Today, almost everyone has used Airbnb. It’s a smart way to get ‘shacked up’ while visiting a foreign place. People enjoy staying in an Airbnb, over bed and breakfasts or hotels, because it feels like home. At the end of the day, you are staying in someone else’s home, who has taken the time to make it comfortable and accommodating for their guest. That’s especially true if it has been refreshed following the Home Remodeling & Renovation Guide. Basically, an Airbnb is like staying in a hotel room on steroids – it’s bigger, there are more amenities, there’s even a couch, (hopefully!). While it’s awesome making use of one, it’s almost even better making some extra cash out of listing your home on the site. Anyone can do it – and there is sure to be a guest looking for exactly what you’re offering.
Airbnb has their own ‘checklist’ to help you get your home Airbnb worthy, however, they don’t tell you what’ll get you a higher income and better reviews on your property. So, take a look at our helpful list to ensure you get the most out of your Airbnb listing.
Improve the Decor
One way to ensure you get the price you ask for on Airbnb is to give some attention to the decor. Your home needs to sell itself, and you only have a few photos to help you. We humans are visual beings, and if your decor is visually pleasing, it’s likely you’ll attract more guests, who are willing to pay the price you’ve listed for. You don’t need to do a complete house-flip; you really just need to make it look inviting. For example, add some colorful scatter cushions to the sofa and bed, purchase striking art pieces for the walls that look a little bare, add some plants to the space, and there you go! It’s really as simple as that.
Take epic photos
As mentioned, you only have a few photos to help you secure your guests; which, of course, means the photos need to be of good quality so that people are able to clearly see where they will potentially be staying, and what they are paying for. However, good quality isn’t going to cut it. The photos also need to emphasize the attractiveness of your home, meaning the photos need to be taken at a good angle, with good lighting. While this may sound complex and rather daunting, especially if you are no photographer, then rather invest in a professional to take the pics for you. We can pretty much guarantee that this is the key to getting plenty of interested renters.
Ensure all appliances are working optimally
You may think this sounds a little ridiculous, but there really is nothing worse than staying in a place with faulty appliances – it certainly doesn’t make it feel like home. It’s an added stress for the guests, and you will get bad reviews on your property if appliances are not working optimally. So, before anything else, invest in some appliance repairs if there are items that need some attention. Make sure everything works well before you hand the property over, it will save you the hassle and inconvenience of guests calling you to sort it out.
Make sure it’s comfortable
Like we’ve said, people choose Airbnb over other accommodation options because it feels more like home. So, you need to ensure your home really does feel like a home, and not just a bare empty shell. It needs to be comfortable; starting with quality bedding and comfy pillows, a sufficient amount of towels, extras such as tea and coffee, cutlery and essentials that make it an easier stay – think iron and ironing board. Making your space comfortable shouldn’t be too difficult, as you know what’s needed to live comfortably in a home – so all you really need to do is make sure everything is clean, well maintained and there’s a sufficient amount of stock.
Improve the amenities
If you have great amenities such as cable television, Wi-Fi, a washing machine, tumble dryer and dishwasher, for example, then you’re that much closer to getting a significant amount of cash from your listing. The more you have, the more you can up your asking price, and the better your chance of securing many guests – I mean, who wouldn’t want all those incredible extras? You may find you could even give up your day job from the amount of cash rolling in! But before you get ahead of yourself, first make sure you have the basics such as a washing machine and Wi-Fi.
