How to Prepare Your Home for Airbnb
If you have extra room in your home, chances are you’ve considered listing it on Airbnb. Airbnb is a global hospitality service that connects hosts and guests and has hosted more than 500 million people. Turning your home into an Airbnb is a great way to make a little extra money, but transforming it into a 5-star destination takes more than throwing some pictures up on a website.
These 10 tips will show you how to prepare your house for Airbnb so guests will love it, and you get the most out of your space.
| You are reading an article from the How to Start section of our Ultimate Vacation Rental Business Guide.
See the other articles in this section below: • How To Start a Vacation Rental Business • Vacation Rental Property Business Plan • Rules and Regulation for vacation rental property ➜ How to Prepare Your Home for Airbnb |
Types of Airbnb Spaces
First, it’s important to understand the listing types on Airbnb. Most of the following tips for preparing your home for Airbnb will work for all three listing types.
Shared Room
This gives guests a non-private place to sleep. They will be sharing the entire space with other guests, the host, or both. Hostels fall into this listing type, as does renting out your living room couch to a guest.
Private Room
A private room is similar to a bed and breakfast model. Guests have their own private sleeping area but share common areas like the bathroom and kitchen. Listing spare rooms in your home falls under this listing type.
Entire Place
Guests get the run of an entire place, whether that’s an apartment, house, or vacation home.
How to Make Your Home Airbnb Ready
Before you welcome your first guest, it’s important that you make sure your Airbnb complies with local housing laws and your leasing agreement, if applicable. You don’t want to get hit with unexpected fines or an angry landlord.
It’s also a good idea to talk to neighbors and let them know ahead of time that you plan to turn your home into an Airbnb. This can help you avoid confusion or other issues.
Once those are taken care of, follow these 10 steps in preparing your home for rent on Airbnb.
1. Keep the Guest in Mind
The first step is to put yourself in your future guests’ shoes and take a hard look at your space. This can help you notice specific improvements to make your listing more appealing. Ask yourself questions like:
- What can you do to increase convenience? For example, you may need to provide more privacy, storage options, or ways to charge electronics.
- Is there a way to make the space more inviting? Perhaps you can add more seating, throw pillows or blankets, or a workstation.
- Can you help guests sleep better? Blackout shades can keep a nearby streetlight from disturbing a guest’s rest, and a small electric fan and ear plugs can help drown out a neighbor’s dog that likes to bark at night.
2. Improve Safety
Now, look critically at your space with an eye on safety. Are there hazards, like loose steps or exposed wires that you need to fix before opening up to guests? Make sure you have operational smoke alarms, carbon monoxide detectors, and fire extinguishers. A stocked first aid kit is also a good safety measure.
3. Declutter
Guests like rental spaces that are clean and simple. They don’t want to see clothes hanging in your closet or boxes stacked in the corner. Clear out everything but the basics with a thorough decluttering, and then organize what is left. Lock away valuables and other possessions you don’t want guests to use or access. (Plus, it helps space look more tidy).
4. Remove Old Furniture
If you were to check into a hotel, you wouldn’t like broken furniture, an old mattress, or a sunken sofa. No surprise, guests don’t like that either. Worn out furniture that you put up with may need to be replaced with more guest-worthy items.
5. Make It Spotless
Your space needs to be as clean, or cleaner, than a hotel room for every guest. Before renting it out, conduct a thorough deep cleaning, including walls, window treatments, inside light fixtures, the interior of drawers or cupboards, and every nook and cranny. Sometimes a fresh coat of paint or new linens can make a huge difference in how clean a room feels.
6. Upgrade the Bed
Guests will be spending a lot of time in the bedroom, and their satisfaction with your space often correlates with how well they sleep. Make sure the bed is comfortable, with good pillows and high-quality sheets. It’s also a good idea to add a pillow top mattress topper and provide extra pillows and blankets.
7. Go Above and Beyond
The extra little things can make a big difference to guests. Some ways to go above and beyond include:
- Complimentary basic toiletries like shampoo and soap
- Make basic food available, like coffee/tea, snacks, or breakfast
- Bottled water
- One-size-fits-all bathrobes
- Board games
- DVD movies
- Netflix
- Game consoles
- Fresh flowers
- Chocolates
8. Create a Guest Guidebook
Make a guide for guests that includes everything they need to navigate your home: parking, wifi info, pool hours, how to use the appliances, how to use the remote, etc. Be sure to include your contact information so they can easily reach you if there are problems. You can also expand your guidebook with information on local attractions, restaurant recommendations, or activities they can do in case of inclement weather.
9. Determine Check In/Check Out Procedures
Decide how you want to handle guests checking in and out. It’s good to provide a way to access keys when you’re not around. Other things to consider are how much time you need in between bookings to clean and have the space ready for the next guest, what is your check in/check out time window, and do you ask guests to let you know when they arrive and/or leave?
10. Price Competitively
The price you charge is completely up to you, but there are some things to consider. First of all, remember your own costs like wifi, utilities, supplies, and cleaning. Researching what similar rentals in your area charge can help you see what the going rate is.
Reviews greatly influence bookings, so new properties with no reviews may want to charge less at first in order to secure those first guests and build up some reviews. Then once you have a solid base you can think about raising your prices.
As you build up a rental history, you can use that to adjust your price and find the sweet spot where you are not underbooked or constantly turning people away.
Ready, Get Set, Go
Once you know how to prepare your house for rent on Airbnb, the next step is actually listing it and managing the property. It can be tricky to keep it all straight. Avoid the headache with Grand Welcome. Our easy and comprehensive management program helps Airbnb property owners earn revenue with less hassle. Contact Grand Welcome today to learn how our program can make your life easier and put more revenue in your pocket.
If you are more interested in operating your own business rental management, Contact Grand Welcome Franchise to start your business with a low initial investment with big upside potential. A team of experts will train and support you to implement the comprehensive management program and expand your business in your territory.