enjoy your vacation Archives

The Very First Look at Your Vacation Rental Home

August 20th, 2020 | By Moxie Girl Team

Most of us have heard the phrase “you never get a second chance to make a first impression” – and it certainly holds true in the case of your vacation rental home! Imagine booking a vacation rental because it looked so cute (and cared-for!) in the photos you saw online, but arriving to find a broken gate, an overgrown lawn, and a dusty doorstep?

First impressions set the tone for your guest’s entire visit. Because your guests have viewed your vacation rental home at it’s best – thanks to the professionally-staged photos you posted – they’ve already set those images as a “standard” for your property, and therefore, the quality of their stay.. Bursting that image bubble before the guest is even inside your vacation rental is just asking for trouble.

Creating a Welcoming First Impression

As the owner of a vacation rental home, it’s up to you to create a first impression that will immediately assure your guests they’ve made a great choice in selecting YOUR vacation rental as their home-away-from-home.

Many factors can affect a guest’s first impression of your vacation rental home. Put yourself in your guest’s place…Pull up your vacation rental home as though you are seeing it for the first time. If YOU were paying to stay here, what would YOU think?

Exterior Basics

Faded or chipped exterior paint and/or busted stucco immediately takes your vacation rental homes to curb appeal down a notch – and possibly several, depending on what surrounding properties look like. If it’s been a few years since your vacation rental has enjoyed a new coat of paint, it may be time to consider an update.

Beyond the paint, do a thorough inspection of your vacation rental home windows, exterior doors, and light fixtures! “Broken” not only looks terrible but can also pose potential safety and security issues for you and your guests. Repairing these types of items should be number one on your to-do list!

Plants and Landscaping

No matter what the style of your vacation rental homes landscaping – indigenous desert or green and grassy – all plant life on your property should be healthy and well-maintained. The appearance of a brown lawn and dead plants can easily become the focal point of an otherwise beautiful vacation rental.

Overgrown landscaping – especially certain trees – can lead to safety issues for guests, as well as the potential for property damage during one of our famous Phoenix monsoon storms. Hiring a professional landscaper to routinely care for your vacation rental home will keep your property looking its best!

Everything In Its Place

While completely necessary of course, trash and recycling bins do you no favors in the area of great first impressions. If the bins at your vacation rental must be rolled out to the street for pick-up, be aware of the service schedule! Not only would you not want to be stuck with your trash “until next time” you’ll want to get those bins back to where they belong as soon as possible after service has occurred. Bins left on the street – even overnight – can definitely make your property look as though no one’s home.

Take a walk around the front of your vacation rental home and look for any non-decorative items that your guests wouldn’t – or at least shouldn’t – need during their stay. Tools and other implements should be put away, out of the guest’s view – for aesthetic and safety reasons! Even an unfurled garden hose on or near a walkway offers a potential hazard.

Please Come In!

Now that your guests are finally at the door, don’t let them down! The entry to your vacation rental home should be every bit as welcoming as everything they’ve just walked past. Make sure the entryway door (and handle or knob) is clean and free of cobwebs. Spiders work quickly, so check often! An attractive doormat as well as a pot of two colorful flowers at the entry to your vacation rental can really make a guest feel at home.

All vacation rental home guests appreciate secure – yet convenient – access to the property. Make sure your guests are provided with proper keys and/or entry codes they’ll need. Struggling just to get in the door – especially if it’s 100 degrees outside – will not please your guests. In fact, that issue alone may negate the rest of that first impression you’ve worked so hard to create!

As a famous motel chain once said, “we’ll leave the light on for you.” Leaving a light on for your vacation rental guests makes sense, too! A well-lit property is just naturally more secure, and guests arriving after dark should be able to safely and easily enter the home.

Happy Neighbors

As the owner of a vacation rental home, the last thing you want is complaints from the neighbors. Keeping your property looking its best at all times will let your neighbors know that you not only value your investment but that you value theirs, too!

