3. Success stories: How others have turned their spaces into a successful money-making Airbnb
Here are some success stories so you know what to look forward towards and what others did to reach financial freedom. Four entrepreneurial journeys about Airbnb hosts who started out without knowing a lot about the platform and are now financially free:
How Brent and Debbie Carlisle generate job-quitting money with Airbnb
Brent and Debbie Carlisle from Canberra, Australia decided to expand their horizons into the buy-to-let market. When they first investigated it, they worked out that Airbnb would be a better income vehicle than a standard rental.
According to Forbes they were able to sign four listing in less than a year and now generate AUD17 000 monthly, the equivalent of just over R168 000 a month.
Travelling the world funded by Airbnb
Evan Kimbrell is now the Number 1 host in San Francisco. He uses the funds to travel around the world, from impromptu scuba diving trips in Bali, to festival hopping in China, while his apartment generates income for him.
He earns roughly USD9 556 monthly, just over R127 000 a month. “That’s a pretty average monthly haul for me. On my best month, I brought in a little north of USD11 000 and my worst month travelling around USD6 000.”
Hosting the world in your home with Airbnb
After two years, Kelly Kampen had welcomed over 700 people from more than 70 countries and made nearly USD 42 000 (Just over R556 000) from his Airbnb listing. He is based in Bangkok and bought a three story, four-bedroom house. “I frequently hosted others coming through town in my guest room,” he says. So why not get paid as well?
His first guest turned out to be another Airbnb host from Rio de Janeiro, named Johnny. “Johnny was incredibly helpful and provided me with a wealth of worthwhile tips. Together we fixed up the room a bit better. My first experience was absolutely awesome and really set the tone for how I interact with my guests,” explains Kampen.
He now makes a solid living renting out rooms in his home for travellers from all over the world.
How Brigid Prinsloo Made (A Lot Of) Money On Airbnb
After having good experiences using Airbnb herself, Brigid Prinsloo and her fiancé decided to rent out the spare room of their flat. “Within an hour of listing the room, we received our first enquiry. Within the first day, we had our first booking. We weren’t prepared,” she says.
“We ended up moving our own comfy bed into the room, just to ensure our guest could enjoy a decent night’s sleep and slept on the spare bed ourselves.”
After the first month they earned R10 000 from renting out the room, which covered their rent. Then they bought a property which they now rent out, and Brigid purchased a second property with her dad and sister, which is also listed.
Now, on average they earn around R23 000 a month just through Airbnb.