How to Set up your first Airbnb
Please, no singly ply....🧻
As a preface to this newsletter, I wanted to be clear on what my goals are and what these weekly posts will entail. I am using this newsletter as a way to document my journey of learning the process of real estate investing, and basically dump all the information I have learned into this funnel. I am in no way trying to act as a “guru” or mentor. I am most likely in the same boat as a lot of you reading this, and I think that brings a lot of value. Most investing blogs and videos are all about those that have done it already and are at the top. I want this to be more relatable to the average person who wants to get started, and can follow along with my wins and losses!
Happy hump day everyone! This weeks newsletter is going to be all about the steps I have taken to prepare myself for my first Airbnb property. I have compiled a sort of checklist out of all the research i’ve done in order to be as ready as I can for hosting guests. There are many things that I didn’t think were necessary, that can actually make a huge difference when renting out a property. Ultimately, you are creating an experience for your guests, and you want them to be as comfortable and “at home” as they can be. Let’s get into the first few steps you should take.
You Need a Team
Before you can even get into the nice amenities offered in your airbnb, you need to have a game plan for how you are going to run and maintain your property. This is best achieved by hiring a team of professionals (or trustworthy friends/family) to be your sidekicks. Ideally, you’ll need a cleaner, a handyman, a plumber and even a maintenance person to make sure your property is being kept up to standards and stocked at all times. While I think this method is good practice, I also understand it may not be totally necessary/possible when first starting out. If you are handy, it may be a good idea to do some of the light maintenance yourself, and save money for other more necessary help, like a plumber. As far as cleaning your property goes, this is where I think it’s definitely worth it to hire professionals. You are already charging a cleaning fee on airbnb per reservation, so you might as well use that money to hire a group of efficient, quality cleaners. Nowadays, people want to make sure the home they are renting is pristine and taken care of, so you can charge a premium for cleaning, and even make a profit off of the cleaning fee if you’d really like to.
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Amenities
When guests enter your airbnb, you want their first impressions to be positive. No weird smells, no faulty appliances, and visually pleasing. This will ensure the guests go into their vacation, or weekend getaway with the comfort expected from a quality hotel or inn.
Furniture: Make sure the furniture you use to accessorize your property is comfortable and clean. It doesn’t have to be the most expensive couch or chair in the world, but it needs to be quality. See if you can find local craftsmen like woodworkers/artisans to furnish your home. People really appreciate shopping local nowadays, and it will be infinitely better in quality than that quick and cheap ikea coffee table.
Beds/linens: You’re probably going to find a common theme here, but DO NOT skimp out on beds and linens/pillows. This is where your airbnb will really shine. There’s nothing better than getting into a cool, fluffy bed with cozy pillows and soft sheets. If guests sleep well at your house, you’ve already won.
Bathrooms: Another crucial part of your home are the bathrooms. Do everyone a favor and buy Charmin Ultra Soft toilet paper. Nobody wants to be wiping with sandpaper, and you’d be surprised how many people will notice something as small as TP. Make sure your toilets flush well, and your shower pressure is solid.
Extras: Once you have all the basics handled and stocked, you can now begin really setting yourself apart from the competition. Does your property have a nice outdoor deck? Throw a hot tub on it. Is there tons of yard space for activities? Set up cornhole, and a fire pit to bring everyone together. There are countless things you can do to set yourself apart, so get creative and use your imagination and i’m sure your guests will love it.
Bringing it all together
So you’ve figured out your team, you’ve made sure to buy the softest toilet paper on the market, and you bought a retro hot tub with massaging seats (ok maybe not). Now is the time to make sure you have a system in place to efficiently and effectively run your airbnb business. Each time a guest reserves your home, there needs to be a checklist run down of all the inventory in the house. Is there enough toilet paper? Towels? Linens? Pots and pans? Making sure your guests are well equipped is crucial.
Once checkout day comes, you need to be in contact with your cleaners to come and clean the home asap, before the next group of guests arrive. This is where services like Yourporter can be a huge help. They link your cleaning company (and other services) to your airbnb business by notifying them whenever you have a new booking. They have checkout times and other updates relayed, so the cleaners know when it’s time to come and get the house back to renting shape.
Creating a system like the one I explained above is going to take time, and you should experiment with different processes based on what works best for your business. But the key takeaway from all of this is to make sure you are prepared, and took the time to create a system that works. You may be able to get away with winging it a few times, but once bookings start to pick up, and guests damage things, the only thing that will keep your business running, are the procedures you’ve put in place.
I hope you all enjoyed this weeks newsletter and took something away from it that you didn’t know before. As always if you enjoyed, feel free to share this with someone you know might be interested. You can also subscribe below if you want an extra newsletter every week that shows a full “Deal of the Week” analysis where I pick a property to analyze from start to finish!
