Case Study
All Decked Out Cape San Blas, FL
Challenge
Preserving the investment value of a beach property confronted by Hurricane Matthew
Background
Tom Henderson, owner of the Cape San Blas vacation rental All Decked Out, has seen his share of challenges as a homeowner in an unpredictable destination. But nothing could have prepared him for the destruction and uncertainty that Hurricane Matthew brought to the Gulf Coast of Florida.
Living in Michigan, Tom felt powerless in the storm’s aftermath. When his insurance company revealed, remarkably, only minor damage to his property, he first felt relieved -- and hopeful that his property management company at the time had the resources to quickly repair and secure his home.
Unfortunately, Tom’s relief soon turned to frustration as he quickly realized he was on his own.
When Tom requested repairs, the management company emailed a digital version of the Yellow Pages and indicated that he should arrange the work himself. Taken back, Tom inquired whether the company could send one of their handymen. Comprehensive service, including on-staff maintenance, was part of what had sold him on the company. He was discouraged to learn that it had no maintenance staff at all.
The company soon ceased answering Tom’s calls and emails, forcing him to personally visit Cape San Blas to complete the needed repairs.
Natural Retreats’ full-service maintenance staff and ability to quickly mobilize during an emergency allowed Tom to swiftly repair his home and restore his income potential.
Solution
Given the lack of response from his prior management company, Tom stopped at the Natural Retreats office, located across the street from All Decked Out, when he arrived in Cape San Blas. When General Manager Matt Elliott heard Tom’s story, he offered the help of Natural Retreats’ chief engineer, along with his own service.
Natural Retreats’ full-service maintenance staff and ability to quickly mobilize during an emergency allowed Tom to swiftly repair his home and restore his income potential.
Encouraged by Natural Retreats’ resources and genuine desire to help, Tom decided to change management companies and hasn’t looked back.
Encouraged by Natural Retreats’ resources and genuine desire to help, Tom decided to change management companies and hasn’t looked back.
Results
Our in-house staff has fully repaired All Decked Out, while our marketing team helped to increase sales by 21% over the previous year. Between December 2018 and April 2019, we reserved the home for 222 guest nights, or in Tom’s words, “A great start to what looks to be our best year ever!”
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We want to be your vacation rental partner for years to come, but we believe in earning your long-term business—not locking you into an ironclad contract.
Plus, enjoy your vacation home whenever you like. We don’t limit the number of nights you can use for your own vacations—and it’s easy to reserve your preferred dates in your online owner account. Your home will always be yours.