Renting your home out – whether you rent out your entire home or just one guest room – is a very lucrative business. You’ll need to ensure your apartment building or neighborhood allows Airbnb, and you’ll also need to ensure that you have proper home insurance, but once that’s settled, it’s not difficult to turn your home into a holiday rental. You can rent out a portion of your home, a furnished room in your home, or you can rent out your entire home if you are going away on a trip or living elsewhere. Using your home as a short-term vacation rental is a great way to earn some extra pocket money, especially if your Airbnb listing is popular and often booked. Some people pay for entire vacations using money they’ve earned with their Airbnb listing, and many people pay their entire rent with just one week per month rented out.
How often your listing gets booked is largely based on positive reviews, but it also matters that your home is nicely decorated, has nice furniture, and looks appealing. In order to get positive reviews from guests who stay in your home, you’ll need to put forth some effort in the form of various home improvements before listing it as a vacation rental. Below are 5 tips for turning your home into a lucrative Airbnb:
1. Decorate With Chic and Modern Décor
Everything should look clean, modern, and minimalist. Décor should be chic, stylish, and it should all fit in a color scheme that is pre-planned. Clutter or too much décor doesn’t look good. Hotel rooms don’t have clutter, and neither should your home if you’re renting it out. Going to that extra effort of decorating with items that match and look classy will help your listing get booked.
2. It’s All in The Bed
A comfortable mattress will result in positive reviews, so this is pertinent when turning your home into an attractive Airbnb listing. You may have to buy a new mattress if the current mattress on the bed is old or uncomfortable. The bed should also be stylish and appealing to look at. This means that you should have a modern bed frame with a chic headboard, and pretty bedsheets with a matching duvet cover. The bed in your home should have new bedsheets, not old ones. Don’t buy cheap sheets just because they have a nice pattern, though. Soft and luxurious bedsheets might cost you a bit more, but this will help you get those good reviews.
3. Make Sure Everything Functions
It’s crucial to make sure everything in your home not only functions, but functions well. This means that the WiFi is fast, the TV works, and the plumbing is all working properly. Especially the shower and the toilet. Do not rent out your home if your plumbing is wonky. You do not want to have a sign up that has instructions on how to get the hot water in the shower to work because it’s wonky, or how to use your sensitive toilet. You do not want to get a phone call from a guest that the toilet is overflowing – and an incident like this will surely result in a negative review. Don’t try to fix plumbing issues by yourself. Hire a professional. As our friends at Fix It Right Plumbing in Carrum Downs say, “This gives you the confidence knowing your job will be handled by a professional plumber with the right equipment, training and knowledge.”
4. Provide Amenities
Before you list your home as a short-term rental, think about the extra amenities your guest will probably need. Ensure there’s a hairdryer in your bathroom, great lighting for someone getting ready, handsoap, hangers in the closet, plenty of outlets, and anything else you think a guest would be uncomfortable without. In the kitchen, provide amenities such as a coffee maker with coffee, creamer in the fridge, water bottles in the fridge, a kettle, and all the essential cooking supplies.
5. Think About The Little Things
Once you feel as though your home is nicely furnished, decorated stylishly, and you’ve added the amenities a guest would need, it’s time to think about the finishing touches. The little things add up. For example, you’ll probably want to get a lightly-scented, plug-in room freshener. This makes your home smell good and your guest will associate the nice smell with cleanliness and comfort.