Simple Lyfe Management

04/04/2020

https://www.simplelyfellc.com/post/when-the-dust-settles

As everyone knows, the Coronavirus has consumed and impacted all our lives. We have had several cancellations at our properties just like many of you, but I’m confident people will be back once this pandemic is over. However, there will be a new normal once we are back in business. We all have hei...

03/30/2020

As everyone knows, the Coronavirus has consumed and impacted all our lives. We have had several cancellations at our properties just like many of you, but I’m confident people will be back once this pandemic is over. However, there will be a new normal once we are back in business. We all have heightened sensitivity to things like social distancing, hand washing, cleaning and sanitation so it’s important for hosts to start planning now for how we will change our cleaning and sanitation process at our rental properties.

Since the beginning of our journey into short-term and vacation rentals, we have taken the cleaning and sanitation of our properties seriously. The main reason for this was to make sure none our tenants found anything dirty or unkept, but the reasons behind this are changing. Now they will want to know that our properties are clean and sanitized to reduce the risk of contracting a viral or bacterial infection.

While this means potentially using more chemicals, we at Simple Lyfe have been using a product to clean our properties that creates a healthier property and a cleaner planet. We use Norwex products when we clean our properties and we also stock dish cloths and dish towels in our properties for our renters to use during their stay. Norwex cloths have self-purification properties due to their exclusive micro silver agent. This means they only require water to clean surfaces thus reducing the need for harmful chemicals. You can’t purchase these cloths in stores, but we have been selling their products for several years. If you are interested in learning more about these products and/or would like to purchase these products here is a link: https://kimholcomb.norwex.biz/

Just like 9/11, the Coronavirus will change the way we live. We as hosts need to plan on how we will step up our cleaning and sanitizing process and now is the time because, “When the Dust Settles” we will all need to make sure our properties are cleaned and sanitized for our guests.

Norwex Consultants are committed to helping you save time and money by providing you with a complete line of products that are better for your health and better for the environment. With Norwex, not o

03/27/2020

Our newest property we manage 😍 what do you guys think?

Entire home/apt in Elk Rapids, United States. Explore 100 feet of private beach on beautiful, crystal-clear Lake Michigan - enjoy this 1930s cabin with modern amenities and stylish interiors. S...

03/22/2020

It’s a Great Time to Invest!
With the recent drop in the stock market it probably sounds a little crazy to say “It’s a Great Time to Invest” but what I’m talking about is your rental property. Now might be a great time to do some maintenance, upgrades and deep cleaning of your property.

If you are like many vacation rental owners, you have seen several cancellations. Most of our properties are vacant right now so we are taking this opportunity to do some spring cleaning, maintenance and upgrades that we have needed to do when we had the time and openings in our schedule.

When you are in your rentals on a regular basis it’s easy to miss some maintenance and cleaning issues. Weather you do your own cleaning and maintenance, or you hire it out, we are all creatures of habit, so we do the same routine each time we turn our property over for the next guests. Every now and then it’s important to walk your property with a critical eye and take care of the little things that need to be addressed.

We recently did a deep cleaning and review of one of our properties and found a few things that needed to be addressed. We also took care of a few upgrades we had planned but didn’t have time for last year. Getting these done refreshed and improved the property and prepared it for the coming summer season. While we could sit around wondering when this pandemic will end, we can also use the time to improve our properties and be ready for when it ends.

When all of this is over, people are going to be looking for an escape and this is an opportunity for you to offer them a distraction from what we all have been dealing with. So, if you have some openings in your rental schedule and a little time on your hands, now might be “A Great Time to Invest” in some deep cleaning, maintenance or upgrades that you have been putting off. Remember, the vacationers and short-term renters will be looking again soon, so you need to have your property stand out from others and be ready to offer a great experience.
https://www.simplelyfellc.com/post/it-s-a-great-time-to-invest

03/19/2020

A Penny Saved is a Penny Earned
While it’s always important to stock ample quantities of things like towels, washcloths, and bed linens; you also don’t want to waste time and money cleaning these items. If you know what was used and what was not used during a tenant’s stay you will only need to wash and clean the used items.

On a recent vacation we rented a nice three-bedroom house that had plenty of towels, but they were not smart about how they made them available. As you can see by the picture below, they placed the towels on the towel bars in the bathroom.

