SETTING UP YOUR AIRBNB PROPERTY
Now that we discussed the administrative side of the Airbnb planning game, it is time to move right into the practical aspect of preparing your Airbnb property for actual business.
The most important is that when guests book into a hotel, they are undoubtedly aware that they are missing out on a lot of things. Hotels feel nothing like a home destination. This disadvantage is what you as an Airbnb host are supposed to leverage when setting up your property.
A visually pleasing and well-stocked Airbnb property can feel just like a destination in its own right. It all depends on the efforts and commitment you put into setting up the different areas, including the bedrooms, bathrooms, kitchen, dining area, and living spaces. In this section, we will analyze the essentials for making each of these rooms unique, attractive, and comfortable.
Setting Up the Bedroom
As an Airbnb host, you must understand that a good night’s sleep is one of the best ways to set the tone for your guests’ successful stay. Hence, as you begin to set up the bedroom, your goal should be to ensure that your guests enjoy a comfortable night and start each day of their vacation feeling refreshed. Here are some of the basic bedroom essentials to consider during your set-up process:
– Comfortable beds and beddings
In an Airbnb bedroom, there is nothing more crucial than your guest having a comfortable foam mattress and a beautiful wooden bed frame. Don’t assume that the bed is comfortable just by looking at it. Instead, hop into your guest’s bed and sleep in it for a night to confirm that everything about it is perfect.
However, a comfortable bed is incomplete without clean sheets and pillows. To set up a standard bedroom, you are expected to provide a full set of high-quality, soft, and extremely clean sheets, including a fitted sheet, a top sheet, and pillowcases. A blanket, quilt, comforter or duvet is also necessary.
Just like your sheets, your pillows also have to be clean and soft. Most people sleep on two pillows, but you can go the extra mile and make it four, placing two on each side.
Even after providing all that we just mentioned, it is always best to tuck an extra set of bedding in the closet. Spills and accidents tend to happen, especially when your guests have kids. Though most guests may not make use of this bedding, the few who do will be pleased to know you left them emergency supplies.
– An area to unpack
When setting up your bedroom, you need to create a space where your guests can unpack. A simple wardrobe, shelf, closet, or dresser will do. But no matter the type of space you provide, it must be one in which your guests can unpack easily once they move in.
– Curtains
Apart from the bathroom, your guests also require complete privacy in their bedrooms. So, curtains are necessary when you set up the bedroom. Oftentimes, your guests may want to sleep in complete darkness and would rather not be disturbed by the sun rays in the morning. The curtains in the room can help in that respect. A decor tip that can be of help to you—you can create texture and depth in your Airbnb room by simply layering your darker curtains over delicate lace panels.
– Laundry baskets
Placing laundry baskets at designated spots in your Airbnb bedroom is another effective set-up strategy. By providing an intuitive space for your guests to properly dispose of dirty sheets and towels, you ensure that your guests keep the property clean, especially if they will be staying for a long time. Just in case you are confused about the best spot to place your laundry baskets, you can hide them under a bench or place them in a corner of the bedroom.
– Décor
Unlike what many people think, your bedroom also needs to be decorated, just like your living rooms. And a few aesthetic touches around the room could go a long way in making the room look more welcoming and unique. Your bedroom’s décor plan could be as simple as hanging pictures of breathtaking landscapes, installing one or two flower vases, or even adding some nice colorful light bulbs. Just make sure that whatever you do makes the space feel more lively and happy!
Setting Up the Bathroom
More than the other parts of your Airbnb space, guests tend to notice when you intentionally invest time and effort in preparing the bathroom for them. Even if they don’t end up cooking in your kitchen, or noticing the decorations in your living rooms, they will definitely appreciate the effort you put into cleaning and stocking the bathroom. Thus, setting up the bathroom is another chance for you to impress your potential guests and set yourself apart from your competitors. There are so many essentials you can offer to improve this simple space. Here are some of them:
– Appropriate shower fixtures
Though standard shower fixtures are quite affordable, it worthwhile upgrading your bathroom by fixing in an adjustable high-pressure showerhead and a shower hose. With such a feature, you can even charge a higher price while still ensuring that your guests enjoy a more comfortable shower experience.
Nevertheless, if you cannot upgrade your bathroom to include these items, then you must ensure that the available showerhead has enough water pressure; more importantly, it should have no limescale, which could spoil your guests’ shower experiences.
– Clean set of towels
The number of guests you accommodate in your property will determine the number of towels you will have to provide. If your Airbnb space offers access to facilities like pools, gyms, or spas, then you will also have to provide additional towels in the linen closet or shelves. This way, your guests will have enough towels to use after showering and during recreational activities.
All in all, you must ensure that the set of towels provided are very clean. An extra tip is for you to include in your Airbnb manual a place where guests are expected to store their used towels. You don’t want to experience cases of moldy towels being hidden away in the bedroom cabinets for days or even weeks.
