{"id":5699,"date":"2018-06-07T09:17:52","date_gmt":"2018-06-07T14:17:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/3.146.49.248\/?p=5699"},"modified":"2024-09-30T14:43:51","modified_gmt":"2024-09-30T19:43:51","slug":"home-ready-airbnb-hosting","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thelockup.com\/blog\/home-ready-airbnb-hosting\/","title":{"rendered":"Getting Your Home Ready for Airbnb Hosting"},"content":{"rendered":"

Whether you\u2019re looking to make some extra income or you\u2019re constantly out of town, it\u2019s time to jump on the Airbnb bandwagon. This popular housing service has grown massively over the past few years and more people than ever are searching for homes over hotel rooms.<\/h2>\n

While it seems like a great idea, and it probably is, hosting your home can take a lot of work. Besides all of the work on the back-end of things, you\u2019ll need to make sure that you properly prepare your home for guests. That\u2019s why we\u2019ve put together a comprehensive guide on getting your home ready for Airbnb hosting. Take a look below.<\/p>\n

Increase Accessibility<\/h3>\n

The first thing you need to consider when getting your home ready for Airbnb hosting is accessibility. If you don\u2019t plan on personally meeting and greeting every guest for check in and check out, you\u2019ll need to provide a secure way for them to access your home. Consider installing a lock box or keyless entrance pad<\/a>. You can easily change the code with each guest and reduce the amount of lost keys.<\/p>\n

Remove Your Personal Items<\/h3>\n

This step can be tricky. Your home is filled to the brim with personal items and valuables that need to be removed when you start hosting. While you don\u2019t want to completely empty your place, it\u2019s best to get rid of things that won\u2019t directly benefit your guests.<\/p>\n

Go around each room with a few boxes and start by packing up any and all personal hygiene items. Everything from shampoo and perfume should be removed unless you plan on offering them to your guests for use. Additionally, you\u2019ll want to remove the following:<\/p>\n

Clothes and Shoes<\/h3>\n

Have you ever checked into a hotel room and opened the closet to find a full wardrobe staring back at you? Probably not. This idea extends for Airbnb hosting. People don\u2019t want to feel like they\u2019re invading someone\u2019s personal space so make sure that you remove all of your clothes and shoes. Store seasonal clothes and footwear in a storage unit and keep the rest with you or in a locked closet.<\/p>\n

Valuables<\/h3>\n

This should be a no brainer. While we hope that t\"\"<\/a>he people you\u2019re hosting wouldn\u2019t steal anything, never leave it up to chance. Remove all of your laptops, cameras, expensive jewelry and anything high in value. Either lock them in a secure safe or put them in your storage unit. The same goes for items that hold a lot of meaning to you, but aren\u2019t necessarily expensive.<\/p>\n

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Personal Documents<\/h3>\n

Remove any financial documents, passports, birth certificates and anything that contains sensitive information. There have been reported cases of theft on Airbnb, so again, don\u2019t take the risk. When you remove the opportunity you remove the chances of winding up in a bad situation.<\/p>\n

Personal Photos<\/h3>\n

People probably don\u2019t want to be staring at pictures of your family while they\u2019re staying in your home. It makes things personal and can be a bit uncomfortable. If you have photos hanging on the wall, replace them with some inexpensive artwork and store all of your personal photos away. Fill your bookshelves and side tables with small knick-knacks or pictures of scenery to keep up d\u00e9cor.<\/p>\n

The easiest way to avoid having to continually empty your home and re-fill it is by renting a storage unit. It\u2019s the perfect solution for storing furniture, documents or memorabilia that you won\u2019t want your guests to have access too. Plus, it\u2019s a bit more secure than a simple lock box in your home. You can find a plethora of affordable options at The Lock Up Self Storage that will give you the peace of mind you need.<\/p>\n

Clean, Clean, Clean<\/h3>\n

After you\u2019ve stored away all of your personal items, memorabilia and valuables, it\u2019s time to start cleaning. Nobody in the world wants to stay somewhere that\u2019s dirty. In order to guarantee that everything is spotless, consider hiring a professional cleaning service. The best ones won\u2019t miss a spec of dirt. If you prefer to do it on your own, just remember to hit the often-overlooked places (i.e., your ceiling fan). There are some great checklists<\/a> you can use to ensure you haven\u2019t missed anything.\"Getting<\/a><\/p>\n

While you\u2019re cleaning, or after you\u2019ve had a professional cleaning, make sure that nothing is broken and there aren\u2019t any safety hazards. You don\u2019t want there to be any unnecessary accidents or complaints, especially for insurance purposes.<\/p>\n

Increase Hospitality<\/h3>\n

Once you\u2019ve removed your personal items and made everything nice and clean, think about ways you can increase hospitality for your guests. The better the reviews are, the more people will want to stay at your home. As your hosting value increases you can start to increase pricing. Check out a few basic hospitality gestures that will go a long way.<\/p>\n

Provide Amenities<\/h3>\n

Please do not remove all the kitchen appliances you own. When people rent an Airbnb rather than a hotel, it\u2019s usually because they want access to a kitchen. It is so frustrating to open up an empty cabinet when you\u2019re trying to cook a meal. Keep a coffee maker, microwave, toaster, a few pots and pans, dishes, silverware and basic cooking essentials available for your guests. It will go a long way. Put the rest in your storage unit so you can easily access them when you need to. It\u2019s also customary to supply:\u00a0\"How<\/a><\/p>\n