End of Summer holiday season

It’s the end of the summer and the hard part is over, right?

Not quite, sorry!

The end of the summer is not the end, so don’t drop your guard just yet. In fact, this time of year should be viewed as the start of a new holiday season…

Remember that slight excitement, that feeling of anticipation you got as you readied your holiday let for your first guests of the year? Well psyche yourself up for the same again.

Winter is coming.

A refresh and be ready

You may have given a sigh of relief the main season was over and now not have the energy for a refresh. But it’s worth remembering the following if you need a bit of motivation.

If summer bookers loved your place, they are likely to re-book an out-of-season retreat – most re-bookers will re-book off peak having been somewhere in the summer. Don’t disappoint with a tired, end-of-season offering, give them what they got that they loved so much in the first place, and keep them coming back for more.

And remember, last minute short breaks are so hot right now – so don’t put off the prep, be ready for those imminent guests at all times.

Tired tea towels

If you’ve had back-to-back bookings the past eight weeks, there is bound to be some wear and tear to put right. Housekeepers will have been busy with the changeovers and not had time to notice small details. Like tea towels.

Ok, not just tea towels, but they’re a good illustration of something small and cheap that will make all the difference if they’re replaced. No-one likes a tatty tea towel.

So, perhaps pay your housekeeper for an extra hour, to go around and check all the not-quite-disposables and replace anything less-than-fresh? Don’t forget the doormats…

Nooks and crannies

If you’ve got children yourself, you know that things turn up in the strangest of places. Small objects may be poked into holes, things get dropped behind furniture and forgotten, or there may be the occasional…spitwad!

Now’s the time for a winter/spring clean – pull out the furniture just to check that the missing sock can’t be found.

A lick of paint

Don’t literally lick the walls. But perhaps a few tester pots would come in handy to touch up scuffs and marks, remove the evidence of holidays passed and make the place look spanking new for new guests.

Winter is coming

There are still bookings going on, but now’s the time to be thinking ahead to the colder days of boiler checks, lagging on your pipes, chimney sweeps and wood for fires. Start making calls to book in the professionals for when you’ve got a gap.

It’s a jungle out there

A warm wet summer will have seen a good growth in the greenery – great for lush gardens, but no-one likes to fight branches when walking up a path. If your cottage garden hasn’t had a regular trim over the summer, it’s a good time to tackle it before all the leaves drop and turn the patio into a leafpit.