When renting a beach house for your family or two families, what do you expect?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:big things to me are:

nice decor. I can't understand why anyone would rent the places at sea colony that were furnished in 1975. I like beachy neutrals.

comfortable beds with mattress that isn't squeaky

clean, clean, clean

beach chairs

Absolute must.. washer and dryer that are a decent size.

This, I probably would not use the kitchen as it would gross me out. I'd like:

Vinyl plank flooring (laminate would get ruined)

Modern bathrooms without mold/clean

Comfortable beds

Linens that have been washed after each guest (including quilt/comforter)

Comfortable furniture that is clean

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What you can't control - walking distance to beach + ideally other things to do.

Aside from that, I think it is the little things that matter to me.

What you can control:
- super clean and well-kept
- nice-looking (not grungy or "stale") bed/bath items like mattresses, pillows, comforters, bath rugs, etc.
- well-stocked kitchen, especially plenty of cutting boards and good knives (don't have to be expensive!), a nice coffee maker and a grinder
- comes with beach chairs + an umbrella, sand toys
- enough outside furniture, included where you can find shade/umbrella
- a working gas grill
- laundry (this is a total MUST for my family)
- not too much fru-fru decor - keep it clean and simple

Thank you! Rental company telling me I need to make it "beachier," that it is too minimalistic, but I don't want tacky dust collectors all around either!

With young kids, I just stash them all in a drawer the minute we arrive and then dump them on a bed on the way out for the cleaning company to put back. Otherwise, they'll get broken by curious kids.

Please, no knickknacks - agree we have to put them all away. No table lamps too if possible but ceiling mounted over beds. No cords loose - lights or window would be a bonus with young kids.

[Anonymous]

Comfortable beds! Working appliances and wifi! And nice knives and kitchen things! We love our regular rental but it has like one small mixing bowl, one skillet and old, not sharp knives. We don't need top of the the line, but maybe new every other year and enough basic stuff to cook a big meal. The house sleeps 10+, they need more cooking utensils.

I don't care so much about decorations. Things hanging on the wall are fine, but I hate having to run around the house moving a bunch of random glass knick knacks my kids would break in a heart beat.

Plenty of beach toys and umbrellas and chairs, bed rails and some extra twin size mattresses we can put on the floor. A clear online listing so we know exactly what is available, what we have to rent, what size linens to bring etc. I was totally shocked to find that DE beach houses don't come with linens, so list that up front!

[Anonymous]

Honestly depending on if you're in a desired location, and if the beach is dog friendly, one thing you can do to open up your market is make your house pet friendly.

Every year in North Shores in Rehoboth, the pet friendly ones go first. I have to book latest by September to get a pet-friendly rental for the following year. Small, and I know most renters don't want pets, but a good steep pet deposit something most people are willing to pay to be able to bring their dogs

[Anonymous]

Location is everything for us. Besides that, childproofing. I like that the house we rent every year keeps all our outlet plugs in year round. Furniture that is wide and not tip-able, tv's mounted safely to the walls, limited personal and decorating items my kids could damage, no loose wires, child safe blinds (no dangling cords).

Clean, bug free, working AC.

Working wi fi. My husband always has to work on vacations so this is vital.

[Anonymous]

Comfortable, clean living room furniture - no wicker!

Gaming items (if space allows) like fooseball, billiards, ping pong, x-box. Nice to have indoor activities for those bad weather days

Quality mattresses, pillows, bedding

Adirondak or rocking chairs for outside deck or patio

Hardwood floors throughout - keeps the house from trapping musty smells

Ceiling fans in all rooms

Keyless entry to eliminate need to pick up/drop off keys to the rental office

Full-size washer & dryer

A good, thorough cleaning company. We've rented houses in the past where the cleaning company completely missed cobwebs all through the house.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What you can't control - walking distance to beach + ideally other things to do.

Aside from that, I think it is the little things that matter to me.

What you can control:
- super clean and well-kept
- nice-looking (not grungy or "stale") bed/bath items like mattresses, pillows, comforters, bath rugs, etc.
- well-stocked kitchen, especially plenty of cutting boards and good knives (don't have to be expensive!), a nice coffee maker and a grinder
- comes with beach chairs + an umbrella, sand toys
- enough outside furniture, included where you can find shade/umbrella
- a working gas grill
- laundry (this is a total MUST for my family)
- not too much fru-fru decor - keep it clean and simple

Thank you! Rental company telling me I need to make it "beachier," that it is too minimalistic, but I don't want tacky dust collectors all around either!

With young kids, I just stash them all in a drawer the minute we arrive and then dump them on a bed on the way out for the cleaning company to put back. Otherwise, they'll get broken by curious kids.