While it’s important to make sure there are ample supplies of towels, washcloths and linens; you don’t need to display them out where they are easily used. In the case of these towels there’s no way of knowing which ones were used, so all needed to be washed. If only one towel was displayed on the towel bar and the rest neatly folded and put on a shelf or in a cabinet, then you would know how many were used. This way you only need to wash the dirty ones and not everything on the towel bars. While this is not a big cost it does add time and cost to cleaning the property.

Remember you need to make sure there are plenty of linens, but you don’t have to leave more than your tenants require and you don’t need to have them displayed in a way that you can’t tell what was used. Be smart about how you stock these items because “a penny saved is a penny earned”.

While it’s always important to stock ample quantities of things like towels, washcloths, and bed linens; you also don’t want to waste time and money cleaning these items. If you know what was used and what was not used during a tenant’s stay you will only need to wash and clean the used items....

03/17/2020

Less is More
I recently purchased a property that was already setup as a vacation rental property. While it was getting some good rental income, there were several comments about how dated and cluttered it was. There were knickknacks setting on many of the counters and tables along with dated furniture and old artwork on the walls. The first impression of the property was not what you want for your guests.

(Look at before and after pics right here)
https://www.simplelyfellc.com/post/less-is-more

As you can see by the before and after pictures just decluttering and updating some of the furniture and artwork made a BIG difference. We replaced the dining room table and chairs, barstools, and added a new piece of artwork. The furniture was all used furniture we found locally so it cost a fraction of the cost of new furniture. The artwork was found at a local home store. We also painted the dining area to clean up the walls.

Cleaning up, decluttering and updating an area can make all the difference. This is especially true of the living and dining areas as these are normally the areas a tenant sees when they first walk into a property. The first impression sets the stage for the entire space so it should be clean, simple and current. We will talk about the other areas in a later blog as they could also need some work but if everything needs updating your priority should be on the first impression areas. Also remember that when it comes to decorating an area “less is more”.

I recently purchased a property that was already setup as a vacation rental property. While it was getting some good rental income, there were several comments about how dated and cluttered it was. There were knickknacks setting on many of the counters and tables along with dated furniture and old a...

03/15/2020

Staging your rental is what can set you apart from other properties. Based on your location and the type of customer you are looking for; you need to stage your property in an attractive way. The furniture, dishes, artwork and paint colors all create an atmosphere that either draws your tenant in or pushes them away....
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Staging your rental is what can set you apart from other properties. Based on your location and the type of customer you are looking for; you need to stage your property in an attractive way. The furniture, dishes, artwork and paint colors all create an atmosphere that either draws your tenant in or...

03/12/2020

What is an STR?
STR's or Short Term Rentals are growing and all kinds of people are getting in on the action. Short term rentals can return 2 to 3 times the revenue of a long term rental but they do require more care a feeding. If you have thought about getting into the short term and vacation rental business, now is a great time to do it! Just make sure you check your local restrictions and licensing requirements before you invest any time or money.

The short term and vacation rental business is a fast growing business so there is ample opportunity for you to jump in and start making money. Travelers and vacationers are looking for more than a hotel room with a pool and exercise facilities. They are looking for an experience and unique place to stay weather they are on business or pleasure. I'm sure you can relate. Would you prefer to stay in a multistory square box with a bunch of other strangers or would you like your own unique place to stretch out a relax? I have stayed in a number of short term rentals and each one has been an enjoyable experience. Some better than others, but each one was unique and let me learn something new about the area and people.

If you have thought about getting into the short term and vacation rental business don't wait. It's a great time to get started. And with the way the stock market has been lately it wouldn't hurt to diversify and put a little money into real estate. If you're not sure what to do and are looking for some help on how to get started, feel free to contact us and we will be happy to help you out.
https://www.simplelyfellc.com/post/manage-your-blog-from-your-live-site

02/14/2020

Arched Cabins out of the Houston area set out to design and manufacture tiny houses that they could sell for only $5k and they absolutely blew it out of the water! They can be made in widths ranging from 14’ to 24’ and any length that you choose and costs are from $200 to $320 per linear foot (b...

02/05/2020

01/28/2020

Great video of one of our properties!

01/22/2020

Here are some metrics from a ad we ran this past year. For only $100 we reached over half a million people. Any questions, drop them below🙂