8 Ways to Make Your Airbnb a Great Success
Holidays and time away from the everyday grind are treasured times for our family. Our family holiday planning involves the same “simple recipe” involving research, planning and saving to make the dream a reality. We’ve stayed in a range of accommodations of varying budgets. However, budgets aside, the most successful accommodations were homes styled with a heart and maintained with love, effort and enthusiasm. These are the kind of places that I and many others will want to revisit over and over. They have their calendars regularly booked out and are the motivation behind writing this blog post. If you would like your holiday home to achieve similar success, please read on:
NO 1. LOVE YOUR CLEANER!
Your cleaner plays a hugely important role in the ongoing success of your holiday home. Make sure that your home is hygienically cleaned after each stay. A quick refresher will also be required if there’s been a break between holiday stays. If you show that you care for the maintenance and cleanliness of your holiday home, your holidaymakers will too. The following is a list of tips that your cleaner should always pay detailed attention to:
- Hygenic bathroom – An un-hygienic bathroom will not get a holiday off to a good start. Pay attention to the vanity, bath and shower, toilet, floors, walls and doors
- Ensure your kitchen is cleaned and organised. Your fridge and oven should always be clean and free of mould
- Floors should be vacuumed and mopped. And free of cobwebs or evidence of insects living at the home rent free
- Linen should be professionally cleaned or look and feel like it
- A spring clean is required every quarter. Mattresses and cushions need to be regularly dusted and aired. Pay attention to artwork, bookshelves and shelves.
Lastly, find small ways to reward your cleaner. You want them to feel appreciated and be committed to cleaning your home thoroughly. And if you are the cleaner for your holiday home- reward yourself for your detailed work often.
NO 2. USE A STYLIST TO HELP CREATE A MEMORABLE SPACE
Talk with a stylist about creating a consistent style – story for your home. Your guests want to feel relaxed and be moved by the details that your home offers. A stylist can assist you with completing this task. Or do the design work for you; this is where they will source furniture and decor items to suit your homes – brief, on your behalf.
A good stylist will also have industry contacts and know how to source artwork, decor items, bed linen and kitchenware at trade prices. Remember that you want your holiday house experience to feel next level. Using a stylist to achieve this can also save you money. You want your home to look highly loved and adored. And a good stylist will know a handful of ways to do this;
- Create a consistent mood for your holiday home to improve the look and feel
- Improve the spatial flow of your home via correct layout and furniture placement. Quality, size and shape of the furniture are also hugely important here
- Create moments of interest via a colour palette and gorgeous vignettes of art & accessories that are pleasing to the eye. These might be a layered mix of new and old accessories that mean something to you or your home. And simultaneously have a story to convey to your guests
- Prepare your home for your photos. Quality photos are hugely important and will be your window to the world. They need to speak to your future guests with impact.
NO 3. QUALITY FURNITURE IS VERY IMPORTANT
- I will always recommend buying a well-made lounge over cheap varieties because adding to landfill is senseless consumer – behaviour. It does not benefit your back pocket nor help the environment, especially if you’re required to buy a replacement lounge in 5 years’ time. You could potentially – consider buying a well-made, second-hand lounge if you have budget considerations
- Lounges, beds, pillows and cushions need to be comfortable, be prepared to spend money on these and quality bedding in order to save money later. Always use waterproof covers on all your beds. A good cotton sheet with a high thread count will last you much longer than any of the cheaper varieties. Lastly, choose a lounge fabric that wears well and is easily cleaned. Remember that buying well saves us money in the long run.
NO 4. BECOME SOCIAL MEDIA SAVVY
- Start a Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, TikTok and Twitter account for your holiday rental
- Post regular pictures of your home, wall vignettes, cosy lounge scenes, surrounding attractions, and surrounding views and share things that inspire you
- Invite your guests to do the same and ask them to tag you in the pictures. Relationship building is a two-way street, be inspired by others on social platforms such as Instagram and Pinterest
- Hold competitions and discounts for loyal followers, especially during quiet seasons
- Build a genuine experience around your home and your guests will follow.
NO 5. LOCAL RELATIONSHIP-BUILDING IS A MUST!
- Connect with local businesses in your area via social media and in person. Local relationships build trust and will be helpful in the long-term outlook of your holiday home. If local businesses see that you have created a holiday experience for your customers connected to a local experience, you will be at the forefront of their minds for accommodation recommendations
- Help support other local businesses by sharing their upcoming promotions & events
- Provide links to other businesses via blog posts, the is great to improve your website’s SEO rankings
- Website backlinks received from other businesses also improve Google ratings and SEO.
NO 6. REPEAT CUSTOMERS ARE THE BEE’S KNEES
- Think of ways to get repeat customers via a small discount or an extra night free. Remember that your regular guests are your people
- If your rental feels like home, they will return to enjoy more holiday experiences.
NO 7. FEEDBACK
- Always ask for feedback from each of your bookings. And leave a questionnaire form to complete because people are less likely to email surveys when they return home
- Communication is knowledge, don’t be afraid to seek honest opinions that are useful, free and helpful information to help you run your business well.
NO 8. JOURNAL THE LOVE
- Start a blog or story about your journey as an Airbnb / holiday home host – tell us stories about your home and its décor. Document your favourite treasures.
- Provide link-worthy opportunities for like-minded businesses to share
- Tell us about the best walking hikes to do in your area, the best places to eat and local must-dos while visiting the area. The journal will be evidence of your love and dedication towards your business
- Lastly, make sure that you take regular holidays in your home to better understand its strengths and weaknesses.
If you’re looking for a content creator to breathe life into your Airbnb or holiday home business website or social media. Get in Touch
P.S I also take great photographs and have worked for many years as a stylist.
