Five Ways to Airbnb your home!

Maximise your storage space with custom fitted wardrobes from DIY Homefit

Until fairly recently, few of us had heard of Airbnb. But for many people it is now the goto place when looking for accommodation. Whether you are looking for a home to rent, a room in someone else’s home, or a shared space, Airbnb can often help.

This summer, Airbnb is adding four new categories to the types of property it will rent out:

• vacation homes
• B&Bs
• boutique hotel
• unique spaces

This will not only enable a greater range of properties to be added to the Airbnb repertoire, but will also enable property seekers to be more specific about the type of property they are looking to rent.

So, if you have any type of property from which you are seeking to make a bit of extra money, Airbnb is now offering you increased potential to do just that.

However, if you do decide to rent out your property on Airbnb, you need to make sure that it stands out from the crowd. Your property needs to grab the attention of would-be renters. It also needs to delight those people who do actually rent it, so that the excellent reviews endorse you are the property owner and encourage others to book it too.

So what are the things that you really need to do for your property to attract new visitors and delight them once they arrive? Here are our Top Five Tips to Airbnb your home:

Spit Spot

Yes: think Mary Poppins! Your accommodation needs to be spotless. Not only will this show your property at its best in the Airbnb publicity, but it will also be very evident to each and every guest. You need to be confident that your property is as pristine as it can be. Whether this means you doing it yourself or bringing in a professional cleaner is up to you, but it is essential.

Not only is cleanliness important but also presentation. You need to make sure that everything looks really nice. This applies to everything, from bedding to cushions, towels to tea making facilities, magazines to remote controls. A place for everything and everything in its place. As part of this you may need to install more storage space in the room, such as custom fitted wardrobes or more wall shelving.

De-personalise

If the room(s) you are using for Airbnb are part of your home and sometimes used by family you need to learn the art of compartmentalisation. You need to ensure that you either remove or lock away all personal items that are not needed by your guests. It is important that guests feel that the space is theirs for the limited time that they are there, and do not feel that they are intruding on your personal space. In order to achieve this you need to remove any of the following items:

• Clothing and shoes
• Toiletries and cosmetics
• Jewelry
• Personal items such as photos, documents or mementos
• Valuable items such as computers, cameras or other gadgets

Little extras

Balanced against the fact that you want to remove very personal items, you also need to give you accommodation the personal touch. So do consider including some of the following items that your guests may enjoy:

• Hairdryer and small selection of basic toiletries
• DVDs and CDs
• Books and magazines
• Local information such as directories, business cards, takeaway menus and local publications
• Instructions for appliances: if there is a TV also include a list of TV channels

Over and above

If you really want to wow your guests, then depending on the type of accommodation you are offering you may want to include:

• Thick white dressing gown and individually packaged slippers
• Tea and coffee making facilities
• Bottled water, sparkling water and chocolates
• Wine or beer
• A seasonal treat eg fruit for summer or hot chocolates and marshmallows for winter
• Fresh flowers
• Cleaning items and products
• Discount tickets and coupons to local events, attractions, retailers and restaurants
• Access to sports equipment such as bikes, kayaks, beach umbrellas, coolers

Help them sleep

No matter how wonderful your property looks, and how many goodies you leave around the place, you will still lose customers and gain bad reviews if people do not sleep well. So make this a number one priority and do some or all of the following to give them every chance of a good night’s sleep:

• Make sure you have a good quality mattress and mattress topper
• Fit high quality sheets
• Provide adequate blankets for different seasons
• Install blackout blinds
• Provide eye masks and ear plugs
• Ensure there is a small fan in the room for those that need moving air

We wish you every success with Airbnb and hope that the above tips ideas help you to make it happen!