Some of the best hotel rooms you can find aren’t actually hotel rooms at all; they’re rooms, guest suits, or small efficiencies in other people’s homes. Airbnb is a great service that lets people rent out a room in your house (or the entire house if that suits you) like they would a hotel. Lending some space to travelers is a great way to make a bit of extra money for that unused bedroom or guest suite. Get your home Airbnb ready with some of these tips!
Competitive Pricing
One of the first things you’ll run into when thinking about hosting any of your rooms on Airbnb is how much you’ll charge per night. A great starting place is to look at what others are charging in your area or neighborhood. As a rule of thumb, the closer you are to a city center and/or attractions the more you’ll be able to charge nightly. Be sure to check what is average around you as you wouldn’t want to be the highest or lowest priced host. Airbnb also recommends that you consider factors like cleaning costs, pet fees, or other small charges that would cover certain facets of a stay in your home.
Clean and Clutter-Free
Imagine walking into an incredible hotel room, amazing bed with fluffy pillows, a great location, and a stack of unopened mail on the counter. Clutter kills the great mood your home can offer visitors. Take a look around the room (or rooms) that you’ll have guests in to see if there’s anything that you can remove or get out of their way. Additionally, inviting a guest to stay in an unsanitary space is no good. Make sure you’ve cleaned thoroughly before offering up your space to travelers.
Quirks and Questions
Does your home have a door that sticks? Or a light that doesn’t always turn on the first time you flip the switch? Make a note of any aspects of your home that might take some explaining. Guests that have to figure out how your house works may not help you secure guests in the future. Anticipating questions that your visitors may have is a great way to make them feel more at home. This is especially true for things like where towels or dishes are located or which entrances are best to use. Think about questions you might have if your were staying at your house and be prepared to answer them.
Comfort Above All
If you think of your home as a quaint hotel for travelers, it’s easy to see which aspects are most important. Making your guests feel comfortable in your space is crucial and can lead to great reviews and potentially more visitors. To ensure that your guests enjoy their stay as much as possible, be up front with the information that you provide on your Airbnb profile. Things like whether or not you have pets or how much space your visitors will have are great pieces of information to share.
Once you’ve considered some of these tips and signed up to be a host, you’re home will be Airbnb ready!