Inside: brightness. Certain types of lighting is either too dark or too bright. Ability to control the level of lighting.
Air circulation (add a fan if there's no air). Ability to open windows but window areas must be clean and not have cob webs.
Decluttered- no need unnecessary tables, cabinets, chairs just because. Every piece of furniture should have a function and usable.
Movable light&easy to carry lawn chairs.
Starter toiketries-toilet paper, dish washing detergent, hand liquid.
Enough fridge space.
Personally, I do not like dark linens, comforters, sheets, towels...

For all the variables of 2 families trying to split the cost of a beach house...I would get travel insurance to cover potential issues--someone has to cancel their stay, accidents, etc.

We found www.vacationrentalinsurance.com last year for OC rental.
But we have also bought from Generali Global Assistance www.generalitravelinsurance.com which has great customer service.

Its a small % of the rental cost and worth the peace of mind.

To answer the tub question, a white tub would be nice, but I don't really care about the color as long as it's really clean! Old crumbling grout and caulking is gross, so definitely good to update that when needed.

From a renters perspective, can I ask if the blankets are ever cleaned? The rental we use has nice quilts in all the rooms (we rent sheets), and they always look clean, but I wonder. Do you keep extra quilts on hand in case something gets dirty?

A 'welcome to the beach' sign would be cute, ditto on the no shell mermaids!

Coffee grinder, bottle opener, corkscrew, good ones not plastic.

Extension cord.

OP here - thank you all so much! Instead of worrying about beach art, I'll re-install the ceiling fans, buy new cutting boards, bring down an outlet extender, and work out a bonus structure for the housekeeper!

A clean outdoor shower is really nice.

Anonymous wrote:This is a little thing, but makes a difference: lots of hooks and towels racks in the bathroom! Hooks on the back of bedroom doors too. I am always so annoyed when I go to take a shower and there is not one place to hang my towel in a bathroom! Hooks are so easy, but them up everywhere.

At the beach people have a lot of shit to dry. Beach towels, bathing suits, you can never have too many places to put them.

Ditto on this.

And keeping with the cleanliness theme - have white or light colored blankets, duvets, comforters - then we know they have been washed recently!

This is a little thing, but makes a difference: lots of hooks and towels racks in the bathroom! Hooks on the back of bedroom doors too. I am always so annoyed when I go to take a shower and there is not one place to hang my towel in a bathroom! Hooks are so easy, but them up everywhere.

At the beach people have a lot of shit to dry. Beach towels, bathing suits, you can never have too many places to put them.

Anonymous wrote: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

We stayed in one house that was pet friendly (my MIL insisted on bringing her dogs). It was disgusting. It smelled like, you guessed it, wet dog. It permeated everything. Never again.

To me "pet friendly" and "clean" do not go hand in hand.

Two coffee makers for sure. Lots of dishes that actually match, just buy a ton of corelle plates/bowls etc. How many bedrooms is the house? Two dishwashers and two refrigerators (or a HUGE fridge) are great. But we get big houses (6+ bedrooms) generally.

No double beds, unless it's a room with two beds or part of s bunk bed. Make all the rooms bunks, queens or king sized beds if you can.

We actually only stay somewhere with a pool, but again that's because there are a lot of us.

A comfy living room. With a comfy rug (no woven, rough, beachy looking crap). No bar height tables, which are tough with little kids.

But other PPs nailed, it that having it be CLEAN and the pillows/mattresses/curtains/bedskirts not looking gross is huge. Change or launder these things regularly. It makes a huge difference.

We've rented a many vacation condo/houses over the years but have never stayed in the same place twice. We like visiting new places and different homes

An ottoman or recliner in the living/family room. We like being able to put our feet up at the end of an active day. But I don't think any rental we've had has had an ottoman. I can kinda understand why but still...

TVs with cable in every bedroom. In the kitchen is good too (if it is a larger home). And instructions on how to use the TV remotes (if needed). So many places have several remotes - for the TV, cable, DVR, speakers and sometimes you have to use multiple to get the TV on and change channels.

Nice beds and simple, clean linens and duvets. No pillow shams. Board games, paperback books. Personally I LOVE the rental week not to start/end on Sat or Sunday. Excellent wifi. Decor: yes to beach-related art on walls; yes to beachy color scheme and fabrics; no to shells and mermaids!

Anonymous wrote: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.

This is brilliant! My husband is very sensitive to light too. And the charging station is a great idea as well.

I can't stand it when a house smells musty, so somehow making it clear in the ad that the house is clean AND smells fresh would be great.

Anonymous wrote:

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 in the other bathroom because it matches the tile. Have I been spending too much time on Chairish and mid-century modern blogs?

DCUMers - would love your feedback on the tub glazing question. Keep the deep tan tub or mix it?

Anonymous wrote:I would love to have a power strip in some central area where everyone can charge their devices.

I choose my houses based on the family/main room sofa: "Would I want to lie down on that and take a nap?" Old, sweaty, tired-looking furniture gets an immediate pass.

For the sweet love of baby Jaysus, get some decent knives and more than one cutting board.

A power strip I can easily do and would not have thought of! Appreciate that tip! Everything else passes muster!