Managing a Renovation from Afar

Tips and tricks we used in managing our vacation rental renovation from 2+ hours away.

Last fall, a business partner and I closed on a property that we've been working on as a vacation rental. We are six months in, so I thought it might be time to update!

The big news is - our interior renovation is DONE! Our biggest initial hurdle was finding affordable, knowledgeable help and navigating some complex renovation challenges; so we didn't really start the renovation for about 6 weeks. The scope of the reno included finishing up and fixing the unfinished work the previous owners started plus adding built-in bunks and fireplace. That was the "easy" stuff - the primary work was turning a 700 sqft empty "artist loft" into a master suite with spa bath, coffee bar and all - including addressing heating, cooling, plumbing, electric - the whole thing. It's, well - spectacular. Heck, it is a spectacular space to start with (listing photo of the artist loft below!) Here are a few things I thought I'd share in case you are considering embarking on a similar journey.

You can run a renovation from afar - sorta. Honestly, you have to plan on being on the ground a lot if you don't have an established, trusted team. My partner ran the renovation, but with both of us living 2/3 hours away it's been a logistical undertaking and a lot of mileage. We certainly had crews on site when we weren't, but we had to be there to get them started and to do quality control. Sure, my partner was the general contractor and a good general contractor can handle this for you but you still need eye's on the property with regularity to ensure all goes according to plan and budget. Photo and video evidence helps, but nothing provides quality control like the vested interest of the owner with eyes on the property and regular engagement with those doing the work. My partner was there 2, sometimes 3 days a week most weeks.

Never assume it was done right previously. Oh, we had so many items that seemed simple - or already done, that weren't. Some of my favorites include the upside-down shower enclosure the previous folks had put in wonky, the missing waterline to the existing dishwasher, the lack of electricity to the septic pump (which presumably had to be there at some point?), and the shower plumbing installed in an exterior wall (in Michigan! Can you say freezing pipes?!).

Just pay someone to assemble furniture. I'm trying to fit it all in and happily shopping the online shops at 10 pm from bed, delighted that boxes are delivered to the door and congratulating myself on time saved. And then ... you have to unbox it and put it together and you have Mount Cardboard and its twin peak Mount Styrofoam to deal with, and 100 pieces to screw together and more hours than you have time just assembling furniture. Shop the local furniture shops - they'll deliver, assemble and haul trash. Find someone for a few bucks an hour to put together those other pieces that require it. And thrift if that's your thing. I love to - it's already put together, adds character, and its fun to find unique pieces. A bonus of thrifting is financial savings over buying new! My time is worth alot and it's limited; I'm not spending it assembling furniture when there are lots of people happy to step in for a few bucks cash and a few hours of their time. My limited time is better spent on the other stuff that needs my input and/or effort - and lets face it, the local shops need our business more than those online places!

Go white. Okay, I'm crowing a bit on this one! My partner wouldn't have gone super light on the walls and was a bit concerned - they ARE pretty much white (Benjamin Moore Calm OC-22). I recently learned the interior design 60/30/10 rule for color - 60% white, 30% neutral tones, 10% pop of color. The standard would be white walls, wood or neutral floors and majority of furnishings, and an accent wall or furniture piece that really pops. I intuitively did this (paint was already done!) in the space although note I have some trepidation as I lack some confidence in the design end of things. But, I tried hard to give the space it's due and took the job seriously. So far, the result looks amazing - but the validation from a professional was nice, and now I have this guideline to help me with future projects!

Spend time in the space. If you are an interior designer who has designed a lot of residential spaces, then you have the skills, training, and experience to confidently design and layout a space that works. For the rest of us, take time to be thoughtful about the layout and - if doing a reno, the design. How will someone else use the space? Where will they put luggage? If they sit in that chair, is there a spot to put their coffee cup? Is lighting good? Will they be hitting their shin all the time on the coffee table? Is it awkward to have the couch cutting the room in half, or is does the flow work?

The layout of our new owner's suite took a few tries on paper plus walking the space and simply being in it and envisioning it furnished and in use to finally come up with a design that felt "right" - i.e., it flowed well for the occupants and took advantage of the existing space. We had lots of options for how and where to put the new bathroom, but lots of columns in the space to have to work with. The great room had challenges for furniture layout and that took some time as well - and a lot of scrolling through online images of great rooms. I held off on a couple of purchases while waiting to see the room with some of the pieces in before deciding what was "right"; other people painters tape the dimensions on the floor which is a good idea. We had the benefit of time, for sure, and in the end, our guests will have a space that flows well and suits the use of the space. Will it work for everyone? Maybe not, but that's not the point. The charm of privately owned vacation rentals is actually in the fact that it reflects the owner, and your care and attention will reap rewards!

Balance is key. Most of us are vacation rental owners for fun; we do something else to pay the bills. You can definitely have a lucrative vacation rental business, or just rent for the purpose of offsetting the cost of vacation rental ownership while primarily enjoying the space yourself. But the point is not to overwhelm yourself - and also to warn you that the initial setup can be a lot of work! Ultimately, we could have been done sooner but the reality was we had time - we bought in the Fall and had months before "high season", and we have lives. The project got the attention it needed, and we balanced our other obligations and lives. Sometimes I would take the kids for a weekend, they helped assemble furniture (sometimes! With bribery!) and we'd spend a couple of hours enjoying the area on a break. I got to know the thrift stores in the area and had a couple "kidless" stays that were productive - and rejuvenating! That said, it's one season of ownership that doesn't last. Once its set up - its done. Crack open a cold one, plop on that couch and enjoy your beautiful new home.

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Hi, I'm Kate. I'm an ex-healthcare executive turned full time vacation rental maven, allowing me more time to be Mom, invest in myself, and lean into a lifestyle shift for our family while growing our wealth exponentially. I started The CEO Host as a way not only to share my journey and acquired knowledge, but also to work with others to help them find similar results - and honestly, its super fun to hang out with people as interested in short-term rental investing as I am! Join me on Facebook or check out what we're up to at The CEO Host - and happy investing!

Categories: : short-term rental investing, vacation rental investing, renovating, remote managing