We turned out home into an Airbnb

We are making home an Airbnb. We recently opened up our family home to Airbnb guests. We understood a little about owning an Airbnb because we had stayed at a few. We also bombarded our friends who owned Airbnbs with questions. When it’s your home it’s different! We have lived in our home for 25 years so it oozes with memories for us. That in itself can be good or bad. Here are just a few reasons to think about.

Pro-Memories can create a cozy homey atmosphere where people feel comfortable
Con-Too many family photos, memorabilia and the like can make quests feel like they have invaded your space
Pro- If you’ve lived in the house and furnished it, chances are you have purchased items of quality
Con- If it’s your stuff, you might be overly attached and dismayed when it is damaged
Pro-You’ve lived in the house and you need all its little quirks and needs
Con-You resent it when people ignore your rules and disrespect hour home
Because we are making home an Airbnb we feel like guests sometimes too!

Keeping it Fun and Worthwhile

I have found several ways to keep it fun. One of the main things I do is, I greet all my guests and show them around my quirky 1890’s Village Farmhouse. More often than not we are instant friends. They already know about me from my profile and house description but I know nothing about them! So by greeting them and showing them around the house, I get to know them a bit.

I am totally honest and upfront about everything before they book and once they arrive. I ask questions in a casual way to not put-off my guests. I put out special things that I know a guest will like. For example, I have a 3 year old staying this weekend. I am getting out the Legos from my grands. We always leave little snacks on the dining room table, fresh flowers on the kitchen table and we have a complete “How to live in this 1890″s house folder with the pertinent information they might need.

The Nitty Gritty about the Bedrooms

Clean clean clean-I spend more time cleaning my house than I ever did but it sure makes me happy to see my guests reaction when they walk in to a clean happy house. This in itself takes me most of a day and once we have had more bookings and made a little more $$$$, I will hire someone. Same goes for lawn care, hubby is still doing the lawn but once we are more established we will hire someone.

I had to think totally differently about bedding. Since I am constantly washing it, I want it to last and be easy to put on and off. I have some beautiful full length spreads on the twin beds that have to be dry cleaned. I am going to replace them next year with something easier.

For our own beds I think layers which we can take off as needed. With the Airbnb I don’t know which layers they used and which they didn’t so I just wash everything, I am going to simplify this next season too..

Bathrooms

Both of our full baths have been recently renovated and are equipped with:

(The items below are items I have actually purchased for our Airbnb, as an Amazon affiliate, I receive a small commission if you click on these items and purchase them. You won’t pay any more for the items though.)

hair dryer
first aid kit (Get a good one see below)
soap, shampoo, conditioner, body wash and hand soap.(the kit below is a great gift for someone traveling)
extra towels & washcloths all white so easily bleached (if necessary)
extra toilet paper & new toothbrushes

We have only begun this journey and we are renovating our “Farmhouse” as we go along. So far we have had wonderful guests who have taken perfect care of our home and the little bit of extra money has helped to pay for the renovations and upkeep of an 1890’s Farmhouse in a Vermont village.