Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Dog friendly!

Opposite here, I will only book a rental if it is no pets allowed. Pet friendly rentals are never cleaned thoroughly enough to prevent DCs allergies.

Most of the places we rent are listed as "no pets" but I just ask if we can bring our dog along (my spouse is a veterinarian) and 9 of 10 hosts agree to it. So just because a listing says "no pets" does not mean there are no pets staying the week before you are.

That's unfortunate for people with allergies.

Please no pets allowed.

Anonymous wrote:I have rented many houses in Bethany, and sheets/bath towels have never been included. I have always rented from Sheets at the Beach, etc.

Agree that a well-stocked kitchen with things like a decent knife set, pots large enough to cook corn on the cob, etc. is super important.

How does Sheets at the Beach work? How do they get in to your rental before you do, to make beds?

Anonymous wrote:A really great cleaning crew.

A good local property manager from a recognized national Realty who can quickly solve problems on site and who can provide evidence in case of a you said/ they said conflict.

They save you from so many headaches (VA Beach North End owner posting again).

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Dog friendly!

Opposite here, I will only book a rental if it is no pets allowed. Pet friendly rentals are never cleaned thoroughly enough to prevent DCs allergies.

Most of the places we rent are listed as "no pets" but I just ask if we can bring our dog along (my spouse is a veterinarian) and 9 of 10 hosts agree to it. So just because a listing says "no pets" does not mean there are no pets staying the week before you are.

Other comments have covered the basics. My two additions would be entryway hooks/pegs for beach bags, hats, towels, etc. (so helpful for not having that stuff clutter up the kitchen and living area) and having a dining table that’s appropriate for the # of people a house can hold. We stayed in a HUGE beach house with a table for 4.

I also love night lights and blackout shades bc I’m traveling with kids.

Think about things like lights and railings outside the front and back doors, steps that might be unsafe for someone not accustomed to the house.

A really great cleaning crew.

Anonymous wrote:OP here and thank you for all the feedback.

My mom did rent it to people we knew for decades. It is paid off and we have been lucky that there has been very little damage. I think renting to people we know has helped.

But…it needs to be updated and I want to add the comfort items.

The towel hooks and pantry space are good to know. We probably don’t have enough.

I love my dog but don’t take him to the beach. And I would love to be able to rent as pet friendly but I am super picky about removing all smell. I can do it myself with enzyme cleaners. But no cleaner will be able to do it. So I doubt I can make it pet friendly and not stress myself out.

I will think about upgrading the master bed to a king size. I have had one person ask about that.

It has most of the other things people have mentioned. I just need update and replace some of them.

Thanks again.

Good luck OP!

OTOH, you would be shocked at what people might expect. Some are down to earth, but some are downright crazy. Just remember, you really can not please everyone. My friend rents out her beach house - not fancy, but very clean, and one renter complained about the dirty grille? Is it that hard to clean a grille? I think that renter would be shocked at some of the grilles we have seen!

We have rented in one of DCUM favorite spots and found even the new houses to be dumps - there are just too many people in the house, like a revolving door, and the white walls are substantially black. It is kind of gross. We have also had more than one set of bunkbeds that smell like dirty diapers, moldy basements that have "sleeper sofas" that no one dare touch, and my favorite, the major appliances that are broken or dangerous (able to fall on people upon opening the door). Honorable mention goes to the bare threads of the towels left behind for our use?

If you r home is clean and everything is in working order - I think that is reasonable - or maybe I am just not helpless.

OP here and thank you for all the feedback.

My mom did rent it to people we knew for decades. It is paid off and we have been lucky that there has been very little damage. I think renting to people we know has helped.

But…it needs to be updated and I want to add the comfort items.

The towel hooks and pantry space are good to know. We probably don’t have enough.

I love my dog but don’t take him to the beach. And I would love to be able to rent as pet friendly but I am super picky about removing all smell. I can do it myself with enzyme cleaners. But no cleaner will be able to do it. So I doubt I can make it pet friendly and not stress myself out.

I will think about upgrading the master bed to a king size. I have had one person ask about that.

It has most of the other things people have mentioned. I just need update and replace some of them.

Thanks again.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Dog friendly!

Opposite here, I will only book a rental if it is no pets allowed. Pet friendly rentals are never cleaned thoroughly enough to prevent DCs allergies.

+1

Wil never rent a pet friendly place because you know it will smell like a dog and be gross. I guess if we had a dog we may feel differently.

I have a dog and love her, but dogs do leave a smell! We have only taken her on vacation twice and one time the rental (dog friendly) had white carpeting. It was a very rainy weekend and I was so stressed out trying to keep her from tracking mud inside. So yeah I'm glad there are some rentals that are pet free.

Stayed in a Homewood Suites in Charlottesville last year on route back from a road trip. Arrived on a rainy day and that place smelled very strongly of wet dog fur in the living room. Nasty.

+1 to the stocked kitchen and good mattress, linens, towels.

If the bedrooms are big enough and you have enough bathrooms, consider bunk beds with queen on the bottom (and maybe top too). Depends on what you are going for, but more sleeping spaces usually doesn't hurt.

We used to own a beach rental in the Outer Banks. Hated every minute of ownership. Renters suck and have no respect for your property. Expenses are always double or triple what you plan for. Wear and tear is insane. No matter how hard you try, by the end of the summer season your place always look like shit.

We allowed dogs but they were the least of the problem. The only damage they ever did was scratch the doors of bedrooms and bathrooms that stupid owners shut them in. I mean, you know before you rent whether your dog is a door scratcher or not. So annoying.

If I were OP, who apparently doesn’t plan to use the house much herself, I’d sell it and invest the money in something that doesn’t require so much damned work. There are far easier ways to make money.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Dog friendly!

Opposite here, I will only book a rental if it is no pets allowed. Pet friendly rentals are never cleaned thoroughly enough to prevent DCs allergies.

+1000

Anonymous wrote:I just inherited my mom’s beach house in Bethany. It’s a 3 bedroom, 2 bath ranch style house. I want to rent it out. But I need to update it.

What types of things make it more comfortable for renters? Perhaps stuff you found in your vacation rental that you thought was really clever. Or something you wished were there.

Thanks.

Solid white sheets and towels

A bookcase with a lot of good beach reads. Big capacity washer/dryer that work really well. Good AC and ceiling fans. Beach chairs.