The Kownover Farmstead

12/25/2023

07/07/2023

Our beautiful wedding venue has space available for the US 12 garage sale! Reserve your spot soon!

06/10/2023

Family reunions, graduation celebrations, Christmas parties and rehearsal dinners are only a few of the fun events that have been held at this beautiful property. With room to sleep over 20 people the possibilities are endless!

11/24/2022

We hope all our friend and family have a happy and healthy Thanksgiving!

07/10/2022

What a busy summer we have had! We have had so many wonderful guests and we are excited to host two new groups and one repeat guest in the next week. The Kownover Farm loves having new and old friends alike come for a visit!

07/05/2022

Join the Visser Properties Team! We are hiring 1-2 housekeepers to help us maintain and clean our vacation rentals. We are looking for detail-oriented cleaners who are willing to adhere to high cleaning standards to join our team. We value team players, who are highly organized, reliable, work fast, always show up and have great communication. If you have experience cleaning vacation rentals, in housekeeping, or have spent time in the hospitality industry, we would love for you to apply.
PAY SCALE
Housekeepers are paid a flat rate per unit, which is benchmarked with an estimated time to complete each unit. Our properties are large and sleep up to 20+ people. You will be hired as an Independent Contractor (W9). Each housekeeper is scheduled via google calender which all housekeepers will have access to. The number of units per week varies based on rental activity. There is potential for extra incentive for “deep cleans” and extra duties outside of the normal property reset.
RESPONSIBILITIES
Each Housekeeper must have the following:
· A reliable vehicle as you will be driving to the units.
· A reliable smart phone for app usage.
· The ability to work in a fast-paced environment
· Ability to work during the day Monday through Sunday, turns are typically between 12p-5p.
· Proper use of the company supplies & equipment.
· Ability to lift up to 35 lbs.
Areas that require cleaning:
· Bathrooms, Bedrooms, Entryways, General sitting rooms, Kitchens, Dining room, and spa room.
TYPICAL RESPONSIBILITIES:
· Laundry management (washing/drying to prepare each turn)
· Wiping and sanitizing all surfaces, emptying and cleaning fridges, microwaves, stoves, and grills.
· Sweep outdoor patios and decks.
· Dusting, vacuuming, and mopping all floors.
· Emptying and handling the garbage on the property, cleaning outdoor areas.
· Returning all items in each home to its proper place in preparation for the next guest.
· Restocking various consumables such as shampoo, conditioner, soap, paper towels, toilet paper, beverages, propane.
· Making sure unit is always left "guest ready".
SKILLS
• Previous vacation house cleaning experience (preferred)
• Ability to perform tasks within established timeline
• Ability to assess the property and report damages to management quickly
• Comfort using smartphone apps

06/01/2022

Summer is fast approaching. Looking for a family getaway, a relaxing weekend with a hot tub or a dinner table for 20+? We would be so excited to host your special occasion no matter what it is! Contact us today and let us help you plan the vacation or holiday of your dreams!

05/18/2022

Do you know anyone looking for a wedding venue? One of our other properties has availabilities this summer....please share!!! If you have any questions please message us!

03/11/2022

We had a family change their plans, and The Kownover Farmstead is available for Easter. Imagine aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents and even all the grandkids being able to enjoy Easter dinner together! We would even prefill and hide Easter eggs for the kiddos! Contact us today as this date is usually never available!

02/18/2022

We are so excited Garth Brooks is coming to Notre Dame again this year! Saturday May 7th at 7:00 pm!!! The Kownover Farmstead is available for our country western guests. Contact us soon as this weekend will go fast!!

02/01/2022

Please stay warm and safe with all the snow headed our way!

01/01/2022

We have hosted so many new friends this year and even hosted some past ones. We cannot thank all of our guests for trusting us with their special events and allowing us to help create special memories!

12/09/2021

11/26/2021

The Knowover Farmstead would like to wish your family a Happy Thankgiving from our family!!