I got a good laugh thinking that you stash your kids in a drawer! That would cut down on the whining, wouldn't it? Q

Are we allowed to store other people's kids in the drawers? Or just our own?

OP here. Delaware has different laws than here, do I could check on that and get back to you! Just kidding! Seriously, though, I do provide info on childcare, day camps, etc.

It is really interesting to read the comments about cleanliness. The housekeepers are all using summer labor and rush to get around town during a four-hour break. This year I am offering the option for people to check in or out on different days, hoping this will make the travel easier for people by avoiding Saturday crowds, and enabling the cleaners to do a more thorough job. Most of the properties in each beach town use the same cleaning companies unless owner can do it him or herself or someone is lucky enough to find an individual to do it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:big things to me are:

nice decor. I can't understand why anyone would rent the places at sea colony that were furnished in 1975. I like beachy neutrals.

comfortable beds with mattress that isn't squeaky

clean, clean, clean

beach chairs

Absolute must.. washer and dryer that are a decent size.

This, I probably would not use the kitchen as it would gross me out. I'd like:

Vinyl plank flooring (laminate would get ruined)

Modern bathrooms without mold/clean

Comfortable beds

Linens that have been washed after each guest (including quilt/comforter)

Comfortable furniture that is clean

PP, can I ask which beach town you rent in? Here the housekeepers have no time to do lines, so people generally either bring their own or rent from a company. I can think of one property manager who has organized a linen service like you describe.

[Anonymous]

^ linens. They're not doing lines!

[Anonymous]

Will echo the cleanliness and comfortable couches. I also like minimal decorations, although a few "beachy" touches might be nice (could even be as simple as a picture of waves, or a few shells displayed out of reach).

Wifi that works really well is key. And if you have a screened porch, make sure the furniture is actually somewhat comfortable.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:big things to me are:

nice decor. I can't understand why anyone would rent the places at sea colony that were furnished in 1975. I like beachy neutrals.

comfortable beds with mattress that isn't squeaky

clean, clean, clean

beach chairs

Absolute must.. washer and dryer that are a decent size.

This, I probably would not use the kitchen as it would gross me out. I'd like:

Vinyl plank flooring (laminate would get ruined)

Modern bathrooms without mold/clean

Comfortable beds

Linens that have been washed after each guest (including quilt/comforter)

Comfortable furniture that is clean

All - these lists are great! Thank you! We receive a lot of positive feedback on our cooking and other supplies, and on the spaciousness and kid-friendliness of our house, but the bathrooms are a weaker point. When we purchased and updated home, we could only do minimal bathroom updates (new toilets and vanities) but the 1970s tub/shower combos remained in place. I know mid-century modern is Big with Millenials, but it just conjures up old memories for Boomers and Gen X! So this summer I am having the YELLOW tub reglazed white and all the grouting and caulking redone, but am leaning toward keeping the dark tan tub because it matches the tile. Have I been spending too much time on Chairish and mid-century modern blogs?

[Anonymous]

As someone subjected to ticky-tacky "beachy" at a relative's house whose design sensibility was stalled in the '80s (shell wallpaper borders, lighthouse lamps), I am guessing your realtor means things like white duvets, light wood and lots of natural light. Maybe furniture in a navy blue canvas. No busy prints or knickknacks.

[Anonymous]

I won't even look at anything that's less than about $650 a night at thenBethany/Rehoboth/Ocean city beaches. What I'm looking for it very close to the ocean, usually ocean front, which you can't control, walkable to places to eat, shop or play, new bedding. I cannot stress that enough. Sagging beds and nasty only or outdated bedspreads are disgusting.

The master bath cannot be small.
Furniture and carpets must be fairly new and CLEAN. No black sand stains.
I like there to be nice accessories so that it's kind of homey feeling. Well thought out art on the walls.
Professional decorated if you can't do it yourself. Do not bring old furniture from another house to your beach house. I prefer lighter colored furniture at the beach.

Here is a quick example of what not to do:

https://www.vrbo.com/316823ha

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As someone subjected to ticky-tacky "beachy" at a relative's house whose design sensibility was stalled in the '80s (shell wallpaper borders, lighthouse lamps), I am guessing your realtor means things like white duvets, light wood and lots of natural light. Maybe furniture in a navy blue canvas. No busy prints or knickknacks.

Actually, they are telling me to hang a "welcome to the beach" sign, add more beach themed artwork, seashells, etc. When we remodeled, we added more large windows and changed the floor plan to be more open. I agree with you!

[Anonymous]

Good wifi, comfy beds, decent kitchen tools, clean.

Ooh ooh, and I would pay extra for a place with room darkening curtains in each bedroom so my kids don't wake up at the butt crack of dawn from all the sunlight.