You bought a great vacation home in a wonderful spot – now you realize that you can rent out your second home during the times you aren’t using it. Properly organizing and stocking your kitchen will help your rentals to be a success – both for the people renting and for your own piece of mind.
Vacation Home Appliances
When buying appliances for your vacation home, make sure they are simple and easy to use. Renters will be unfamiliar with your appliances and the last thing they want to do on their vacation is to figure out complicated appliances. You may also have people from other countries at your home who don’t have a complete grasp of English. The more straight-forward the appliances are to use, the better for everyone.
Stocking the Kitchen
The average stay at your vacation rental will probably be a week. During that time, you or your renters will probably need the same things as you use in your main home. A week is enough time to need storage items as well as convenience items. You don’t necessarily need to buy top of the line items, but buy good enough quality to perform well.
Convenience appliances are a definite bonus. While on vacation, fixing food quickly and easily is a must. Microwaves and toaster ovens are essential for quick meals and snacks. A dishwasher helps add to relaxation time and less chore time.
Some of the smaller items to help make visits comfortable are:
toaster
kettle
microwave oven
coffee maker
toaster oven
plastic food storage (ie – Tupperware/Rubbermaid)
pots
pans
baking dishes
cookie sheets
cutting boards
plastic wrap
aluminum foil
plastic bags
scissors
various cutting knives
can opener
wine opener (corkscrew)/bottle opener
placemats
napkins
Consider some food staples such as sugar, coffee, tea, salt, pepper, flour, spices, baking powder/soda, corn starch. These items have a long shelf life and both you and your guests will appreciate having them on hand.
Of course, you’ll need enough dishes, glasses, cutlery, bowls, etc. to accommodate at least twice the number of bed space you have. Having only one set of dishes per visitor means the dishes have to be washed after every meal – extra dishes makes a big difference to ease of living.
Another factor to consider is childproofing. Although you might not have small children, your visitors might. Consider putting some thought into safety. Keeping harmful chemicals out of harms reach, for example, can make a huge difference to peace of mind for a family with small kids.
Finding Things
Make a master list of where everything is stored for reference. A list can be easily used for those times which someone just can’t seem to locate an item. Believe me, a list can save a lot of frustration. Avoid the temptation to label cupboards, however, as this is ugly and tacky. The more comfortable and homey your place is, the more pleasant of a stay your guests will have.
Tips for a Smooth Running Vacation Kitchen
Place often used items in obvious spots. Keep washcloths near the sink. Consider keeping placemats and other table items (such as napkins, sugar bowl and salt and pepper) in a basket on the counter.
Because the kitchen can be a center for communication, keep a jar with pens and pencils nearby, as well as any important information needed by the visitors. Local emergency numbers, garbage pick-up days, recycling information and local tourist information are some things to keep in view. A blank notepad is handy for jotting down times and dates. The little details can help contribute to a satisfying stay.
We hope these tips help you prepare your kitchen for a rewarding and successful rental experience.