When Australians sit down to book their next trip the last thing they want is a home away from home, experts say.
If you live inland you'll want to go coastal, if you rent a one-bedroom city apartment you might want somewhere in the middle of nowhere.
"In a holiday home, you can live the life you don't live," property expert and Selling Houses Australia host, Andrew Winter said.
New research from Booking.com has revealed the top tips for holiday homeowners to attract domestic travellers.
The report found that price, location and clean and tidy accommodation along with nice interiors and decor were of top concern to holidaymakers.
The classic coastal escape was the most popular option for half of respondents while over one third chose country cottages and city apartments.
Surveying 1012 people, The Holiday Home Outlook Report, asked Australians their preferences on interior and exterior elements of a vacation getaway.
It's what inside that counts
Around 75 per cent of those surveyed chose holiday homes when travelling domestically, with 85 per cent making a booking based on interiors over the exterior of a property.
Most preferred a modern style (68 per cent) followed by farmhouse (62 per cent), and rustic (56 per cent).
Cosy and inviting topped the list of interior descriptors for three-quarters of respondents with natural and organic elements and minimalist design close behind.
Interior designer Brie Turton said most Australians want a space with clean and natural light.
"It's no surprise that this clean interiors aesthetic is popular as more often than not we are looking for homes that showcase the landscape, aspect or coastline of the location," she said.
Mr Winter said Australians were often sceptical of older places as that could suggest an unkempt house.
"Australians embrace modern and new," he said.
House colours also played a role with 71 per cent of travellers stating that it was an important factor for them.
Interior expert Jen Bishop said colours like Cherry Lacquer, Celestial Yellow and Retro Blue were likely to become popular design trends in 2025.
"I think overall colour has such a huge impact on our mood and how we feel in our space," she said.
The majority of travellers were particularly concerned with good quality furniture, bedding and kitchen appliances.
Bringing the outdoors in
More than three-quarters said the number one reason they would want to book a holiday home over another was if it had better outdoor living spaces such as a terrace, balcony or courtyard.
Ms Turton said it was crucial to think about positioning the living area to interact with outdoor spaces.
"We have such wonderful landscape in Australia, bush or beach, and I think we want the homes to open up to that landscape," she said.
Matching the location to the design
Almost half of those surveyed said they preferred contemporary Australian homes with 40 per cent preferring a Queenslander style and 39 per cent choosing 20th-Century modern.
There's a generational divide between style as well with over half of Gen Z saying they wanted a 2000s style home and over a third of Boomers looking for a 70s style.
Mr Winter said regardless of style, the location needed to match the exterior and interior design.
The beach house needed to feel coastal, the city centre urban and the country home country, he said.
"But don't just make it generic, make it specific to the region you're in with local wines and food and local recommendations," he said.
"All these things create a story."
Whether it was people looking to go on a 'workcation' or a remote getaway, the holidaymaker wanted quality, value and a location that suited them, Mr Winter said.
"It is about making the holiday home very accessible and not tricky."
He said transparency with prospective renters was key. For example, letting people in a rural location know where the nearest services are and telling urban travellers about parking availability.
"You've got to have the basics like hot water, good shower drains and internet services. And if you don't, you have to be very clear that you don't," he said.
"Never oversell, that just invites disappointment."
The biggest tip Mr Winter had was to treat your holiday home as a business.
"Make sure the way it is presented online is strong, monitoring reviews, maybe even having a social media account for the property."
He said social media profiles with recommendations, pictures of the house and the area could create a real extra connection for the holidaymaker who might be coming for several weeks.
"Once you get the traction going, the fact that it's not available, it just makes people want it more," he said.
"Get serious, don't play at it."
