Request an appraisal FOR SURF COAST HOME OWNERS
People come here for their holidays.
Could your home be part of their summer?
Prefer a PDF? Download the guide
EXPLORE THE POSSIBILITY
Start with the question on your mind.
01 · THE OPPORTUNITY
Boxing Day to Australia Day is the Surf Coast's strongest earning period. What could those summer weeks mean for your home?
You do not have to give up the whole summer. If you plan to be away, start with the dates your home will be empty. The opportunity depends on when those dates fall and how long you can make available.
Availability is the first ingredient. The more your available dates overlap with Peak Summer, the stronger the opportunity. The lead-in to Christmas and February can bring bookings too.
The figures are estimated accommodation revenue before expenses, based on SCHR's 2024–25 and 2025–26 reservation history, supported by market analytics and research. They are not guarantees or a forecast for your particular home.
The 6–7 bedroom group has a small sample and is not directly comparable with the other groups.
ESTIMATED ACCOMMODATION REVENUE · 32 NIGHTS
Indicative accommodation revenue before expenses, across 32 peak summer nights. Nightly rates and totals are reproduced from the guide, not calculated as 32 fully booked nights. See what an owner might retain after costs. The illustration shows 80%; your result will vary.
Find out what your home could earn, what's involved and whether it's worth doing.
02 · YOUR HOME
It is not all about pools and ocean views. Comfort, space and a home that delivers on its promise can go a long way.
The Surf Coast's appeal is universal, inviting guests with a broad range of preferences and budget, especially in summer. It's not all about pools and ocean views, even though certain standout features do help.
Many homes do well without a marquee feature. They are comfortable, well equipped and quite simply the experience matches the price and the promise. This is a winning formula that does not rely on major selling points.
Beyond the essentials. Air conditioning. A coffee machine. A smart TV. Off-street parking. Laundry (dryer an additional bonus).
Four homes we manage, and what a guest was most likely looking at.
Some guests will sacrifice location for luxury. Others will demand beach frontage. Some want to be near the action, or just the ability to walk to the supermarket; and will choose to be in town. Others still, just appreciate being on the Surf Coast. Location does dictate price, but in summer it does not close doors to the opportunity.
Demand from guests travelling with a dog exceeds supply each year. This is a surefire way of getting bookings, if you're already a dog friendly home.
Pools and ocean views help, but you don't need them. Beach frontage or proximity, a spa, exceptional entertaining options, standout kids' areas, a basketball ring, tennis court...all of these things have obvious impact on pricing and eventual earning potential. But simpler things go a long way too; a hammock, a dart board, table tennis, firepit...all add to guest appeal.
Covered, open on one side, usable at 35 degrees or in the rain. Outdoor space that works in both is worth more than a big deck.
03 · THE MONEY
Total guest payment, accommodation revenue and owner net revenue are three different numbers. Here is how the guide breaks them down.
One summer illustration · Working with SCHR
Expenses include our management fee and may include set-up costs and maintenance. Guests pay cleaning and linen separately.
An illustration, not a fixed margin. Your costs and return will vary.
For most homes, upfront preparation is limited to a professional deep clean and professional photography, typically costing $200–$400.
If you list with SCHR, the photography cost is deducted from rental income, so there is no upfront payment.
Secure storage, minor maintenance or recommended additions depend on the property.
One booking produces three different totals: what the guest pays at checkout, the accommodation revenue used in your earnings forecast, and what remains for you after expenses. The distinction matters because each figure includes something different.
Accommodation + cleaning + linen + other charges.
The accommodation charge only, before your costs. This is the basis of the earnings estimates above.
What remains from accommodation revenue after your costs, including insurance, management fees and any maintenance.
Cleaning, linen and guest services are charged separately to the guest. They are excluded from the accommodation revenue figures shown here.
SCHR's management fee is 15% plus GST—16.5% of accommodation revenue. It is not charged on cleaning, linen or separate platform charges paid by guests.
A lower fee does not automatically produce a higher return. Distribution, pricing and calendar management can change the accommodation revenue. Compare what remains, not the percentage alone.
Much of the expense involved in earning rental income may be deductible. Costs relating only to guest stays may be deductible in full; shared household costs generally need to be divided between private and rental use.
Keep records, declare the rental income and ask your accountant what applies.
