When the busy season comes to an end, it's time to take care of any maintenance issues, site updates and admin so that you can run right through the high season as smoothly as possible. Taking a moment to get those little jobs done now can save you a lot of stress, bad feedback and lost revenue as the year goes on. Here are some things you might like to consider:

Inside your space/(s)

• Do you need new bedding or towels? It might be time to recycle any frayed towels and stained bedlinen. Check your pillows, duvets and mattresses too. If you haven’t already, invest in protectors. They can save you time and money in the long run
• How is the crockery looking, does anything need replacing or stocking up? Do you have enough for all the guests? We’d recommend having at least 2 items per person, or at least have another set you keep in storage for when extra guests are booked
• Games, puzzles and playing cards – Go through and check you have a full set.
• Schedule a deep clean – pull all the furniture out, tackle the oven and grab the ladder to reach those high-up cobwebs. Cleanliness is one of our top reasons for bad feedback, so be proactive.
• Recycling and rubbish – create and/or clearly signpost your own compost bin and recycling points

Outside your space/(s)

• Check your decking, pathways to make sure they're clean and clear
• What state is your outdoor furniture in? Could it do with a varnish? Do you have somewhere to store it? Invest in weatherproof covers
• Make sure the outdoor lighting is working
• View and privacy - maybe do some planting if needed (and tell us about it)
• Ensure firepits & BBQs are ready for use

Weather prep

• Cold weather – Stock up on extra blankets, hot water bottles and electric radiators or alternative heat sources. Be generous with the wood (good quality kiln dried/aged logs) and replenish fire lighters, kindling and matches
• Hot weather – try and provide outdoor shade and consider leaving guests tips for the space (windows and doors open, or close the space up and draw the curtains?). Give clear directions to the nearest wild swimming spot, beach, coastal walk etc
• Wet weather - weatherproof?the guest experience by providing somewhere to cook and wash up that is covered and comfortable. Provide a covered hanging space for waterproofs/coats, and enough wet weather entertainment - games, puzzles and books, suggestions for rainy days (cosy pubs, farm shops, gin tasting etc)
• If things are particularly wet, flooded, snowy or cold our advice is to keep guests informed and help make good decisions as to what they pack and what to expect when they arrive.

Test & learn

• Block out a night or two to stay in the space yourself – sleep, cook and spend time there. Test everything – the toaster, the BBQ and the outdoor lights. It’s hard to be subjective about it so try taking a step back or ask friends for some honest feedback. You might have included a full baking set, but forgotten a colander!
• If you find yourself in the lucky position of expecting to be fully booked, book in some time off (a few days midweek) for maintenance. Guests will carry the same expectations, whatever time of year, so you'll need to keep standards high

This article on ensuring great feedback has a good checklist to use to ensure you’ve covered everything.

Health & Safety

You should always check that smoke alarms, wood burners and first aid kits in the space are working and up to date. For a more in-depth look at health and safety requirements, read our Health & Safety Tips article.

Feedback

We share all your feedback with you as it comes in. Take time to read through the suggestions and niggly bits. If there's anything that keeps cropping up, it's probably worth addressing. Speak to your Account manager if you’d like us to send you a full feedback report.

Guest information

• Pre-arrival email - Get in touch to remind guests what is provided and what is not, and if they need to bring wellies, warm clothes, torches, flip flops or any other particular thing. It can be handy, if you have time, to include changes to the site/facilities, local events, roadworks, building works and anything else that might affect their stay. Your contact details?will have been passed on to guests, but make sure you know which phone they are likely to call if they’re running late and that someone will be on hand to answer. Consider sending a welcome text message on the day they’re due to arrive so that guests have your number on their phone and feel more comfortable getting in touch.
• Directions - Clear, accurate directions and signage that work both during the day and at night make a really important first impression. If guests find you easily, it gets their stay off to a good start. People tend to rely on Google maps, so check that your postcode sends people to the right place and that instructions on the?Getting There?tab, whether for the whole journey or those vital last few turns, are easy to follow. Have a think about the approach to your place, parking and anything else that can make arrival smooth and simple.
• Welcome pack - Do you have a welcome book/info pack? Does it need updating? Ensure it covers things like how to light the wood-burner, hot tub etc. Include timing estimates too, to avoid disappointment. Put in any FAQs, recommendations on your favourite walking routes, pubs, markets, local producers, and anything else you think guests might be interested in. It can help to put your number in the footer of every page, to encourage guests to contact you if they’re not sure on anything, although it should already be in your pre-arrival email.

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Listing

Take half an hour and read through your listing(s). Has anything changed? Are we meeting and/or managing guests’ expectations? If you’re not sure whether to tell guests about the bumpy track to the cabin, or the noisy cattle who frequent the field next door, err on the side of caution, email us and we’ll add it in. You can send any page updates to owners@canopyandstars.co.uk.

Calendars & Calendar sync

Whether you manually update your C&S calendar or use calendar sync, it’s a good idea to check your bookings and availability every now and again so we don’t risk a double booking and save you any surprise arrivals.

• Check your availability
• Check your booked dates

You can access your calendar(s) via the owner area, review all your confirmed 2023 bookings and download our calendar sync guide. If you’re not sure about anything you find in the admin area, please contact us.

We hope you've found some of this useful and if you want to talk to the Owners Team about anything in this article or other advice, please email owners@canopyandstars.co.uk and we'll arrange to call you.