Managing your holiday home remotely: how to stay in control

Many owners do not live next to their holiday home. The property is on the coast, in the Westhoek or in the Ardennes, and they live an hour or more away. That need not be a problem. It does require good organisation.

If you manage remotely, you cannot just drop by when something goes wrong. So everything has to be arranged in a way that works without you. In this article, you will read which tools and arrangements you need for that.

A smart lock instead of keys

Keys are the first source of problems in remote management. They get lost, are not returned or have to be handed over at a fixed time. A smart lock solves that.

With a smart lock, every guest gets their own code, which is only valid during the stay. After departure, the code expires automatically. So you do not have to meet anyone and there are no keys to replace. Cleaners and tradespeople each get their own code, so you can see who was inside and when.

Choose a lock that also works during a power cut or with a flat battery. Check the batteries at a fixed moment. Provide a backup solution, such as a physical key with a local contact person.

Local contact persons

However well everything is arranged, sometimes someone needs to be on site. A guest who cannot get in, an alarm that goes off or a storm that causes damage. For those moments, you need a reliable contact person nearby.

That can be a neighbour, a friend or a professional partner. Make clear arrangements about what they do, when they can be reached and how they are paid. Give them an overview of the property: where the main water valve is, where the fuse box is and which tradespeople they can call.

A regular cleaning team

In remote management, the cleaning team is your eyes in the property. They see the property after every stay. So work with a regular team that knows the property and follows a fixed checklist.

Ask for photos of every room after each changeover. That way you can see remotely whether everything is ready for the next guest. Agree that damage, defects and supplies running low are reported immediately, with a photo. That way you hear about a problem before the guest notices it.

Also keep a fixed place in the property for spare parts and cleaning products. A locked cupboard with bulbs, batteries and extra linen saves the team a trip to the shop. Have that cupboard checked and topped up at every deep clean.

Regular tradespeople

A leaking tap or broken heating does not wait until you have time. Make sure you have a regular tradesperson nearby for the most important tasks: a plumber, an electrician, a heating engineer and someone for small jobs.

Agree in advance how they work. Can they get in by themselves with their own code? Up to what amount may they carry out repairs without calling first? How quickly do they come for an urgent problem? If you arrange that in advance, you do not lose precious time when something breaks down.

Sensors for water and temperature

Sensors warn you about problems you would otherwise only notice much later. A water sensor by the washing machine, the water heater or under the sink reports a leak immediately. A temperature sensor warns you if the heating fails and it gets too cold in winter. That way you prevent frozen pipes in an empty property.

Some owners also use a noise sensor, to spot parties or nuisance early. In that case, choose a sensor that only measures the sound level in decibels and does not record conversations. Mention it clearly in your listing and in the house rules. Platforms expect that openness. Cameras inside the property do not belong there. They intrude on guests' privacy.

A digital house manual

Guests have questions. How does the heating work? What is the wifi password? Where does the rubbish go? If you are not nearby, you want them to find those answers themselves.

A digital house manual helps with that. Put in everything guests need: arrival and departure, the lock, appliances, rubbish, parking, house rules and emergency numbers. Add short photos or videos for appliances that guests often use incorrectly. Send the link before arrival and also leave a paper version in the property.

A channel manager for the calendar

If you let through several platforms, your calendar must be correct everywhere. A booking through one platform must immediately block the others. Otherwise you risk double bookings, and those are even harder to resolve remotely.

A channel manager keeps calendars, prices and rules the same on every platform. It often also links with the smart lock and the cleaning schedule. That way every guest automatically gets a code and the team knows when there is a changeover.

Monthly check

Remote management only works with a fixed routine. Plan a moment every month to go through the most important things:

• the bookings and income of the past month;
• recent reviews and recurring comments from guests;
• reports from the cleaning team and outstanding repairs;
• batteries of the lock and sensors;
• supplies and linen;
• the calendar and prices for the coming months.

In addition, visit in person a few times a year. See the property through a guest's eyes. What stands out? What is worn? That way the property stays in good condition, even if you are not there every week.

Handing over management

At YourDomi, we work with smart locks with a code per stay, our own cleaning team with a photo check, regular tradespeople and a monthly statement per property. If you would like to know how that could work for your property, request a personal proposal.