HIGH SEASON.
HIGHER STANDARDS.

Why the reset matters

The winter visitors arrive from November and, in a good year, the calendar is full until after Easter. Once that starts, a turnover is a few hours between checkout and check-in, which is enough to change beds and clean bathrooms but not enough to fix months of salt, sand and wear. Do the reset before the first back-to-back stays, or use the earliest open day in the calendar.

Walk the property as a guest would: from the gate to the bedroom, with the lights on and the curtains open. Write down everything you notice on that walk, because guests will notice it too.

The once-a-year jobs

• Wash every curtain, cushion cover, throw and mattress protector, and dry them in full sun.
• Pull out beds, sofas and the fridge; clean behind and underneath, where sand collects all season.
• Descale kettles, shower heads and taps; Barbados water leaves a chalky film that builds all year.
• Clean the extractor filters, the air-conditioner filters and the ceiling fan blades in every room.
• Empty and wipe every kitchen cupboard and drawer, then check the crockery and glassware count against your inventory.
• Wash the outside of windows and doors, and the patio furniture, before the salt haze of the windy months.
• Check grout and silicone in bathrooms and re-seal anything that is grey or lifting.

Set up the turnover for success

A turnover is only as fast as the property allows. Put a labelled basket of cleaning supplies in the utility cupboard, keep two full sets of linen per bed so one is always ready, and fix the sticking sliding door and the dripping tap now rather than in the middle of February.

Photograph every room after the reset. Those photos become the standard the turnover is checked against, and they settle any question about how the property looked at the start of the season.

Getting help with the reset

A season reset is a deep clean rather than a turnover, and most hosts book it as a one-off before the regular turnover schedule starts. If arrivals have already begun, use the next open day rather than trying to fit the work into a short changeover. Our Airbnb and holiday-rental page explains how turnovers are arranged, and the estimate request covers larger villas or several properties at once.