Property360 - National Digital Magazine - 9 December 2022

WHILE hosting a friend or family member in your home can make for memorable moments, it can also be nerveracking, for you and your company, if you don’t have a guest room. No one likes feeling as if they’re intruding on your space or are a burden.

Fortunately, there are several ways you can make a guest feel comfortable, even if you don’t have a dedicated space for them to sleep. The key, according to home organising experts, is preparing for what they might need, so they don’t have to ask for much.

These tips will put your guest at ease and create a more seamless experience for everyone.

Find a way to create a separate space

Consider giving up your bedroom or a family member’s room to allow your guest to have a place where they can retreat and close the door.

You could sleep in a common area, or family members can double up in a room, suggests Robyn Reynolds, the owner of Organize2Harmonize and president of the Board of Certification for Professional Organizers.

If you can’t offer your bedroom, try enclosing a common space for your guest, especially if people have to pass through it to reach another room.

BY CHRISTINA STURDIVANT SANI

Reynolds recommends running a cord or rod between opposite walls and hanging a curtain on it to cordon off your sofa and give your guest privacy.

You could also purchase a free-standing divider that fans out, which is easier to put away when your guest leaves, says Naeemah Ford Goldson, the owner of Restore Order Professional Organizing and co-founder of the National Association of Black Professional Organizers. And add some fluffy pillows and clean, cosy blankets or throws to make the sofa more comfortable for sleeping.

Consider their background Take note of your guests’ cultural background and make them feel welcome by acknowledging any related needs and preferences.

“They may want to do Zoom church in their room before they come out in the morning, or they may not eat at the same time or eat the same foods that you eat,” says Lyndsey Dianne, a blogger and the owner of DianneDecor.com.

Put together a welcome basket Stock up on water bottles, your guest’s favourite snacks, a phone charger, a scented candle, comfy socks, earplugs and a sleep mask.

“Anything that would make it feel more homey,” says Reynolds. “It could be in some sort of basket or container – whatever it is that you may have around the house.”

Prepare toiletries and bedding

Gather toiletry items such as a towel, washcloth, soap, toothpaste, lotion and shampoo.

“I would put them out even if they’re not going to use them so that you don’t have to quiz them on a checklist of items that they’ve brought or haven’t brought,” says Dianne. This also alleviates the need for guests to ask for something they forgot.

If possible, make your guest’s bed before they arrive so they won’t have to wait for you to decide that the end of the day has come.

“Now you’re setting up the bedding, and they’re standing there watching you put fitted sheets on. It’s uncomfortable,” Dianne says.

Also, provide extra blankets in case they get cold in the middle of the night, Goldson says.

Make space for their clothes

Give guests somewhere to put their clothes so they’re not living out of their suitcase, whether it’s a few hangers in your bedroom closet or space in a dresser drawer.

No room to spare? Be resourceful.

“You may have a plastic bin that they could put their clothes in that would sit somewhere in the room where they’re staying,” says Reynolds.

Depending on the weather, you should also make space for outerwear so they aren’t “hanging on to their coat or bringing it back

to the bedroom” every time they enter the house, says Dianne.

Give them a house tour

When your guest arrives, take time to show them around. It doesn’t have to be every nook and cranny of the house, but at least cover the spots where they’ll spend the most time, including the sleeping area, bathroom and kitchen.

Post your wi-fi information on a card or sticky note, Dianne says, so guests can find it easily and when it’s convenient, “so they’re not walking in the house and you’re like: ‘Okay, here’s the wi-fi information,’ and they haven’t even put their bags down yet.”

Also provide a power strip with adequate free outlets for them to charge multiple items.

After the tour, “give them some privacy to unwind and get settled”, Dianne adds.

Feed them

If your guest is arriving late in the evening, set aside food for them.

“I would preorder takeout so that when they get back from the airport or wherever, it’s there and they don’t have (to say): ‘Hey, can we stop at McDonald’s on the way home?’ Let them know: ‘I ordered a bunch of stuff and you’re welcome to it.” says Dianne.

Take it a step further by stocking your kitchen with food and drinks they can consume during their stay.

“If they’re a Pepsi drinker but

you’re a Coke person, have a couple of cans of Pepsis to make them happy.

“If they’re vegetarian, have some options so they have something to snack on, even if they’re not going to make full meals,” says Reynolds.

Dianne suggests having at least six water bottles in the fridge.

“If there’s plenty, I don’t have that awkward, uncomfortable feeling about taking something.”

And leave disposable plates, cups and cutlery on the counter.

“If somebody wants to get something to eat, they can easily do that and not feel like: ‘Oh, well, I have to wash these dishes or put them in the dishwasher,’” says Dianne.

Respect their time

Your guest may have had a long journey or prefer to go to bed earlier than you do.

If you’re a night owl, consider shutting things down at a more reasonable hour “so they have time to unwind and they don’t feel like they have to stay up because the host is staying up,” says Goldson.

Have the same consideration in the morning.

“I never wake anybody up, ever,” says Dianne.

“You don’t know how they slept the night before. And if they’re out of town, odds are they either drove a ways, took a bus or took a flight.”

The good news: Post-pandemic short-term rentals are on the rise

automatically with every instance of letting out your property. This will cover you against personal liability and damage to your property caused by the tenant.

