Optimal heating for your holiday home

December 2024

When it comes to guest comfort, heating your holiday home is extremely important. What kind of heat system are you using, and how can you make it even better? Let’s have a closer look at heating a holiday rental.

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What to consider when heating your holiday home

Choosing the right heating system is often difficult, whether you need heating for a weekend house or optimal heating for holiday rentals. For your holiday home and to ensure happy guests, you’ll have to take several things into account:

• Energy efficiency. This should always be high on your list of priorities. Not only does it help you select a more affordable heating options, but it’s also kinder to the environment.
• Ease of use. Your guests don’t want to spend the first hours of their holiday shivering away while they try to figure out how your heating system works.
• Speed. Guests will usually want something that heats up quickly, particularly hot water for a shower. If there’s no hot water in your holiday flat, you can expect negative reviews on holiday rental portals.
• Safety. Always think about fire risks — and the silent danger of carbon monoxide.
• Access. During the low season, heating for your holiday rental is extremely important, as it can prevent mould and other structural damage. Will you be around to switch it on, or can you control it with an app?
• Climate. The heating system you’re going to need will be vastly different, depending on whether you want to rent out a holiday flat in Scotland or in the south of Spain.
• Type of property. Some heating systems work better for houses, while others are more suitable for flats.

As you can see, choosing the right heating system isn’t always easy, as there are so many variables to consider. You might want to discuss matters with a professional who can help you make the decision that’s right for you and your property.

Ensuring optimal heating for your holiday rental

Before you even start considering heating systems, you should make sure your property is energy-efficient. Here are some things to look out for and check in advance before you rent out your holiday home:

Insulation

If your property isn’t insulated, it will lose heat rapidly, and guests may have to constantly make heating adjustments for holidays at your home. The walls, ceiling, attic (if you have one), and floors should all be correctly insulated.

Windows

In a cold climate, having double or even triple-glazed windows is an absolute must. Windows are a major source of heat loss.

Draughts

Is your holiday home letting a chill in? To test this, spend a weekend living in your holiday rental. If you can identify any weak spots, get draught-proofing.

If you don’t handle these issues, then no matter what kind of system you choose, heating for your holiday home will not be as effective as it should be.

Smart heating systems in your holiday home

One of the best ways to ensure guest comfort and effective winter holiday home heating is by embracing technology. With a smart heating system, you and your guests will have one less thing to worry about.

Smart systems are particularly useful when it comes to heating for weekend homes, as they can automatically adjust the temperature of your property in real time. They use data, including current temperature, humidity, weather conditions and property occupancy, to choose the perfect setting for the holiday rental. That’s good news for periods of low occupancy, when leaving your property without heating can result in weather damage.

Many smart systems also have multi-zone controls. This means that you or your guests can easily adjust the temperatures of some rooms but not others, which is ideal if some of your guests like to have a cooler bedroom to sleep in.

All in all, smart heating systems are one of the best solutions for heating holiday homes. Plus, they add a luxurious element to your property, which can make it stand out from the crowd on holiday rental websites.

Other forms of heating for your holiday home

Not convinced by smart systems? Like the idea but can’t afford the initial outlay at the moment? Here are some other options to consider:

Gas heating for your holiday home

Gas can be cheap to operate, as gas appliances are usually more efficient than electric appliances. However, it has a few potential downsides. Top of the list is the danger of carbon monoxide poisoning. If you want to install gas heating, you’ll need to place carbon monoxide detectors throughout your holiday home. Gas is also an environmentally unfriendly option, so if you’re trying to market your home to eco-conscious guests, they will not be impressed.

You may not have a clear idea of your guests’ gas consumption in your holiday home. In some regions, such as many parts of Spain, homeowners need to replace bottles of butane gas manually, which can be a dirty and smelly task. This may be highly off-putting for guests.

Electric heating in a holiday home

Over time, electric heating can be a better choice than gas. Although gas heats up more quickly, an electric system requires less maintenance and doesn’t carry the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning. Electric central heaters tend to last longer than gas boilers. However, electric heating takes a longer time to warm up a space, and your guests may be uncomfortable while they wait.

Infrared heating

Infrared heaters heat objects and surfaces directly rather than air, which can help save energy. However, unless someone is standing or sitting very close to the infrared panel, they won’t necessarily feel the benefits, and this system won’t get rid of any chills in the air. Even if you don’t use it in most of your property, infrared heating for your attic can be a wise choice, as it combats dampness.

Underfloor heating

When you advertise your holiday home, guests will be excited to see underfloor heating included in your listing. It’s particularly popular in bathrooms and kitchens, where you may have a cold, tiled floor. An underfloor heating system is not an effective replacement for heating across your whole property, but it does make your holiday rental more comfortable for guests and adds a touch of sophistication.

Ultimately, there are many ways to heat your holiday home. Take your time to consider the right method for you. Don’t be afraid to ask around, as other landlords in the area may have advice about what works and what doesn’t.

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