Speak to your current home insurer before accepting bookings. Your existing policy may be extended, or separate holiday-rental insurance may be needed.
Specialist cover may be available for the rental period only, sometimes on a per-night basis. Ask us if you would like a referral.
The Victorian short-stay levy does not apply when guests stay in the genuine principal place of residence of the owner or renter.
A separate dwelling on the same land may be treated differently.
General information only. Confirm your circumstances with your accountant, insurer and the State Revenue Office.
Keep a copy to read later. Download the guide
04 · BOOKINGS & GUEST CARE
Getting the booking is one part. Pricing, presentation and looking after each stay bring the summer together.
Guest identification, agreed house rules, a bond, local response and checks after departure are the safeguards to have in place.
If you work with SCHR, we coordinate guest communication, check-in, cleaning, linen, changeovers and maintenance. Before you leave, we agree what we can handle and what you want referred back to you.
Guest damage is uncommon and usually minor. Four safeguards should be in place for every stay:
The booking guest's identity is verified.
Clear house rules are accepted and a bond is held against the booking.
Someone who can act if a problem is reported during the stay.
The home is checked after departure. Any damage is documented, the owner is told, repairs are arranged and recovery is pursued through the bond, platform protection or insurance.
Read about holiday-rental insurance in The money.
Technically, yes. Some platforms and property managers offer Request to Book . Instead of being confirmed immediately, each booking request is reviewed and approved or declined. The owner then has discretion, but the decision must still comply with the law and the platform's rules.
Our recommendation: We do not recommend Request to Book during Peak Summer. Guests may be considering several homes, and even a short delay can lose the booking—particularly while you are away.
If you have read this far and follow our advice, there's a good chance you'll have bookings. The promise has been made, now it comes down to keeping it; from the time of enquiry until departure.
Everything they need to arrive: the address, directions, parking, access instructions and a number to call.
Access works exactly as described, from the time you agreed.
One point of contact, and an answer fast enough that a small problem stays small.
Short, reasonable instructions. A long list of chores is a poor way to end a holiday.
Clean, linen, restock, bins and the barbecue — sometimes inside a few hours. Summer success relies on same-day changeover.
Plenty of owners manage this themselves—and do it very well. But if you are going away, this is the part where you are most likely to need us.
SCHR coordinates pre-arrival information, check-in, guest communication, check-out, cleaning, linen, changeovers and maintenance. Before you leave, we agree what we can handle without interrupting you and what you would like referred back.
Airbnb is the household name. Many properties do well enough on Airbnb alone, but it no longer dominates. Today's guest is savvy and there is more competition for their attention. A mix of channels gets you in front of a larger guest pool.
SHARE OF BOOKINGS · SURF COAST HOLIDAY RENTALS
We have a loyal guest following built up over 18 years. When working with us you not only get full channel exposure, but also our direct exposure.
At any given time there are two to three consultants in our office handling enquiries and confirming reservations.
Pricing is both art and science. The price you can and should charge on New Year's Eve is obviously higher, but pricing strategy would require a separate guidebook. The most important takeaway here is the guest's perception of your price. Along with your photos and listing information, it sets the expectation a guest arrives with.
The first photo is the one that "stops the scroll". From there, your photos should continue to inspire but they also have to orient. Guests want to imagine the practical experience of the house as much as anything. As such, the advice is: a photo for every part of the house a guest will use. And, whilst you can do it on your phone, you probably shouldn't.
Your listing is much more than a description of the house. It is a description of the guest's full experience before they arrive, when they arrive, during their stay and also departing. It must answer all the questions from bedding, what is provided and what they need to bring, check-in, parking, house rules and so on.
Align the price, photos, listing and eventual experience on this basis, and this is half the battle.
Some plan well ahead. Many decide closer to arrival. Both matter.
40% book at least 30 days ahead.
Booking patterns have evolved. Changes in how and when people work, together with the cost of living, mean a family that once booked a week or two might now spread its holiday budget across two or three weekends—often waiting for a good forecast.
Short breaks are a substantial part of the mix and can fill gaps between longer stays.
Four nights sits in the middle: half of stays are shorter and half are longer.
Longer stays are fewer, but carry far more weight—and tend to be secured earlier.
