Holiday homes, baches, apartments and sleepouts – Monique from our Whitianga Bedpost knows a thing or two about finding the right bed to suit homes most used during New Zealand’s warmer summer months.
“We get calls from people who have apartments that they rent out and so need something from mid to top range right through to people who want a bed for a basic bach or sleepout or even just the garage or sleepout because they’ve got people staying over Christmas,” she says.
And, obviously, when you’ve got such a broad range of customers you learn the golden rules about how to buy the best bed for your summer accommodation. So here’s Monique’s checklist:
1. People who have an apartment in which the family only stays three or four weeks over summer each year – and maybe a few times over the rest of the year – still need quality kingsize, queensize or split king beds because nobody wants that holiday time blighted by poor sleep.
2. Those who just want the beds for sleepouts and baches during the peak season usually end up replacing them every year or two because, especially in a popular area like Whitianga, they get a good deal of use. Monique also advises the use of mattress protectors whenever possible.
3. Managed apartments and Airbnb rentals (which Monique says are getting more and more popular) mean that if you want to make a good return out of them you have to make sure the feedback on guests sleep is all positive. “I always advise investing in a really comfortable bed as whether someone is staying 1, 3 or 5 nights, if they’ve had an uncomfortable sleep, they’re going to comment on it online and then others won’t stay and you’ll never get them back.
4. If you’re renting out your holiday home, don’t forget good quality pillows – they’re another thing that people will appreciate and give good feedback on.
5. If you’re worried about what level of comfort to choose when you’re not necessarily sure who’s going to sleep on the bed go for what Monique calls “The Goldilocks choice”: not too hard, not too soft. “You can always put a luxury memory foam topper in the cupboard for guests that suffer From pressure points.”
6. Make sure your bed is the right size for the room. Baches and apartments are usually smaller than people are used to and so beds with pullout mattresses or larger sizes may not fit. Monique says better options include bunks or split super king size beds that can pull apart and be used for couples or as 2 single beds.
7. Some baches might be in tough-to-reach spots, so discuss with Monique whether there’s any issue with how a bed is going to be delivered. “We’ve hired forklifts and cranes before otherwise I suggest, if it’s going to be hard, to buy a kitset frame and then just assemble everything in the room.”
If in doubt, give your Bedpost team a call. “We get a lot of calls and emails from all over the country from people who have holiday homes and apartments and we are always happy to work with them to find the best option,” she says. “And because we have our own delivery staff and deliveries are free in and around town, we can always organise for a bed to be delivered and set up in time for your stay!”
