Make your family guests feel reassured by confirming that your holiday rental property is completely child-friendly. Bookalet have created a helpful guide on what to check, but remember that every property is unique and will each have individual risks. Here are some of the most common;
Put Harmful Products Up High, e.g. Cleaning Products
Especially if you aren’t used to having children around, this can be easily forgotten. Make sure that all cleaning supplies or other products which could include harmful chemicals are put away in a cupboard up high with a childlock.
Offer Optional Stair Gates, Bed Rails and Changing Table
A lot of family-friendly properties won’t bother, but a way to make your property extra memorable and show your guests that you really do care is to provide optional extras. This could include;
- Stair gates (even if your property doesn’t have multiple levels – these are handy for having a door open on a sunny day)
- Bed rails, especially important for bunkbeds
- A changing table
- A highchair
Cover Sharp Corners
Accidents happen, especially with sharp corners! You can buy corner covers for next to nothing and they make a big difference in reassuring your parent guests that you have made effort to ensure your property is as safe as possible. They don’t have to look ugly – most are transparent and most guests won’t even notice.
Make Sure Kitchen Drawers are child-proof
Add child-locks to any drawers that may hold dangerous objects; e.g. kitchen utensils. These can be an optional extra on booking if you’d rather not have them for all guests.
Put Delicate or Sharp Objects up High
Objects like glass photo frames or decative pottery may not seem like a hazard, but if knocked and broken they can be extremely dangerous to young children. Consider putting these objects on high shelves.
Include an ‘Incase You Forgot It’ Box
Travelling with children can be really stressful, so chances of forgetting something important is quite high! A nice extra is to have an ‘incase you forgot it’ basket. Supply babywipes, a couple of nappies, childrens shampoo, a kids toothbrush (new and in packaging!). These extra touches will make a big impact on your guests, even if it just puts a smile on their faces.
Cover the Pool, Seperate the Pond
If your property has a pool; make sure it has a cover! Kids can be curious which can end in accidents, and although it’s more than likely the parents will be extra careful, it makes their lives easier if the pool has a cover on when it’s not in use. The same goes for if you have a pond or lake, but of course it isn’t as easy as putting a cover on! Make sure that your guests know about the water and include warning signs. If possible, add a gate.
Add a Nightlight and Some Stories
In the room most likely to have children sleeping in it, add a bedside light and a selection of childrens story books. If the children are struggling with getting to sleep in an unfamilier setting, having this home comfort will be appreciated.
Add a Toy Box
If you are really marketing your property to family holidays, add a toy box. You don’t have to spend a fortune, just a trip to the local charity shop to pick up some second hand toys will do. Make sure you give them a good clean and put them in the childrens room as a fun suprise.
Of course, there are many other precautions that could be taken to make your property more family friendly, however we believe these are an ideal place to start. Family guests will be really impressed, and a lot of these ideas can be taken away if your booking is adult-only.
At Bookalet, we want to help you to not only get plenty of bookings, but also help you to market your listings towards your ideal guests. Visit our blog page for more advice and inspiration!