Longer stays are usually decided much earlier—and early bookings can secure some of the strongest nightly prices. A successful summer calendar starts filling early. Do not rely on high occupancy trends and last minute price surging.
05 · GETTING READY
Prepare in two stages: first for photography, then for your guests. Take it one room at a time.
Guests know they are staying in somebody's home. They do not expect it to be emptied or stripped of character. They simply need room to unpack, cook and relax without having to negotiate the owner's belongings.
Most homes already have most of what guests need. Owners across the Surf Coast make this work every summer. You can too.
Arrange professional photography as soon as every area available to guests is tidy and presentable. Every bedroom, bathroom, living area and outdoor space included in the stay should be photographed. The deep clean, guest linen and supplies can still be organised afterwards.
Before the first arrival, secure personal belongings, make room for guests, arrange the deep clean and have the linen, supplies and household details ready.
This allows the home to be listed while the remaining preparation continues.
We recommend depersonalising the home as far as practical. Remove family photographs, personal displays and anything valuable, private or irreplaceable. Valuables and sentimental items are best stored securely.
Does that mean stripping the home of its character? No. Furniture, artwork, books and the details that make it warm and welcoming can stay. The aim is to make room for guests without making the property feel bare.
The main storage options each involve a trade-off.
Preserve every bedroom and the garage for guests, but provide less storage.
Can hold far more without reducing sleeping capacity, but cannot then be offered for guest parking or storage.
Simple and secure, but reduces the advertised bedroom count, guest capacity and earning potential.
Leaves the entire property available to guests, but adds packing and storage costs.
Decide what will remain private before photography, so the listing shows only the areas included in the stay.
These are practical examples, not an inventory of everything a holiday rental must contain.
Leave room for a holiday shop. Check that the cookware, crockery, cutlery, glassware and dining table suit the number of guests advertised.
Leave reasonable room for clothes and luggage. Mattress and pillow protectors are highly advised, and are required if working with SCHR.
Clear space for personal toiletries. If working with SCHR, we supply all linen, including bath towels, as well as bathroom amenities such as soap and shampoo.
Put fragile personal items away. Test the Wi-Fi, heating, cooling, television and remotes.
Make the washing machine and drying facilities accessible and straightforward to use.
Tidy the area, clean and test the barbecue, set out the furniture and check the gates and latches.
A professional deep clean establishes the standard for the stays that follow. It should reach beyond the usual household clean, including inside appliances and cupboards, under furniture, bathroom grout, window tracks, outdoor furniture and the barbecue.
Then look for the things you have learned to live with. A loose doorknob may no longer register with you. A guest has not learned the special twist needed to turn on a tap, the lift required to latch the side gate, or which remote works if it is tapped against the table first.
Fix what can be fixed with a little maintenance. Explain any harmless quirk that remains with a short note where the guest will need it.
Need the full list? A Summer Appraisal can include a preparation checklist tailored to your home.
Download the Summer Holiday Rental Guide to read or share.
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Summer is upon us—or at least it feels that way for those of us working in short-stay—and once again the Surf Coast will swell (no pun) with holidaymakers.
Each year, especially through the peak, a surge in demand for holiday rentals is met in large part by homes vacated by locals taking a holiday of their own. In doing so, those holidays can be paid for—at least in part—by the homes left behind. A win-win unfolds across our shire: visitors get a taste of our little slice of paradise while locals are paid for sharing it.
This guidebook helps you understand what your home could earn, the preparation involved and what helps a summer go well.
Here, we address the common questions owners bring us—the kind we know how to answer after 18 years managing holiday rentals, maximising returns and looking after the homes of hundreds of owners from Torquay—our home base—to Bellbrae and beyond.
Enjoy the read.
The team Surf Coast Holiday Rentals
P.S. You will recognise our bias, of course. You can do this yourself, fight the good fight on Airbnb—and do well, by the way—or choose us to do the heavy lifting, so you can set off into the sunset and return to your home as you left it and your bank balance better than you left it. ;)
20 Pearl Street, Torquay · 03 5261 6661
admin@surfcoastrentals.com.au
surfcoastrentals.com.au
06 · YOUR SUMMER APPRAISAL
An appraisal applies the advice in this guidebook specifically to your home so you can make an informed decision.
For your home and your dates. At no obligation.
Sometimes the answer is no. It is better to know that before spending anything.