perfect rentals


Renting: the keys to success


The people who rent today’s top-end villas are a demanding bunch. Arabella Youens finds out what it takes to keep them happy and maximise the attractiveness of your villa


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LTHOUGH the holiday-home market in Europe looks set for a buoyant summer, these days, according to Knight


Frank’s international department, buyers want to know about running costs before committing to a purchase. One of the obvious ways of meeting these is to sign the property up with a reputable high-end rental company to maximise income when the family isn’t there. However, it’s no longer just that simple, explains Carolina de Capell Brooke of CV Villas: ‘Our web- literate and service-orientated renters now expect to find the comforts of home to be included as standard when they go abroad and are willing to pay for quality and facilities.’ According to Katherine Rose, who


looks after the Mediterranean offer- ing at villa specialists Scott Dunn (www.scottdunn.com): ‘It’s not worth cutting any corners as the property will receive high wear and tear when being rented out.’ She names practical items such as a larger than recom- mended water tank—‘there’s nothing worse than running out of hot water, or water full stop—as well as spacious showers with good water pressure, satellite TV with UK channels and a good Wi-Fi network throughout the house. She adds: ‘Make sure you test run the


house, which includes everyone taking a shower at the same time, as well as running the dishwasher, oven, air conditioning and washing machine to see how the house copes. Then, modify accordingly to try and elimi- nate any potential problems.’ David Rogers, managing director


of Rocksure (www.rocksure.com)— a shared-equity ownership scheme in which investors put money into in funds owning high-end holiday homes around the world—knows a thing or two about providing for today’s high-end leisure clientele. ‘Our clients are both investing and staying for leisure in our portfolios of luxury properties,


The Italian brand Frette makes some of the best sheets on the market (www. frette.com), but, failing that, go for a high thread-count linen (at least 200 thread count, recommends Katherine).


The bathrooms ‘Clean, chrome and neutral colour schemes really make a villa and encourage guests to return time and again,’ believes Carolina. Copy the trend set by boutique hotels and, where possible, install a claw-footed bath in a bedroom—especially if this sets off a fantastic view. Gilchrist & Soames (http://uk.gilchristsoames. com) is the toiletries brand that Rock- sure uses throughout its portfolio.


so it’s imperative that our residences are of a calibre that anticipates, meets and exceeds high-net-worth individ- uals’ expectations.’


The kitchen Even if you supply a cook with the villa, it’s unlikely that all meals will be prepared, so make sure your kitchen is well equipped with all the ‘mod cons’, says Carolina. Go for crockery, cutlery and glassware that’s easily replaceable. ‘Be wary of local china which can chip easily and look tatty,’ says Katherine. ‘And make sure break- ages are replaced immediately: finding only two Champagne flutes in the cupboard when there are eight adults in the party is very annoying.’ A Nes- presso coffee machine or an electric bean-to-cup machine are essential.


The interior design The days of heavy interior decor are over, says Carolina. ‘Neutral interiors with unique decorative touches give a fresh, modern look of informal ele- gance. Plus it’s much easier to live with light colour schemes in which you can inject colour and interest with objects—especially in hot countries.’


The bedrooms Zip-and-link beds are ideal as they allow the guests to make up the bed- rooms as a twin or a double. Never buy anything smaller than a king size.


46 Country Life International, Summer 2015


Today’s clients want light, modern kitchens, such as this one at Reschio, Umbria, available through CV Villas (www.cvvillas. com)


The technology High-speed internet connection with Wi-Fi is, these days at this level, ‘a given’. Rocksure installs widescreen Smart TVs with English-speaking channels as well as Blu-ray or DVD players. ‘All our sound systems have MP3 con- nectivity and we also provide an all-in-one touchscreen PC, printer and scanner as we’re aware that, more often than not, guests may need to conduct business while in our properties,’ explains David. Ensure that all the main rooms have an iPod dock. Rocksure also recommends installing a number of universal plug sockets to help charge mobile phones and laptops.


The outside ‘Outside living is just as important as the inside,’ say Katherine, ‘so this needs to be carefully planned out, too.’ CV Villas believes getting the soft fur- nishings right outside is almost as important as inside as renting villas is ‘all about outside living’. Emu (www. emu.it) is a good source of all-weather terrace and pool furniture and finish- ings. Ideally, install a summer kitchen with a fridge and a gas or coal bar- beque as well as a preparation area.


The pool ‘We make sure that all our pools are heated to keep everyone happy and also make the season last a bit longer,’ says David. ‘This is a good option for cooler months,’ adds Carolina, ‘when a lot of guests like to travel as resorts and beaches are quieter. Don’t forget you can usually pass on the cost of the heating to the guests.’ Gated pools or those with retractable hard covers are very popular with those with young children.


www.countrylife.co.uk/international


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