Building up Kelowna Pools: 3 Ways to Better Your Vacation Rental
Homes that have Kelowna pools can help increase the value if you plan to open as a vacation rental.
Kelowna has a major advantage over other Canadian cities. Our long summers mean that tourist dollars tend to flow at this time of year. People stay longer and make the most of their vacation. Some homeowners are taking advantage of that tourism boom by renting their homes or condos out to vacationers to bring in extra revenue. This new way of owner-direct vacation rental is becoming more and more popular thanks to online sites such as Airbnb and VRBO, which connect travellers with homeowners looking to rent out their homes.
Of the top 20 Kelowna vacation rentals on Airbnb, a home, condo, or suite with a pool and other attractive features can rake in $100-$200 per night more than a Kelowna homes without a pool.
So how can a homeowner take advantage of this new tourism trend?
1. Make sure you are allowed to rent your home
According to Airbnb, there are 300-plus vacation rental units available in Kelowna. Currently, there are no rules or regulations around short-term rental accommodation of up to one week (other than for licensed B&Bs) in the city. However, that soon may change. According to an article in Kelowna Now, the city is looking at adding more regulations around short-term rentals in order to help increase the vacancy rate for long-term rentals. However, the city also wants to allow residents to be able to run a business from their homes and is looking at possible options. The best thing you can do is find out what permits are needed from the city before you open your home to vacationers.
2. Look for Kelowna pool companies to help spruce up your space
There are a few ways you can increase the value of your vacation rental. If you are relying on summer vacationers booking your home, the best way to do this is to make an attractive indoor space, but also spruce up your outdoor space. If you are able to invest in the kind of swimming pool builders Kelowna recommends to build you a pool, then that is a start. However, there are other ways you can increase the value of your vacation rental.
Some ideas include:
- A sunroom addition so your guests can still enjoy the outdoors when the temperatures outside are stifling.
- An outdoor deck that makes the most of views around your home, especially if you can see the mountains or Okanagan Lake. Also consider safety by hiring Kelowna deck and rail builders to do the job properly.
- Adding a shaded area to your patio, deck or garden with the kind of Kelowna pergolas that are becoming popular around the city.
3. Make sure you are comfortable with renting your home
Privacy and security are the obvious issues here. Make sure you and your family are comfortable with strangers coming and going from your home, and have some sort of way to ensure that damage will not occur. Insist on a damage deposit and also make sure you are insured for any third party property damage or liability. Some homeowners may decide to rent out only one or two rooms in their home, and live in another part of the house, so you may want to consider home renovations such as building a fully contained suite to ensure that not only you will have some of your privacy, but your guests will as well.
Looking to increase the value of your home? Read our blog How Much Value a Pool Adds to Your Kelowna Home Renovations.
Rafter 4K Contracting has years of experience in building the kinds of swimming pools Kelowna residents have invested in to make their homes more attractive. Our team of Kelowna deck builders can also help spruce up your outdoor space while our renovation team can construct home additions such as sunrooms and guest suites that will boost the value of your vacation rental.