Moxie Girl is Here to Help!

Moxie Girl is the Valley’s vacation rental specialist! Whether you’re a vacation rental homeowner or a potential guest, we can help! Check out our other blogs for tips on operating a successful vacation rental home – or choosing one for a stay!

Tempe Town Lake Attractions During Your Vacation Rental Stay

June 18th, 2020 | By Moxie Girl Team

Fun Facts about Tempe

I first moved to Arizona in July after I left Illinois, I was amazed on how pretty Arizona actually was, from the different cacti, flowers, always having mountains in the distance, and most importantly the sunsets every night are my favorite things to watch. Even though these things are important to locals, I’ve never experienced them so it was such an amazing new experience. Tempe is a city that borders Phoenix but there aren’t any actual borders that go from city to city. Once you hop on the 101 you can easily end up in another city without realizing it. The Arizona Route 101 or “loop 101” is a semi- beltway that connects much of the Phoenix Metropolitan area. It connects all of Phoenix suburbs including, Scottsdale, Mesa, Chandler, Tempe, and even extends into the West Valley including Glendale and Peoria. Loop 101 also connects with all major freeways including U.S. 60, SR 51, Interstate 17, and Interstate 10.

Tempe is also known for its youthful college town. Arizona State University is one of the largest public college universities in the United States. If you plan your visit during any ASU’s football season, you could spend the day catching a game at the Sun Devils football stadium. Another time to visit Tempe to see something that you normally wouldn’t see is the “Lantern Walk” during homecoming week. The Lantern Walk is one of the oldest traditions at ASU, and it one of the most cherished. Everyone who is associated with ASU walks through campus and follows a path up to “A” mountain to “light up” Tempe. The night is accumulated with a firework display. So having little one’s firework show is always a way to entertain them. “A” mountain which was also mentioned above also has a little bit of history behind it. There was a letter “A” installed on the slope of its south face that is visible from campus. The original “A” was destroyed but the vandals were never caught but many speculate it was their rivals from (University of Arizona.) “Whitewashing” the “A” is a tradition in which incoming freshmen paint the letter white during orientation week and is repainted gold right before the first football game of the season. “A” mountain is a perfect hike to do right before sunset. It is one of the most accessible hikes in downtown.

Tempe Town Lake

Arizona is a desert state, so finding bodies of water is very unlikely. Tempe Town Lake is located right in the heart of the city of Tempe. Tempe Town Lake is located on the northwest corner of Mill Ave, and Rio Salado Parkway. This two-mile-long lake is so much more than just something nice to look at when driving on loop 202. Tempe Lake attracts so many tourists throughout the year being the perfect spot to enjoy outdoor activities and experience tons of fun while doing it. Some of the activities include stand up paddleboarding, kayaking in which you can rent single or double kayaks, and even an electric boat that can seat up to 12 people and comes equipped with a radio and a dining table so you can enjoy your whole day on the lake with some awesome views. With Covid-19 going on right now, the rentals are only 1 person per kayak to continue to obey the CCD guidelines of being 6ft apart when out in public. If you are more of a land person, there are plenty of activities for you to do also. Land activities include walking, biking, or running along the 5-mile pathway that stretches along the lakeside.

Vacation Rentals in Tempe

Moxie Girl cleans vacation rentals all around the west valley, east valley, and central Phoenix area. Moxie Girl is very cautious when going into different vacation rentals during Covid-19. We wear masks, and gloves and use a super-powerful Isopropyl based disinfectant to ensure that your vacation rental is clean and ready upon your arrival. If any of these fun activities seem like something your family or just yourself would like to do, then book a vacation rental today. You can book directly from Moxie Girl or STRM to schedule your booking.

If you own a vacation rental already and would like to be stress-free about keeping it up to date, you can also contact Moxie Girl or STRM for a FREE CONSULTATION TODAY.

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