Seeking advice on hosting Families, Listing Improvements, and Pricing

[Lujain3]

Hi everyone,

I’m a new host on Airbnb and excited to start this journey! My property is a cozy apartment in a quiet neighborhood, and I’d love to attract more families. Do enough families book on Airbnb, or should I adjust my approach?

I’d also appreciate your advice on how you calculate your pricing and account for expenses. Are there any strategies or tools you use to set the right price while covering costs?

Lastly, I’d love to hear your opinions on anything I can add or change to improve my property or listing. Any feedback or tips would mean a lot!

Thanks so much!

[Title updated by Community Manager]

[Paula]

Hello @Lujain3

These are great questions for our host community!

I’m reaching out to some of our experienced hosts to see if they’d be willing to share their insights with you: @Anton7298 @Marcin65 @Dave-and-Deb0 @Lauren4555 @Lydia594 @Jason2680 and @Joey28.

Wishing you a wonderful day! 🌟

Best regards,

[Lujain3]

Thank you so much for your support❤️

[Lydia594]

@Lydia594 What a lovely, classy vacation home! So from what I've seen on most markets, yes, families do travel and advertising that can get more people in the door. Groups travel too, so you can advertise to groups as well as families. As far as pricing, I'd go off your competitors. They drive the market. Being new, I'd go a below competitors and see how you do. I use Wheelhouse pricing for my Airbnb, but I definitely tweak prices as needed. If you find expenses are above what you're able to earn, you have some options, but it could be a sign the market is too saturated. With a hot tub, you should be able to price a little higher once you get going, especially if most competition don't have hot tubs! 

Now feedback on your listing! It's very formal and classy, I like it. I'd take pictures during the day with natural lighting so it's warmer and more welcoming. I'd get bedsheets for any beds that are mattress only (atleast some were in the pics). It could use some decor so it feels homey, maybe some art and artificial plants? Books, kids toys, and such are nice too if you don't already have an area/nook for that. I'd aim for 25-30 pictures, if you have too many, people can get bored and not then not read the description. Better to have them finish pictures and then start reading. 😃 Your description is great, but maybe you can make it a little longer? Really highlght what you and the area have to offer. Lastly, I'd mention the hot tub in your listing title. "Classy Getaway with Hottub" or something catchy. 😁 

I hope this helps! It can be overwhelming at first, but you'll go far if you're teachable and no afraid of doing the work. ❤️

[Lujain3]

Thank you so much for your thoughtful and detailed feedback! I really appreciate the insights, and I’ll definitely work on the suggestions you shared. I’m glad you pointed out the hot tub—it was added by mistake, but I’ve removed it now. Do you think I have another strong feature that I can point out? 

I’ll focus on improving the photos with natural lighting and adding some decor to make the space feel more welcoming and homey. I also love the idea of including things like books, toys, or a small nook for families, as well as tweaking the listing title to make it more engaging.

Thank you again for taking the time to share these tips—they're so helpful as I get started! 

[Lydia594]

@Lujain3 I'm so glad to hear the tips are helpful! I'm sure you'll do a great job adding those little touches. As far as things you can highlight, what about your airport pick up service? That's huge! Also, you could try highlighting amenities in a bullet point list for those quick readers. Take a look at my listing for an example, if you like. 🙂 

[Lujain3]

Thank you @Lydia594 honestly for you support I really appreciate it. I’m definitely going to add the amenities checklist!  

Can I ask you two more questions?🙈

Is it okay to ask guests to pay for firewood since it’s expensive? I’d love to offer self-check-in to avoid waiting for guests, but I’m worried about security and ensuring the right person checks in. Also, my neighbors might not approve of cameras—what do you think? 

[Lydia594]

You're most welcome! Happy to help. 🥰

Hm. I'm not sure about the firewood. I suppose you could always have firewood as an extra if they'd like to purchase it. But if it were me, I wouldn't. Would a propane or electric fireplace be another option, if either would be cheaper for you? 

I'm a strong believer in atleast 1 camera for your security as well as the guest's. We use Ring and pay so we can see previous video. It's saved us many times. We've seen guests bringing guests over the limit, seen guests do damage, even a guest bring a pet (we are pet free). Maybe you can set it up so it only captures a small area around the main entry point? As for self-check in, I recommend a smart lock. You can change the code from your phone, so it can be set to the last 4 digits of the guests phone number. In my check-in instructions I state their code will be the last 4 digits of the number on their Airbnb account. We also provide step-by-step instructions for how to enter the code and unlock it (instructions both in the app and a laminated copy on the actual front door). It saves me a lot of time not having to meet each guest, and they seem to like the privacy of self check-in.