Are you planning to spruce up your space in 2020?

[Stephanie]

Hello everyone,

As we approach the end of the year (aw, I can’t believe I’m saying that), it’s pretty common to look ahead and think about plans for the upcoming year. Many people like to make new year resolutions, but when it comes to hosting, this can often signal a time to refresh your home. Some new guest towels perhaps or a new coat of paint in the bathroom or something bigger like that garden shed you have had your eye on! 

What are your plans for sprucing up your listing in 2020? 

We'd love to hear your input for an upcoming article. Thank you! 

[Jillian54]

We typically do our major changes throughout the year. However, next year the plans definitely include restaining and filling scratches in some of our woodwork as well as (hopefully) getting new flooring for our kitchen. 

[Pete69]

I just added countdown timers for the bathroom ceiling heater and fan.

[Pat6671]

Having almost completed our first year as hosts, there are a number of things we planned to do. However, we always said future investment must be justified by the returns. As our business is primarily seasonal, I'm a little nervous about spending the money in advance of confirmed bookings. Any guidance on likely variations in bookings from year to year (from more experienced hosts) would be most welcome.

[Jacqui16]

Hi Pat, we have found that as you become more established with more good reviews your bookings will continue and repeat guests will emerge. Like any business small or otherwise you do need to keep investing in ensuring your basics are all of good standard with some nice and unique touches that give guests a lovely stay that they will want to tell others about. You will be rewarded by bookings.  Good luck

[Sarah977]

@Pat6671  That's a wise attitude. There's no need to spend more than you can afford to. There are plenty of places which are quite simple, yet clean and comfortable, that get great reviews and ratings. I've really not changed anything in my Airbnb room in the 3 years I've been hosting. I do some maintenance and change out small things, like I just made a new chair cushion cover because the old one was looking worn, patched a couple small holes in the mosquito net, and last year I replaced the mattress, which had been in my guest room for years before I ever started hosting. But other than that kind of thing, I pretty much set it up the way I wanted it in the first place, and the space is small, so there's no room to put more furniture or anything. And my guests say they love the space, so why fix it if it ain't broke?

It's hard to predict how the volume of future bookings will be- it depends on the listing you offer, where you are located, how much competition you have, etc. But as you build up a lot of good reviews, that helps.

[Hello6]

Go for safety first Pat.  Smoke alarms, Carbon Monoxide, signage for guests to follow in case heaven forbids an accident or incident, no smoking, wash the dishes etc.  These are the small touches that add value of professional hosting for little money nor need for handy person experience.  A printed House Manual is another.  Another is seek out Inspection paperwork and architect.  Get everything legal and up to date.  An architect can be a wonderful addition and worth the consulting money and money which if spent is usually tax deductable as a businesses expense.  Same goes for the electrical, sewage and water inspections.  No harm to ask your local Fire Department to do a walk through either.  All these cost more in planning and talking then major cash.  The results from these can help you to properly prioritize repairs.  Sometimes it very easy to spend money on nice things and furniture and miss an elephant in the room like bad wiring.  Good luck 🙂

[Robert-And-Beth0]

If you just finished your first year, you likely know what level of occupancy you will have over your peak months. And now that you have a reputation and good reviews ( hopefully) you are likely to continue to be desired at roughly the same level unless there has been a change. Plan work that can be easily completed during non peak times and that makes space more desirable but also increases the value of the property. In that way you are spending money where it will earn you money when you sell. Also there may be a tax benefit to declaring various expenses related to your rental space. Check with an accountant about which repairs or upgrades best benefit you financially while increasing property value

[Michelle1164]

@Stephanie  To get ready for 2020 we have been updating a second room so that we are able to accommodate our guest request for 2 rooms. Many times people travel together but would prefer or require separate sleeping arrangements. Another project we are starting and will have done for 2020 is better parking arrangements for our guests. Currently where we have guests park, sometimes pools up with water if it rains a lot. So my husband it putting in a French drain to divert excess water away from the driveway. 

[Michelle1164]

Updates:

1. We got all the finishing touches on our second room and opened it up for business this weekend. Within an hour of listing it on Airbnb it was booked.

2. The French drain is done and it is doing its job beautifully. No more water pooling up on the driveway where the guests park.

How are anyone else's projects for 2020 coming along?

[Susan1404]

@Stephanie- Yes, most definitely will be doing some "tweaking."  The most extensive tweak is the lake that sits next to my cabin.  The dam has to be rebuilt unfortunately, so it will be a major tweak. After that, just small things - new rockers for the front porch, and a new mattress for the sleeper loveseat.  I really wish I could just skip the rebuilding of the dam, but I actually had to remove "cabin sits next to a lake" from my description because the lake kept leaking out!

[Sarah977]

@Stephanie  I'm still working on 2019 🙂 Have just spent days washing down the brick ceiling in the guest room which was getting covered in efflorescense, (saltpeter) which is something that commonly happens here in the humid, wet weather if there is somewhere the moisture is getting in.

This entailed first scrubbing with a brush and a muriatic acid solution, then sponging down with water, letting that dry and then applying a sealer which will hopefully keep it from coming back. 

The sealer runs down my arm when painting it on- I didn't realize I hadn't washed it off properly and now I have this stuff glued to my upper arm and armpit and it won't even scrub off in the shower with a washcloth.  It's all flakey now and looks like I have some gross skin disease.

Next I have some sewing to do- patch a few small holes in the mosquito net I just washed, repair a chair cushion cover and make a new throw pillow cover. 

Then touch up a bit of paint, and hopefully all will be ready when my next guest arrives the 4th of Dec.

I don't even want to think about 2020.

[Stephanie]

Sounds ever so arduous @Sarah977 . How long does it take for the build up take to get to a point you need to repeat the process?

RE: flakey skin disease... ew. Long sleeves for while perhaps?

[Sarah977]

@Stephanie  Hopefully I won't ever have to do it again. It happens when moisture is getting in somewhere and once that gets addressed, it stops happening. There were some hairline cracks in my concrete roof which was the problem, whch have now been sealed. 

It's about 80 degrees F here right now, so I have to pass on the long sleeves 🙂 But most of the sealer has flaked off on it's own by now.

[Afua8]

Sarah 977! Have you tried to consult your MSDS for information on how to remove this type of sealer  when you come in contact with it?

[Sarah977]

@Afua8  What's a MSDS?