– Trash cans
Besides the laundry baskets that you place in the bedrooms, you can also place a trash can in each bathroom to make it more convenient for your guests to dispose of used toiletries after taking a shower or using the toilet. You could also ask that they empty this trash can during their stay on the Airbnb property. This request should be clearly and explicitly stated in your house rules.
– Bathmats and foot towels
Bathmats and foot towels help to prevent slip accidents and protect your floors from excess moisture. With such anti-slip surfaces in the bathroom, your guests will be more at ease knowing they don’t have to step directly onto wet floors after using the bathroom.
Using bathmats and foot towels also helps keep the floors clean. Still, you must ensure that they are always cleaned after every guest leaves. Regular cleaning will help prevent the buildup of mold and bacteria on the mats.
Setting Up the Kitchen and Dining Areas
If you are offering a kitchen and a dining space in your Airbnb listing, the best way to set them up is to imagine yourself cooking and eating different meals there. In this way, you can ensure that your Airbnb kitchen is equipped with all the kitchen essentials required for making different dishes. Here is a list of the necessities that should be stocked in your Airbnb kitchen and dining areas.
– Cookers and ovens
The basic function of the kitchen is to cook food, so it is only natural that you provide your guests with something to cook with. But first, you must understand that the type of cooking equipment you need will depend on your Airbnb listing price and target guests. For example, if you are charging a higher fee for your ‘family-friendly’ Airbnb property, then you will have to invest more money in your kitchenware. Along with a stovetop and oven, you could add in a decent-sized cooker and microwave that would suit a family.
– Pots and pans
Good-quality pots and pans are also necessary to provide your guests with an awesome cooking experience. Again, your target guests and Airbnb listing fees will determine if you need to provide a wide range of pots and pans or just a few of them.
– Bowls and cooking utensils
These are quite important in your kitchen setup. Sometimes, your guests may want to bake or cook homemade meals that require the use of cooking bowls or utensils, like strainers, spatulas, serving spoons, wooden spoons, ladles, whisks, and tongs.
– Cutlery
Providing high-quality cutlery that will not rust or fade should also be a top priority as you set up your kitchen. You should provide enough to cater for the number of guests you plan to host. You could also add a few extra sets to prevent any shortages.
– Gloves and dishwashing liquid
If you don’t want dirty dishes and pots stacked up in your kitchen after your guests leave, then you must ensure that you provide them with the necessary materials to clean up after they finish cooking and eating— this should include dishwashing liquid, some household cleaning gloves, towels and a dish drying rack.
Setting Up Living Spaces
Your living room is where your guests will most likely spend most of their day when they are not out exploring. As such, you must put a lot of effort into the décor and functionality of your living space. Let’s get right into the elements you need to include in your Airbnb living area.
– Choose the right furniture
The kind of furniture you choose will play a great role in determining how appealing your guests will find your Airbnb living area. So, how do you identify the right kind of furniture for your living space?
To start with, your furniture must adequately perform two important functions: Firstly, it must make the living area stylish and visually appealing. At the same time, it must also provide the kind of comfort that your guests need to enjoy their stay.
Nowadays, a lot of Airbnb hosts tend to get carried away in wanting to give their living space a unique vibe; thus, they end up choosing unusual furniture. Though this style could pass for good marketing, it can often backfire because guests who don’t think the same way as their hosts might not appreciate the host’s choice of furniture. The more distinctive your furniture style is, the greater the likelihood of this happening. So, what is the safest option, especially if you are a newbie host?
Your safest bet is to go for modern pieces of furniture that are more restrained but still stylish. This way, you are more likely to appeal to a wider range of guests.
-Avoid clusters in Your Seating Arrangement
While arranging your furniture in the living room, always ensure that you maximize the floor area. In other words, you are expected to provide ample seating space while still leaving enough free space in the room. Achieving such a balance requires you to be careful and creative. Moreover, being careful enough to choose the right kind of furniture can make your job a whole lot easier.
– Table area
What types of table will be best for your living space? Your choice of table will usually depend on the size of your living room. Circular tables may best suit your living area if you have limited space. They are space-efficient—that is, they offer you ample seating without using a large floor area. Nonetheless, square and rectangular tables are equally great, though they are better suited to Airbnb properties with larger floor areas.
It is also important that you consider the maximum number of guests your Airbnb can hold when deciding how much table area to provide in your living area. For example, if you have an apartment that can hold only four guests at a time, then you don’t have to provide a large dining area that is better suited to a table of eight people.
– Provide entertainment and fast Wi-Fi service
It is quite true that nowadays your guests will most likely have their phones, laptops, iPads, and mobile data plans to stream videos and entertain themselves. However, nothing beats watching your favorite show or movie on a TV, while sitting comfortably on a couch in a visually appealing space, sipping from a glass of wine! Thus, as a host, you are expected to provide your guests with a smart television that offers interesting streaming options, like Netflix, Stan, and Amazon Prime.
Since you are offering a smart television with such streaming capability, then it is only right that you provide a fast Wi-Fi service so that your guests can enjoy what you have offered them. But you must ensure that the internet connectivity you choose is good enough to satisfy your guests as they stream and enjoy themselves.