Happy festive season to all

THE AWFUL days of the pandemic are behind us and gobal short-term renting is again on the up. This means that more people than ever are earning money by letting out spare accommodation.

According to Airbnb, the typical South African host earns just over R26 000 – equivalent to approximately one month’s additional pay for the average income earner – by renting their space on the platform.

The November 2022 Airbnb survey also revealed how the rising cost of living has seen South African families look for more affordable accommodation on the site when considering their holidays.

Added to that, more people are considering hosting visitors to make money to supplement their income.

Almost 50% of respondents said the money they earned through hosting helped them stay in their home, 46% noted they used the extra money to pay for food and other items that have become more expensive, while one in 10 said it helped them avoid eviction or foreclosure.

Amid a rising cost-of-living crisis, earning much-needed income has never been more important.

The survey notes this is leading to a new wave of people considering hosting for the first time. In fact, new private rooms listings added to the platform in South Africa were up by more than 50% between Q3 2021 and Q3 2022.

The hotel industry has also been slowly but steadily recovering globally since 2021; data shows this trend continuing into the festive season of 2022.

FNB says the hotel sector’s income is clawing its way out of the lockdown dip but remains under significant pressure, albeit getting nearer to full recovery.

John Loos, the property sector strategist at FNB Commercial Property Finance, says surges in fuel prices earlier in 2022, as well as in overall inflation (driven mainly by fuel and food prices), along with rising interest rates and a slowing economy, have become a more recent source of financial pressure on business and consumers.

“This, in turn, may have constrained the pace of recovery in demand for tourism trips of both a holiday and business nature, albeit it not stopping the recovery entirely.

“I expect that ‘full recovery’ back to where real (inflationadjusted) hotel income reaches 2019 levels, may occur only well into 2023, at best.”

He says the December 2022 holiday season looks set to see an improvement on December 2021, “but may still be below the December 2019 level of occupancy rate and income, given the recent economic constraints”.

The State of Cape Town Central City Report 2021 – A year in review, published by the Cape Town Central City Improvement District (CCID), says this season will be strong and they are expecting a full recovery to 2019 levels by the end of 2024.

In KZN the closure of beaches due to sewerage problems may somewhat dampen the strong holiday return.

Estate agents, especially along Cape Town’s famed Atlantic seaboard are seeing a boom of short-term rentals which some say are expected

to reach, and possibly exceed, preCovid levels.

Two years of Covid travel bans and fears means there is pent-up demand for travel from the local and international market, that is if money is available for hardhit consumers.

For those wanting to rent out their home, there is time for the last-minute travellers to choose your property.

There are, however, risks involved, and property owners would do well to consider these before going ahead, say the experts.

Online comparison website Hippo.co.za says that while the extra money in your bank account every month is a definite plus, it’s important to have insurance to protect you financially from any eventuality.

There are at least three types of risks to consider insuring against if you are letting a property in the short-term:

1. Your liability for your lessee – if something happens to them on your property, you would potentially need to cover medical costs.

2. Damage to your property by the tenant.

3. Theft of your property, either by the tenant or by another party who perhaps gained entry because, for example, the visitor didn’t set the alarm properly.

Various insurers may exclude certain risks, so it’s important to inform your insurer that you intend letting out a property. Also, discuss what risks are covered and whether you can extend your cover.

As the largest short-term letting platform, Airbnb has a $1m Host Protection Insurance in place

There are also many other accommodation bookings sites you could list with, just be sure to carefully read the terms and conditions to find out what cover they offer.

In addition to insurance concerns, you should make sure you have adequate security measures in place – as much for the protection of your property as for the safety of the visitor. If the visitor is sharing your property, be sure to educate them properly in terms of safety precautions. Burglar bars, electric fences, garden beams and alarms are useful security features.

Safety features usually have the bonus of bringing down your insurance premiums, so be sure to list them with your insurer too, says Hippo.co.za Charnel Hattingh, the head of group marketing and communications for Fidelity ADT, says a staycation means you are visible and the home is not empty and thus could deter baddies.

Whether you are going away or staying home, she advises you to dedicate time to testing your alarm and other security systems.

“Don’t leave it until the last minute, as service providers are generally inundated with technical calls over the festive season. Book your call early to avoid your security systems letting you down.

“Your alarm can do its job only if it is functioning properly, so regular testing and servicing when required is very important.

“In fact, all security systems linked to your alarm, like electric fencing and outdoor beams, should be tested regularly. Their functioning is part of a reliable alarm system.”

WE WANT to wish our loyal readers and clients a happy, safe and wonderful festive season. Thank you for all your support this year.

Our 45 weekly digital magazines this year reached over 1.4 million unique readers and our online content over 4 million. Our national print pages continue to be well read, something we are proud of as we strive to produce content that talks to all readers facing everyday struggles and aspiring for a better life.

We will be back with your favourite property mag in January. In the meantime, you can catch all the property news at iol.co.za/property, where our writers and editor will be keeping you up to date daily throughout the festive season.

Warm regards Vivian Warby, Bonny Fourie and the entire property team

DISCLAIMER:

And it’s an opportunity to earn an extra income by letting out your home, but be sure to heed experts’ advice first

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