Getting your holiday home ready for the busy season!

Spring has finally sprung, so it’s the perfect time for spring cleaning and a fresh start in your holiday let.

Push your windows open wide, allow the fresh air, and spring sunshine to reach through the place, breathing life into all the corners of your holiday home. Take a look at our checklist below for your spring cleaning routine.

Tidy terraces, greener gardens, perfect patios.

After the harsh winter weather, holiday home gardens and outdoor spaces often need some TLC to get back up to scratch. Give your patio a good sweep and a power wash, clean down your garden furniture, and plant a few fresh flowers.

Clear out any dead plants in hanging baskets, trim the hedge and mow the lawn. If your garden has a decked area, now is a good time to clean and re-paint this if needed. Hot tubs will need a clean and service, clearing out leaves and debris.

The holiday home looks really welcoming when everything on the outside is spick and span.

Swinside Lodge, Keswick

Clean and fresh

Spring cleaning your holiday home means the entire inside of your property is looking sparkly new. Check paintwork for marks & scuffs, topping up where necessary. Dust and wipe round all skirting boards (even those behind furniture) and remove all cobwebs from window frames and hard-to-reach places such as ceiling beams. Windows need a good clean inside and out too, checking for any signs of leaks along the way. Springtime is also the ideal opportunity to steam clean your carpets and soft furnishings, especially in pet-friendly properties!

Oversands Cottage, Grange over Sands

Sweep the chimney

If your property has a fireplace, check with your local chimney sweep to ensure all is clean and clear after winter usage of the fire. You could also re-stock your firewood supply – guests still enjoy the novelty of a real fire even during the spring months.

Timley Knott, Coniston

Inventory check

As part of your spring cleaning, make sure to check your inventory and replace any chipped or missing pieces of glassware or crockery. You could also purchase a few extra pieces to take you over the busy summer period – we recommend simple white crockery and classic glassware, as it’s the easiest to replace if something does get broken.

Raybarrow, Windermere

Light up your place

Go round each room in the property and check all the lights and lamps are working. Replace any bulbs that need it and replenish your stock of spare bulbs for guests to use if necessary. Check your outside lights or any decorative fairy-lights are working as guests enjoy these when the nights are getting longer.

Goody Raise, Grasmere

Sofas, beds and cushions

Sofa cushions, armchairs, and pillows – make sure they’re all plump and cosy, replacing anything looking a bit worse for wear. Also, inspect your bedding and mattresses to check for quality and ‘bounceback’. If your property is pet-friendly and supplies dog beds, you could consider replacing these if they’re starting to look tired.

Brow Wood Cabin, Ullswater

Alarms and safety

You must make sure your electrical items are all in order. Replace the batteries in your smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors, testing them afterward to ensure they’re fully functional. If you have security alarms on your property or electric gates,  check these are still in good working order.

Renew your certificates

Insurance policies, gas safety certificates, and fire risk assessments all need to be renewed annually. Spring cleaning is a great opportunity for you to go through your paperwork and check expiry dates. You could also check that you don’t need to update anything such as your personal details, otherwise, your policies could become invalid.

Tourist information, and user manuals.

In recent years we’ve not had welcome folders due to covid.  Now they are back in your holiday property, check the information in your welcome folder is up-to-date and correct. Remove any outdated leaflets or discount vouchers, and top up with brand new ones for the upcoming season.   You should also ensure any user manuals are renewed if you replace your appliances, for example if you get a new TV.