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Get your holiday property ready for spring - Middle Coombe Farm

As we emerge from the Christmas holidays and start a new year it is important to look ahead and begin getting your holiday property ready for spring.  

Lighter mornings and slightly warmer temperatures mean only one thing – winter is receding! Our property experts outline five top tips to help make sure you and your holiday cottage are ready for your next guests and the peak holiday season ahead. 


Get Your Holiday Property Ready for Spring

Use the quick links to navigate to a particular topic or read on for our guide to getting your holiday property ready for spring.

  1. The Great Outdoors
  2. Painting and Decorating
  3. Refresh Soft Furnishings
  4. Chimney Checks and Post-Winter Maintenance
  5. New Season, New Look

1. The Great Outdoors

the great outdoors - garden furniture

Your property’s outside space is key to attracting guests in the peak holiday season. As the winter weather warms into spring, most people’s minds move to spending more time outdoors.

Green fingered owners long to get back in their gardens and spruce it up. And, while every effort should be made to reinvigorate your lawn and flower beds, don’t neglect walkways and paths that might have become slippery through the winter.

Getting your holiday property ready for spring includes checking outside lighting. Ensure all bulbs are working and ready for your guest’s arrival.

Furniture for your garden, terrace or patio has hopefully been secured away during the winter months. Reducing the risk of damage and thereby saving you time and expense in repairs or replacements.

Now is the time to check your outdoor furniture thoroughly for any obvious issues. Wooden furniture is extremely susceptible to swelling and eventually rot if it is not regularly treated and protected. Metal sets will need to be rubbed back and re-painted over time.


2. Painting and Decorating

painting and decorating

Ahead of the peak holiday season, now is an opportune time to get rooms redecorated with a fresh lick of paint. Your holiday property will have likely suffered some wear and tear through the winter, but don’t panic, take it a room at a time!

Getting your property ready for spring can seem like a timely task but try to avoid ‘touching up’ spots. This can often make walls and ceilings look worse in certain lights. It is best practice to paint a room completely.

Rain and cold weather can cause stains on a building’s external walls. Remember, your guests expect immaculate interiors, so it is advisable to clean walls and re-decorate if necessary.

Always prepare surfaces before re-painting or all your hard work will be in vain, and the finish is likely to disappoint.

Here at Helpful Holidays, we work with several trusted contractors, so do let us know if you would like us to put you in touch.


3. Refresh Soft Furnishings

soft furnishings - get your property ready for spring

Your autumn and winter guests will have likely enjoyed more time indoors than those who visit in peak holiday season. Any trips out might have resulted in muddy boots or wet clothes. So, while guests will do their best not to damage soft furnishings, a higher level of wear and tear on carpets and sofas is to be expected.

Steam clean soft furnishings – it is a fantastic way of breathing new life into items. Of course, steam cleaning won’t rescue everything, but it works fantastically on most stains in carpets, curtains, cushions, or throws and can be a cost-effective way of eradicating any odours.


4. Chimney Checks and Post-Winter Maintenance

The Bolthole Holiday Property

If your holiday property has a real fire or a wood burner, arrange for a chimney sweep to visit following the colder season.

Your appliance or fireplace will have been used fairly frequently over the winter season resulting in sooty deposits in your chimney as a result. Current guidance from HETAS is for chimneys to be swept twice a year, once before the winter, and once after ideally.

Regular maintenance of your flue helps keep an eye on the state of your chimney and will clear any potential blockages. Your chimney sweep will likely test your carbon monoxide alarms. But please remember checking these should form part of your housekeeper’s routine on changeover. Spare batteries should always be available for smoke detectors.

Your guest’s safety is paramount. For more top tips on post-winter maintenance and servicing gas appliances read our blog ‘Boiler Maintenance for your Holiday Cottage’.


5. New Season, New Look

Holiday property with hot tub

Having endured a busy year in your holiday property, some of your furnishings might have reached a natural end to their life. This can be an exciting opportunity to revamp furniture, or a complete room. It need not be a complete overhaul at huge expense.

Replacing smaller, more affordable items annually, such as throws, rugs and cushions, will keep your holiday property current and fresh. This reflects well in the marketing of your property and looks more appealing to potential guests.

If you are considering the addition of something larger, perhaps a hot tub, then additional photographs will be required. Added-value features, like hot tubs open fires and pet-friendly amenities increase your property’s pricing. According to the Sykes Staycation Index, hot tubs can maximise rental income by 54%! Please tell us about any changes to your holiday property.

Likewise, upgrading living room or bedroom furniture will require new photography. Depending on the upgrades made, this also may impact your rating and pricing. If you are keen to make changes, but you are unsure where to focus or start – give us a call and we can offer advice.

It’s important to remember if your holiday property qualifies as a Furnished Holiday Let (FHL), you are entitled to Capital Allowances on items that increase potential rental income. This includes furniture, equipment, fixtures and a new kitchen! To find out more read our blog ‘Holiday homes, tax and all things in between’.


Let Your Cottage with Helpful Holidays

If you would like to know more about how to get your holiday property ready for spring as well as maximise your income, please get in touch.

Our expert property team are always on-hand to offer advice, call 01647 401799 (option 2) or email help@helpfulholidays.co.uk.

To find out more about letting your cottage with Helpful Holidays, request your FREE owners guide today.