11/02/2021

Pumpkin Kisses & Harvest Wishes from The Kownover Farmstead!

09/27/2021

Fall made it a little dirty…but we are so excited about one of our new additions!!

09/16/2021

It’s looking like fall at the farmstead! We are looking forward to our guests for the weekend!!

09/10/2021

First Notre Dame home game this weekend and The Kownover Farmstead has some returning guests! We love when our guests appreciate the history, charm and uniqueness this home has to offer. Welcome back Irish fans we are eagerly awaiting your arrival!!

08/26/2021

Fall is approaching, and that means Notre Dame football! We still have four weekends available at the Kownover Farmstead for you and your family and friends to use as your home away from home while in town for the game! Looking for tickets? No promises, but we can even help you find those too, just ask! Send us a message and we can help make your Notre Dame getaway as memorable as possible.

08/15/2021

When you stay with us, you become more than our guest, you become our friend. We love when our friends come back to stay with us to celebrate special occasions or just for a fun weekend away! We still have availability in 2021 for you to make some memories with us! ❤️

08/08/2021

Our small hospitality business has two popular executive vacation rental homes and one wedding barn venue. We receive booking requests online through international booking sites, like VRBO and Airbnb. We also receive direct bookings through our websites, word-of-mouth, and guest referrals. All properties are on the northern end of Michiana, particularly, South Bend, Granger, and Edwardsburg.

In the 80:20 analysis of the position, your main role would be receiving and processing property booking inquiries that come by web notifications. This makes the position mostly remote, and yet on-demand. Guests typically seek weekend stays, so there is a pattern of communications leading up to a guest's arrival, availability for communication DURING their stay, and communications after the guest has departed. Some of these communications are with the guest, while others are in directing the quality assurance performed by our team of contract housekeepers and maintenance personnel.

Other responsibilities include performing quality check walk-throughs prior to guest arrival, security checks upon guest departure, managing and logging expenses of the crew, troubleshooting and enhancing guest experiences (lost and found, damage reporting, assisting with how-to's and where-are's, etc.) and being the friendly voice of the business.

Integrations include meetings (remote or in-person) with the property owner(s), communicating with the barn manager (who mostly manages and runs the venue bookings), and communicating with bookkeeping/accountant,

Top skills desired include supreme attention to detail, top level guest experience assurance, organization skills, and familiarity/finesse in working with digital technologies, This position can be mostly accomplished remotely, but feet-on-the-ground tasks that we listed above, and occasional "quick trip to the store" tasks are also needed. Our goal is to make planning and preparation so perfect, that there are only rare urgent situations!

This position is ideal for a former property/hospitality manager who is scaling back, a stay-at-home individual who has sufficient flexibility to roll with the varied needs, or someone returning to the work world after a leave. Ideally, living on the north side of Michiana will be a great convenience. The total hours are super-part-time, however. This should not be considered a main source of income, but your achievements in providing an exemplary guest experience will certainly feed your success-driven heart!

Our desire is for a vested, long-term relationship that can continue to build over the years. We are not seeking to add additional properties, or otherwise complicate our base function and purposes. This position has been held by a trusted, loyal individual over the last 5 years, and a thorough training will be included in the transition work, as well as remaining a resource during the fledgling months that follow. The owners are career professionals in other fields, and the hospitality influence of the properties is part of their family joy. To this end, they need a dedicated, independent and dependable person to manage a part of their lives that is dear to their hearts. They are wonderful to work for, and are not only a source of guidance in the roles of the job, but as sources of life-wisdom and kindness.

COVID statement: There is very little direct contact, except occasionally with our team members, but guest-driven or personal preferences leave room for your safety precautions as you see fit. Guest preferences always prevail, however.

04/05/2021

We are proud to be an Airbnb Superhost once again! 0% cancelation rate, 100% response rate, and a 4.8 star rating! Come stay with us at The Kownover Farmstead to have an unforgettably fun trip.