's Cobalt and that has been truly well-received. I have lots of potted plants and flowers and our place is very welcoming. My husband and I try to think of ourselves as innkeepers/hosts and sincerely want people to enjoy their time at the lake.

Please feel free to PM me with any questions. I'd be happy to share what I've learned.

06-12-2013, 09:17 AM	#12
WakeboardMom Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: NH X 2 Posts: 508 Thanks: 595 Thanked 113 Times in 92 Posts	Our lakefront lot is home to our cottage and a smaller cottage that we rent using HomeAway.com. We are entering our third summer of doing this and we are booked from June 29th straight through Labor Day. This is the first summer that we have no open weeks; and the first summer that we have rented the week leading up to Labor Day. We have renters this week and some folks who are staying for a long weekend in June. This is the first summer we have had folks come prior to "high season." I have had much better success with HomeAway than VRBO. In three years, I may have had one person who booked through VRBO; all others have come from HomeAway. This year 4 of our "prime" weeks are returnees. We also have a book of "tips," including places to eat, places to shop and tourist attractions. The restaurants are listed geographically, with "$$" as well as what is accessible by boat. Grocery stores are listed in order of distance from the cottage; with notations like "thefurther one goes from the cottage, the better the prices" and "you can't beat JoJo's for the deli offerings." We take a deposit that is only refunded after the people leave. It is not part of the rental fee that is due in full two weeks before arrival. We also charge a $75 cleaning fee. Most renters leave the place in good shape, but I like the peace of mind that comes from knowing the turnover will be seamless. We use Great Northern Cleaning and they are extremely reliable. I offer sheets and towels for an additional $50 which is to cover my own labor to launder them. (I'm actually worth more than that, but it's a "what the market will bear" thing...lol) The web listing is completely honest in that we tell folks they will be sharing the beach with us on weekends, but will have the place to themselves during the week. And the property is set up in such a way that they have their own space to hangout on the waterfront without any of us tripping over each other. We also offer the use of a small sailboat, a canoe, a paddleboard and kayaks. We usually take the folks for a boat ride in our 27-foot Baja or our friend's Cobalt and that has been truly well-received. I have lots of potted plants and flowers and our place is very welcoming. My husband and I try to think of ourselves as innkeepers/hosts and sincerely want people to enjoy their time at the lake. Please feel free to PM me with any questions. I'd be happy to share what I've learned. __________________ MarieM