Whether you already own a chalet in the beautiful Ontario, north-country or whether you are looking to get into the market, having a country-place to which you can escape every weekend is a great way to have the best of city living and country solitude. However, if the thought of financially maintaining two households seems overwhelming, don’t despair! There are realistic ways of helping your bottom line by renting your chalet out when it isn’t being used.
Determining usage
First, figure out whether you want to use your chalet every weekend or only sporadically through the year. Create a calendar where you block off the times you will be using it. The rest of the days can be made available for short term rental. Naturally, to maximize the amount of revenue you can make from the property, the prime vacation times should be left open for rentals – such as over the winter holidays and at the summer peak. In many instances, just those two peak periods of the year would bring in enough revenue to cover the costs of maintaining your chalet year-round.
Make it attractive
To make your chalet rental more attractive to potential renters, it is important to offer them incentives that others don’t. If there are lots of place to enjoy outdoor activities, make sure that you have the gear they would need to partake in those activities without having to rent them. You can include items such as:
- Snowshoes
- Toboggans
- Canoes/paddles/lifejackets
- Fishing rods
- Bikes and helmets
Make it easy
Having the gear is one thing, but leaving information on the local attractions is also a very good idea. If you have access to trails – have those maps handy. If there are bike paths nearby – have those maps ready as well. If there is a great Farmer’s Market every Saturday in the summer, make sure that your guests are aware of it and know how to get there! Your guests will thank you for it and remember their visit fondly.
Make it convenient
At some point most people have been on vacation and realized that they have forgotten something essential – toothpaste, deodorant, soap, etc… While hotels will have these supplies available to purchase, in a cabin rental situation those amenities are usually harder to come by. Why not make a little kit that includes a small tube of toothpaste, skin/body care products and an extra toothbrush, so that guests have access to them if needed? It is a nice gesture that doesn’t cost very much and if a guest does need it, they will remember you fondly because of it.
Renting out your Ontario cabin is a great way to have your cake and eat it too. If the idea of maintaining two houses scares you, renting one out to help defray the cost of the other is a safe and effective way of achieving your cottage goal
