If you are looking to turn your home into an Airbnb, you aren’t alone. In fact, it is one of the most popular side hustles for many people out there, looking to get a bit of extra income without having to spend too much or do a load of work in order to get it. The simple concept of renting out your home when you aren’t using it is a great one, especially if you have a holiday home which isn’t used very often and is just sitting there gathering dust.
If you sign up for Airbnb, you can soon start making money when it would have otherwise been costing you money in upkeep. Yet before you run away with yourself, you need to look into the logistics of turning your home into an Airbnb and think of all the practicalities. In this article we take a look at some of the things you need to consider and some top tips to make it that bit easier too. Keep on reading to find out more and get inspired.
Ensure you give it a thorough clean and declutter
The first thing you need to do before letting your home out to anyone is to ensure it’s clean. You can either hire help or do it yourself, but make sure you give it a thorough clean and a declutter throughout. You will have strangers staying in your house and you don’t want them to come across anything you don’t want them seeing or accidentally breaking! If you aren’t in the house very often, for example if it’s a holiday home, you could hire a Building and Pest Inspections company to come and check the property is clean and safe and there isn’t anything there that shouldn’t be. If they do find any bugs, they can get them sorted swiftly and without any hassle, ensuring your home will be ready in no time for the vacationers to move in and have a fantastic break away.
Make an inventory of all the items in there
Again, this is something you can do yourself or you can hire a professional to do. You want to make an inventory of all the items in the house, including taking photos of all the areas so you know that if anything goes missing or broken, where it was from and what condition it was in prior to the stay. You will need to note down things such as how many cups and glasses there were, towels if you are providing them, saucepans and other kitchen utensils as well as bedding and decor items as people might find they accidentally pack them up!
Ensure it’s got everything needed for the amount of people you are going to accommodate
When you list your home on Airbnb, you will need to note down how many people it can accommodate. If you have two bedrooms but a sofa bed for example, it might be able to sleep up to six people (depending on its size.) It’s also worth noting down if they can bring a child with them as this can take up the number and how many children it will be able to take. Once you’ve established numbers, you need to make sure it has everything needed for the amount of people you are going to accommodate and plenty of spares in case things get broken. It’s a good idea to get at least double the amount of plates and cups and consider some plastic cups and plates too which are much less easily broken.
Decide if you want to add little extras
There are always ways you can enhance the stay of your guests in your Airbnb and they aren’t necessary but can be nice for guests. Remember the better experience they have, the more they will recommend you and the more likely you are to get more guests going forward. You could add in things such as a welcome hamper with a glass of wine and local food, or perhaps some fresh flowers on the table. It’s these little things that can make a real impact and your families will really love coming to stay with you.
Photo by Max Vakhtbovycn
Consider items for children
If you are going to allow people to bring young children with them, you want to ensure there is plenty for them to do. You will need to get things such as a travel cot and a highchair, as well as plastic bowls and plates and things for kids to do. This isn’t all a necessity, but again can really help to enhance their stay and make the place more appealing for families which tend to be a good market to target. If you don’t provide the above, ensure you detail it in the listing so they don’t arrive and are without somewhere for their little one to sleep.
Get professional photos taken
When you are writing your Airbnb listing, you want it to start out to guests and those looking to stay in your home. The better the listing, the more likely they are going to want to do this. It can be worth hiring a professional photographer to take great shots of your home and really enhance what the listing looks like.
These are just a few important things for you to sort out before turning your home into an Airbnb that can help you profit from the property but also ensure it works out. You want to receive good reviews from your guests and have it as hassle free as possible. If it starts to become difficult it’s not worth it, so by being as prepared as you can be ahead of time, it makes it much easier both in the short and long term. What are some top tips you have for sorting things in your home before turning it into an Airbnb? Let us know in the comments below, we’d love to hear from you.
If you are looking to turn your home into an Airbnb, you aren’t alone. In fact, it is one of the most popular side hustles for many people out there, looking to get a bit of extra income without having to spend too much or do a load of work in order to get it. The simple concept of renting out your home when you aren’t using it is a great one, especially if you have a holiday home which isn’t used very often and is just sitting there gathering dust.
If you sign up for Airbnb, you can soon start making money when it would have otherwise been costing you money in upkeep. Yet before you run away with yourself, you need to look into the logistics of turning your home into an Airbnb and think of all the practicalities. In this article we take a look at some of the things you need to consider and some top tips to make it that bit easier too. Keep on reading to find out more and get inspired.
Ensure you give it a thorough clean and declutter
The first thing you need to do before letting your home out to anyone is to ensure it’s clean. You can either hire help or do it yourself, but make sure you give it a thorough clean and a declutter throughout. You will have strangers staying in your house and you don’t want them to come across anything you don’t want them seeing or accidentally breaking! If you aren’t in the house very often, for example if it’s a holiday home, you could hire a Building and Pest Inspections company to come and check the property is clean and safe and there isn’t anything there that shouldn’t be. If they do find any bugs, they can get them sorted swiftly and without any hassle, ensuring your home will be ready in no time for the vacationers to move in and have a fantastic break away.
Make an inventory of all the items in there
Again, this is something you can do yourself or you can hire a professional to do. You want to make an inventory of all the items in the house, including taking photos of all the areas so you know that if anything goes missing or broken, where it was from and what condition it was in prior to the stay. You will need to note down things such as how many cups and glasses there were, towels if you are providing them, saucepans and other kitchen utensils as well as bedding and decor items as people might find they accidentally pack them up!
Ensure it’s got everything needed for the amount of people you are going to accommodate
When you list your home on Airbnb, you will need to note down how many people it can accommodate. If you have two bedrooms but a sofa bed for example, it might be able to sleep up to six people (depending on its size.) It’s also worth noting down if they can bring a child with them as this can take up the number and how many children it will be able to take. Once you’ve established numbers, you need to make sure it has everything needed for the amount of people you are going to accommodate and plenty of spares in case things get broken. It’s a good idea to get at least double the amount of plates and cups and consider some plastic cups and plates too which are much less easily broken.
Decide if you want to add little extras
There are always ways you can enhance the stay of your guests in your Airbnb and they aren’t necessary but can be nice for guests. Remember the better experience they have, the more they will recommend you and the more likely you are to get more guests going forward. You could add in things such as a welcome hamper with a glass of wine and local food, or perhaps some fresh flowers on the table. It’s these little things that can make a real impact and your families will really love coming to stay with you.
Consider items for children
If you are going to allow people to bring young children with them, you want to ensure there is plenty for them to do. You will need to get things such as a travel cot and a highchair, as well as plastic bowls and plates and things for kids to do. This isn’t all a necessity, but again can really help to enhance their stay and make the place more appealing for families which tend to be a good market to target. If you don’t provide the above, ensure you detail it in the listing so they don’t arrive and are without somewhere for their little one to sleep.
Get professional photos taken
When you are writing your Airbnb listing, you want it to start out to guests and those looking to stay in your home. The better the listing, the more likely they are going to want to do this. It can be worth hiring a professional photographer to take great shots of your home and really enhance what the listing looks like.
These are just a few important things for you to sort out before turning your home into an Airbnb that can help you profit from the property but also ensure it works out. You want to receive good reviews from your guests and have it as hassle free as possible. If it starts to become difficult it’s not worth it, so by being as prepared as you can be ahead of time, it makes it much easier both in the short and long term. What are some top tips you have for sorting things in your home before turning it into an Airbnb? Let us know in the comments below, we’d love to hear from you.
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