Outer Banks Vacation Rentals: How to Create an Out-of-this-World Stay

If you’re interested in making families your target audience, buying an Outer Banks vacation rental can be a smart investment. Thanks to its beautiful beaches and laid-back vibe, it’s a popular destination among families. Plus, it has been featured as one of the 100 best places in the US to buy a vacation rental property, making it a promising real estate market to explore.

To help you enter this market, here are a couple of considerations that can impact your success, such as guest expectations. Guests are looking forward to a relaxing stay, typically with their family. Much of the success of their stay will depend on how well you’ve furnished your property so that it shouts vacation like the five OBX vacation rentals included in this article have done.

Taxes in OBX: How Does It Work?

The State of North Carolina charges two taxes — a North Carolina sales tax and a city and/or county occupancy tax. Here’s how it’s calculated:

• The sales tax charged by the state ranges between 6.75% and 7.5% of the listing price (inclusive of any guest and cleaning fees).
• Depending on the city and county, hosts will be charged an occupancy tax that can be anything from as little as 1% to 8% of the listing price (inclusive of any guest and cleaning fees).

3 Important Considerations for Airbnb OBX Hosts

Getting your property ready requires more thought than planning a family vacation. Here are three main factors to keep in mind about Outer Banks rentals:

1. Location

The string of barrier islands that make up the Outer Banks aren’t very wide. That said, you might have to search far and wide to find an affordable property. According to Howard Hanna Outer Banks Realty, the high demand has meant that property prices have increased tremendously. In the town of Duck, the average home sale price increased by nearly 40% in the span of only two years.

Here are some of the areas that you can consider:

• Corolla
• Duck
• Southern Shores
• Kitty Hawk
• Kill Devil Hills
• Nags Head
• Hatteras
• Rodanthe
• Ocracoke

Duck and Kitty Hawk, for example, are great locations if you’re interested in a property that’s close to shops and restaurants. Compared to some of the other areas, it offers more recreational activities. However, if seclusion is a top priority, Southern Shores will appeal more to your taste.

2. Amenities

Outer Banks is basically synonymous with beaches. While you don’t necessarily need to buy a beach house, you’ll need to ensure that you include amenities to cater towards the main reason why travelers are visiting the region. To set up your rental for the ultimate family vacation, investing in a hot tub and/or pool comes highly recommended.

It can also be a clever move to make your listing pet friendly. For many families, their pets travel everywhere they go and they wouldn’t dream of leaving their furry family member behind.

3. Number of bedrooms

While the size of the property isn’t a deal-breaker, keep in mind that the Outer Banks are very popular among families. As such, it can be a good idea to invest in a property that has enough bedrooms to accommodate the whole family, even extended family members.

Alternatively, think of creative ways how you can add more beds to the property. You can, for example, add bunk beds to double up on space. For younger kids that don’t necessarily need privacy, a sleeper couch in the living room can also help to make the rental better geared towards families.

5 Examples of Popular Outer Banks Rentals

From oceanside, three-story vacation homes to small spaces prioritizing privacy, here are five examples of how you can turn basically any type of property into the perfect place for a relaxing stay.

1. A Three-bedroom Home in Kitty Hawk

This Airbnb Plus listing has a lot going for it. It boasts chic concrete floors, high ceilings, and big windows to make the place feel extra airy and spacious. Situated in a quiet, safe neighborhood, it’s just a stone’s throw from the beach.

Aside from the beach, guests can also relax in its private pool with designer finishes for that extra luxurious feeling. Attention has also been paid to the landscaping to ensure that it complements the luxury swimming pool.

While it’s not one of the biggest vacation rentals in the Outer Banks, it has enough space to accommodate up to six guests. Plus, all three bedrooms have been fitted out with a king-sized bed to ensure a great night’s rest after a day of fun in the sun.

2. A Minimalist Bungalow in Kill Devil Hills

This one-bedroom bungalow has been listed by Condé Nast Traveler as one of the top vacation rentals in North Carolina. Its Scandinavian style proves that you don’t always have to go with the traditional beach house look.

The property’s beauty is found in its simplicity. While it’s small, the focus is on the designer finishes. It might be minimalistic, but the clever pops of color, ample natural light, and strategically placed indoor plants create a warm and inviting feeling.

While guests aren’t treated to sea views, it’s only three blocks from the beach. Plus, it offers a number of amenities like an outdoor shower, sun deck, gas grill, and fire pit to keep guests busy outdoors.

3. A Gypsy Treehouse in Nags Head

For a more rustic vibe, there’s this treehouse that can accommodate up to two guests. It’s a large gazebo that’s detached from the host’s home.

Some of its highlights include a fire pit, streaming service, an outdoor shower, and access to a large yard. Hosts also provide guests with bikes so that they can explore the area.

4. An Ocean Palace in Nags Head

On the other end of the spectrum, there’s this five-bedroom home with 8 beds. It was constructed only a few years ago which means that guests can look forward to new finishes. Aside from the sparkling finishes, guests are also treated to a saltwater pool, spacious fenced backyard, and a large, screened porch.

Not only does it have enough bedrooms and outdoor space to accommodate the entire family, but it also includes a number of kid-friendly amenities. There is a game room and bunk beds. Plus, most of the bedrooms are fitted with their own TVs.

Other noteworthy features include: laundry facilities, a pool bar, an elevator, and outdoor showers.

5. Seven-bedroom Oceanside House in Kitty Hawk

This property is perfect for the whole family. Not only does it have more than enough space (7 bedrooms, 2 baths, and ample covered decking), but it also includes amenities like a rec room, pool table, large swimming pool, and hot tub. Combine that with its sea views and close proximity to a beautiful beach and it’s no wonder that it’s one of the top 10 best vacation rentals in Outer Banks on TripAdvisor.

A Vacation to Go With That Vacation Home

One of the attractions of buying an OBX vacation rental is that from time to time you can block off dates on your calendar to enjoy it with your own family. It already has all the amenities for the perfect stay. Plus, you don’t have to worry about the budget. Basically, the only thing that you’ll need is free time.

To ensure that you can afford to reserve time for your own family vacation, there’s one more item to add to your inventory — vacation rental software. A tool like iGMS can automate many of your daily operations. From sharing instructions for easy access before check-in to automating the process of guest reviews after checkout, iGMS can reduce your manual workload across all stages of the guest journey.

Take your hosting to the next level with iGMS’s vacation rental management software. With it, you can:

• Manage multiple accounts and listings on the top OTAs from a single interface.
• Synchronize reservations across multiple platforms to eliminate double bookings.
• Organize messages into a single feed with a unified inbox.
• Improve communication with automated templates and triggered messaging.
• Create and coordinate cleaning tasks with live tracking to completion.
• Create your own direct booking website.
• Process payments securely via integration with Stripe.
• Create essential reports on your business results within minutes.