Why you should do a “trial run” of your Midterm rental before guests arrive
Written by: Rene
This past weekend, I had some friends coming into town for an event. These are amazing friends who I can always trust to give me their honest opinion, so I asked them to do me a favor: stay in my newly renovated midterm rental.
Of course, I was excited to see them, but I was also excited to get some real feedback on the property.
As you know, I love a good checklist. (You can download my favorite one here) However, there’s a difference between checking off everything a rental should have and actually living in the space. Even a brand-new renovation is going to have its quirks, and there are some things you just can’t catch until someone actually stays there.
Over the weekend, my friends noticed a few small things: one floorboard was starting to pop up because of a tiny pocket in the concrete leveling underneath, there were ants sneaking in through a small gap around one window, and the hallway had more of an echo than I realized.
Nothing major, but all things I wanted to address before welcoming a paying guest.
Thankfully, my contractor came back out, added filler beneath the floorboard to support it, and redid the weatherproofing around the window. I also ordered a few hallway rugs to help absorb some of the sound.
I thought my trial run was over. Then, midweek, the air conditioning at my own house broke. If you live in the South, you know that is not a minor inconvenience in August. At 8:30 at night, I was trying to put my son to bed and it was 84 degrees inside. Even with the fans on full blast, we were both sweating. I quickly realized neither of us was going to get much sleep, so I threw some clothes in a bag, packed up the Pack ’n Play, and headed over to the rental. I talked about this more on my social media, you can watch it here.
Thankfully, the rental doesn’t have a guest yet, so it ended up being a lifesaver in the middle of a very hot night and an unexpected opportunity for me to test the property myself after making those adjustments.
And I have to say…I am a little jealous of the guests who get to stay there. It is NICE. More importantly, though, staying there reminded me that preparing a furnished rental isn’t just about completing a checklist. A checklist can make sure you remembered the towels, cookware, hangers, and mattress protectors. Actually living in the property helps you notice how it feels. You get an idea of the sounds, the comfort, the little inconveniences, and the things that make a space feel like home.
You can’t anticipate everything before your first guest arrives. What you can do is create opportunities to test the space, listen to feedback, and keep improving it. And sometimes, apparently, your broken air conditioner will volunteer you for the job.
I’m so glad you found your way to this little corner of the hosting world. Here’s to better Midterm rentals (and taking our midterm rentals for a trial run before guests arrive)
~Rene
P.S. If you haven’t already, follow my journey on Tiktok, Pinterest, and Instagram.
Or download my Free Midterm Rental Checklist here.