5. How to turn your home/ property/ room into an Airbnb
Here are a few steps to help you turn your home/ property/ room into an Airbnb listing:
Step 1: Create a listing
It’s free and easy to create a listing on Airbnb. Outline a detailed description of the space you’re offering, how many guests you can accommodate and add photos and details.
Creating great photos
Here are some tips on posting great photo’s:
- Clean your space: De-clutter, tidy overstuffed shelves, push aside trinkets and personal items, ensure the bedsheets aren’t wrinkled and pillows are straightened.
- Natural lighting: Take your photos on a sunny day with all the curtains open.
- Capture the whole space: Take your photos from corner or doorframes to capture the full size of the rooms. Try and get an aerial view by standing on a chair or stool. To get wider shots use a landscape or panorama setting on your camera. Highlight the most attractive aspects of the room such as large window space or beautiful balcony.
- Include photos of the neighbourhood and street: Adding in these photos will help your guest to know what kind of neighbourhood you’re situated in and what’s in the vicinity. These photos can also help your guest envision their visit.
Keep in mind, inaccuracies will hurt your reviews, which will reduce your rate of future bookings, so try to be as precise as possible in your listing.
Managing the downfalls of your property
If you’re worried about how ‘average’ your space is or potential downfalls, ensure you address these tactfully in your listing. Here are some common deterrents hosts face and how you can address them:
- Noisy neighbourhood: Include it in your listing and say why it’s noisy. For example: It’s a prime location just steps from all the action, or there are cafes, exciting nightlife, a thriving community feeling in the area.
- ‘Boring’ residential area: If your home is removed from the action, say this in your listing. For example: You can list transport options and distances/times to give guests a realistic understanding of how far out you are. Additionally, you could describe your space as offering peace and quiet, quick access to local shops, markets, cafes and having a local, community feel.
- Small space: Say that the space is small but describe what makes it great. For example, it’s cosy, intimate, and minimalist space-wise. If you’re located in a vibrant neighbourhood you could always say, “This is a small space with a bustling neighbourhood at your doorstep.”
- If you have an older unit: Describe your space as charming, historical, retro or cosy. You can let people know you have an older home without making it sound uninviting, but you should acknowledge it in some way.
- Do you have pets? You MUST list this as some quests will have allergies or strong oppositions to pets. Ensure to describe your pets as cute, great company, an adorable ‘local’ or state whether they keep to themselves.
Airbnb comes with a pricing tool, which recommends competitive rates, but what you want to charge is up to you.
Step 2: Meet and greet
Once you’ve set up your listing on Airbnb and a traveller has booked your space, you’ll need to make a good first impression. You can do this by getting to know them and messaging them on Airbnb before they arrive.
Have a good response time
You should quickly and frequently respond to messages on Airbnb to maintain a strong response rate. This rewards hosts that are prompt, which is attractive to guests who want a reachable host. To ensure you maintain your strong response rate, you need to make sure you have the final message otherwise Airbnb will track this as non-response to the last message reducing your rate.
Be courteous and offer a decent experience
Majority of hosts ensure the space is clean and provide essentials like clean sheets, towels and toilet paper. You can either greet guests in person with a key or just send them a door code.
Step 3: Payment
Airbnb offers a secure payment system, which means you’ll never have to deal with money directly. Guests are charged before arrival and you are paid automatically after check-in. There are various payment options including PayPal, direct deposit and international money wire.
Step 4: Maintenance
Once your guest has left, ensure the place is cleaned and all the linen is changed in preparation for your next guest.
Review your guest
Leaving a review is courteous and shows you’re a responsible host. Potential guests can also see your written reviews, so be respectful and detailed as this gives potential guests a flavour of who you are, which can improve your chances of landing the next guest.
Are you ready to join the Airbnb market place and take one step closer to financial freedom? Use this comprehensive resource when deciding on a location, mitigating risks, setting up your listing and planning your strategy for the future.