Western Shore Realty, LLC

If you own a second home / vacation home in Western Shore area of Maryland there is an increasing demand for vacation rentals in our area. To get started converting your home into a rentable vacation home it is important to remember that how your home is decorated is to your taste but it may not be appealing for the vacation home renter. When I went to home staging training the instructor said how you live in your home and how you sell it are two different things. This applies to vacation rentals also.

This is hard for most people at first because it doesn’t seem like it’s your home anymore. But after a while they get used to it and it feels like it more of a vacation to them. I am lucky because I like to decorate in the vacation / beach living style so converting my properties was easier. I study all of the decorating magazines for ideas so I enjoy the beach style decorating. I found most people who are converting their homes into a vacation home don’t decorate their homes in that style.

There are some simple things you can do to give your home the beach look and make your vacation rental a fun place to stay. I suggest creating a theme for your rental to attract gusets. For example my vacation rental in Saint Leonard has a keywest flamingo theme. Below are some easy things you can do:

•Put beach oriented framed art up
•Purchase bedding that is beach related
•Purchase throws and pillows that are beach related
•Purchase accessories to display
•Purchase Lamps that are nautical
•Purchase shower curtains and drapes that are beach related

As you can see it doesn’t have to be difficult to transform your second home. Western Shore Realty offers a service that can help you if you don’t have time to do this. Vacation rentals that are decorated with themes are more appealing to renters so it would pay off in the long run to make this investment in your home. We are a full service Property Management Company for vacation rentals.

If you are interested in renting your second home out as a vacation rental in Western Shore Maryland find out how much you could get renting it out as a vacation rental at: Phttp://chesapeakecottages.com/FreeVacationRental%20Evaluation.htm

Phyllis Minik, Western Shore Realty, LLC

We are looking for agents that specialize in listing and selling water oriented properties in Calvert County. Email me at phyllis@localwaterfront.com if interested.

I have owned several small cottages in Calvert County so I have learned how to make the most of living in a small space. I like the coziness that a small cottage offers. Small cottages with views and beach access are an affordable option. There are three ways I have adapted to living in a small space: furniture, remodeling and using outdoor space. Today I am going to discuss using furniture to make your cottage more livable.

The first thing I did when buying a small cottage was to get rid of the bulky furniture and replace it with scaled down versions. I also purchased furniture that offered storage.

Ideas for the living area:

•Entertainment center with lots of storage
•Small sectional couch instead of couch and chair
•Tables with storage – coffee table, end tables

Ideas for Dining area:

•Round Dining table
•A settee or bench against a wall
•Wine cabinet for storage of glasses and bar items

Office:

•Make use of a corner or small space
•Use a computer armoire

Ideas for a Bedroom

•Smaller dresser
•Use only one night stand table
•Double bed instead of queen (it is smaller in length as well as width)
•Use a futon in a guest room

Another ides that works is installing a coat rack on the wall if you don’t have a coat closet.

View Cottages in Calvert County Under $280,000 at My Website.