The multiplying factor
I am late writing today's column as it was my birthday weekend and what I wanted was a thanksgiving meal with all of my friends. This was the first year in this house and suddenly I was entertaining a large amount of people, vs. the small gatherings we've had so far. It brought to mind the multiplying factor of Masters. Your home, in which you usually make small meals for your family and have seating for YOUR family...will suddenly become a large gathering spot.
You need to begin thinking about seating, linens, and pots and pans. Do you have enough breakfast and dining room seating for the amount of bed spaces you are advertising? How can you rearrange your home to accommodate large groups of people? Do you need more plates, silverware, placemats? If you are advertising a home that sleeps ten, do you have serving ware for dinners of that size?
What about your seating around the television? Or around the pool or outdoor areas? If you are renting, your spaces and places need to match the advertised amount of sleeping spaces.
My "Birthday Thanksgiving" celebration cued me in that I need to have a larger fold out table and two very long table cloths to allow for a large amount of people to be seated at the same table. I also need to add in some pieces to my formal dinnerware for larger gatherings. I need some easy care napkins and placemats for the dining area...wash and reuse linens that don't require ironing.
Do you have serving platters, large bowls, water pitchers? All of those items will be used if renters will be eating at your home. And what about coffee pots? A Keurig will never accommodate 8 people running out the door during the same five minute period. We have two pots, two carafes and a Keurig. That way the person making coffee can make a slew of it while fixing breakfast. We also supply take out coffee cups for the trip to the course. The smallest details, such as ample amounts of beach towels around a pool or spa, can create an experience that makes a renter want to return to the same space. (My housekeeper noted that rainy weeks at the course mean that the visitors come back and get in the hot tub, sometimes twice a day, and often shower afterwards, meaning that plenty of towels are being used during rain
As January comes to a close, it is the last of the "meandering days". February will arrive and require those renting to go into full swing preparation mode. So walk your house. Think about the ways in which it will be used differently, and perhaps in a larger way than your family uses it. And then make a list of what needs to be added in to accommodate the multiplying factor of Masters. Happy prepping!
Laurie Easterlin is a realtor with Keller Williams (LaurieErealty.com), a home stager and professional Masters preparation specialist. To learn more about her services, please visit: Staged2aTee.com
