House Manual

• Make it attractive! Professional design and printing aren’t required for most properties, but definitely print on high-quality paper, in color, and put the pages in a nice binder. If it looks good, your guests are more likely to interact with it. Look for a template on Canva or other similar websites as a starting place.
• Stage it: near the front door or on a kitchen counter. Consider putting it next to a bottle of wine, some chocolate, or a bouquet of flowers.
• FAQ’s live in the house manual. If you consistently get questions from your guests about how to figure out your complicated toaster, consider adding a toaster how-to to the manual. If it’s a new property and you haven’t hosted guests yet, ask some friends and family to stay in exchange for feedback and to anticipate your future guests’ needs and potential questions.
• Check-in and check-out procedures: Explain the process for guests to check in and out of the property, including any specific instructions or procedures that they need to follow.
• House rules: Outline any rules that guests need to follow during their stay, such as no smoking or pets allowed, noise restrictions, and guidelines for using amenities like the pool or hot tub.
• Contact information: Provide contact information for yourself or a caretaker/housekeeper in case guests have any questions or issues during their stay.
• Emergency procedures: Detail what guests should do in the event of an emergency, such as a fire or medical emergency, and provide contact information for local emergency services.
• Amenities: List all of the amenities available at the property, including any equipment or appliances that guests can use during their stay. Explain how to use any specialized equipment, like a grill/smoker or hot tub.
• Local attractions: Offer recommendations for nearby restaurants, shopping centers, and tourist attractions, including directions and hours of operation. Sharing your favorite spots and some hidden local gems can really improve guest experience! In Colorado we have gotten a lot of good feedback for providing maps to a few local hikes for people of various skill levels.
• Internet access: The first thing your guests will want, maybe other than entry instructions, is the wifi network and password so it’s a good idea to have it near the entry on a small easy-to-see sign.
• Parking: Describe where guests should park their vehicles and any rules or restrictions that apply to parking.
• Check-out procedures: Provide clear instructions for guests to follow when checking out, including any requirements for leaving keys or remotes behind, or taking out the trash.

By including all of these details in your house manual, you can help ensure that guests have a comfortable and enjoyable stay!