Could smart technology be useful in an Airbnb listing?

[Stephanie]

Hi everybody, 

How many of you are tech-savvy members? Well, I have read here in the Community Center here about a number of different ways to automatise things in your home, for example temperatures in a listing (both heating and cooling). 

There are also gadgets that you can control with your voice (Alexa, or others) which control the lighting system, or even a refrigerator that calls the technician by itself. If only there was a kettle that self-boiled, brewed and served tea we would be in heaven.

These are all very clever things, but the question is:

Do you think technology can help the lives of hosts? What do you think and please share if you have any smart technology in your home? 

Thanks, 

Stephanie

[Patricia55]

@Stephanie 

Interesting topic!  I'm 65 and have loved personal computers since the 80s. But not really to control things in my home, eg temperature. It's possible that would be useful, but maybe not cost-effective for me. I'm on-site, so I adjust the central heating, as required. We don't have air conditioning. There aren't extremes of temperature here in Newcastle, either hot or cold.

If we get a heatwave here (that would be high 20s C, haha), I advise guests to keep the bedroom windows & curtains closed during the hours of sunshine, and open the windows when the sun goes down.

The layout of our flat (4 rooms, running from south to north, in a terrace) means that there's a way to escape the heat in the front room, by going to the back room – quite amazing, the difference in temperature!

If it's chilly during the night, there's an extra duvet and a hot water bottle 🙂

All in all, I'm up for low-tech solutions, if poss, but I'm a simple soul 😉

[Stephanie]

Spoken like a true geordie re: not feeling the cold @Patricia55 . Nights out there in my youth were protected by the beer jacket. My husbands a southerner so he reckons it's freezing up toon. 

I think it's pretty standard in UK to have heating but not AC in a home (in my opinion.) We have a oscillating fan which was more for the dogs benefit in summer than anything. I'm a proper techie nerd but I don't go in for smart meters and app controlled home logistics, personally. 

Thanks,

Steph

[Patricia55]

@Stephanie Haha, like that – beer jacket!

I remember one very cold snap, a few winters back; there were safety announcements on local tv/radio, advising the young'uns to wear a coat! as opposed to their normal, skimpy, winter attire when parading around toon of an evening 😉 (“If you've got it, flaunt it!”)

Actually, I'd forgotten: I do have a smart meter (freebie) and I use the little display unit to keep an eye on energy consumption. It's also handy to check whether guests have accidentally left the wall heater on in the bathroom. Come to think of it, there may be something I could get, to remotely switch it off... although running up and down the stairs is good exercise for me!

[Sarah977]

@Patricia55  When my youngest daughter was in junior high school, she used to go off to school in the winter without a coat, and I'd battle with her about it every morning, until I just decided to sleep in and not pay attention to it. She's still alive 🙂

The funny thing was, you would see all these junior high kids standing around shivering on the school grounds during recess, looking oh, so cool (pun intended) in their skimpy outfits, but by the time they made it to high school, they smartened up and actually wore coats when it was cold out. 

[Patricia55]

@Sarah977 

Ah, I recognise myself at that age, in your description of your daughter! My mum had bought all the school uniform, including a gabardine macintosh http://www.bbc.co.uk/ahistoryoftheworld/objects/ivW8NcIDSHypzvdYvvvGNw which I simply refused to wear. When I left school, I started wearing it! (Could have been because it then seemed like a cool mac, or because Mum had the tendency to buy school clothing a couple of sizes too big, obv, “to get the wear out of it”, so I had finally grown into it, lol.)

[Sarah977]

@Patricia55  It was the age of miniskirts when I was in junior high. I'd go to school in a respectable length skirt (we didn't have uniforms), then head straight for the bathrooms, where I and the other girls would roll our skirts up at the waist until they were suitably short.  

[Patricia55]

@Sarah977  Yes, miniskirts were my era too, and we also did the rolling up at the waist! (Trying to remember at what point we switched from wearing stockings & suspender belts, to tights... oh, it doesn't bear thinking about... we were probably treading a fine line ;))

[Natalia15]

We use smart heating (homematic) includ. Fire detectors, with remote app. It also could be use for security (windows and doors sensors).  It is much better as traditional German heating regulation, because it adapts heating to the desired temperature with respect to temperature outside. Since we have it, we have no complains more, that it is to cold /to warm in apartment.

[Oomesh-Kumarsingh0]

@Natalia15 What a brilliant way to invest in your Airbnb! A smart heating system is a real treat.

[Steve2320]

I have apps that control the heating / cooling and the pool / spa temperature.  I love them, it allows me to cool down the house or heat the pool remotely  before the guest arrives.  Def worth the money.

[Hugh81]

Our 1100 sq. ft. cabin is fully home automated.  We have 3 Alexa Echo Dots,  multiple controlled outlets, smart locks, smart light bulbs and an unlimited music plan.  We have created a market differentiation by including technology information in our listing.  We have created special scenarios that create unique guest experiences.  For example,  saying "Alexa Romance" turns most of the lights off in the cabin and on the deck.  The lights in the master bedroom change to a soft color and special classical music begins to play.   The guests love it. (There are multiple scenarios the guests can enjoy.)   We meet the guests at checkin and include the tech tour as part of our welcome.   We have simple (and humorous) instructions printed and available to the guests.   The kitchen and bathroom do not have automation.   I am only describing a small slice of what we have put together.  We have had our listing for one year and have had wonderful guests that have enjoyed our efforts.   

[Sandra126]

I find that anything tech will break as so many users use it, or use it wrong. Hence, I have as little tech as I can manage. Low tech is my answer. I do have a thermostat for heating, but have had to do a factory reset a few times as guests do weird things with programming. Maybe they hit all buttons repeatedly,  who knows?

[Duncan41]

I have invested about 4000 € the past 4 years. Now. for example guests can press on button at checkout and several things happen then. Housekeeping gets informed, radiators lower, some lights switch of. 

If rooms get to steamy, cause guest refuse to open any window - well I might send them a message, cause I hate redoing silicon.

Also the tumbler or washingmashine will go offline at late hours.  

Smarthome is very usefull for all. ... A doorbell, that just lights up at midnight... very usefull.