New Airbnb Commercial

[Laura2592]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=swC5HX1HmLw

Okay, where to begin?

Yes its cute. The creatures are cute. But....

1) did the ad agency research the antipathy that many hosts have to pets lol? Come on! That's a lot of hair to clean!

2) does anyone feel a little irritated that they may be compared to Bigfoot (or Cousin Itt) if they stay as a guest?

3) would this make you host? It wouldn't make me want to.

4) is the message "hosts view people as monsters?" Seems so. 

Let's focus group this-- I don't know if it has been. What are your impressions?

[John5097]

@Huma0 I know, I read your listing and all of that info is up front in very concise short description of the space and what to expect. 

I did have a roommate once just outside of Boulder Colorado, and he would become furious if anyone left the toilet seat up. We were four guys living in a the same house but he would slam the lid down when was very startling and become enraged. He used to live with his girlfriend but she ditched him although they still worked at the same company. Anyway some people are just strange. Almost all the guy guest even with wife or girlfriend pee on the toilet rim, but we were just leaving the seat up. 

I also get guest who don't read the listing at all. In four different places right up front its says NO OVEN including the first pictures of the kitchen, but as you say they think it to be what they imagine. Whenever they bring up I say I can understand how that's easy to miss but I include that info everywhere I can in the listing. Still in the review one of the few 4* for accuracy and said "Listing didn't mention there was no oven." When its all over it, although rave review and overall 5* and said they loved it. 

On the plus side guest just look at the recent reviews and decide on that. Mine just happens to be a old 60s ranch house with really great view and quiet, and I've lived here a long time and did all the work, so can make it work, as opposed to an investment property. 

I grew up in a big drafty old house and its so charming and unique but some days when its cold its like being outside. Whenever it freezes here thousands of houses have broken water pipes. 

[Huma0]

@John5097 

I don't like it either when guys leave the toilet seat up, but I just put it back down and don't say anything. It's not like I have it in my house rules, so...

I've also been dinged on accuracy about specific things not being mentioned that were mentioned several times on the listing and the guest was reminded in messages before they booked. There are some cases where there is not much more you could have done.

I think if you have loads of great reviews and the odd bad one, future guests will overlook the latter and make a judgement based on the majority. I have not found that guests message to ask me to explain the occasional bad review (luckily they have been occasional). Also, judging by how little some guests read, I am sure most just look at the most recent reviews.

I don't think my house can be that cold as in the nearly 13 years since I bought it, I've never had a single broken water pipe (touch wood I'm not inviting trouble now). The heating system is also pretty new. I had the boiler and all the radiators replace. The problem here is that it's draughty as anything. 

I cannot afford to get the windows replaced. They would need to be replaced like for like because it is a conservation area and also I would never rip out those beautiful Victorian windows and replace them with PVC. That makes replacing them an insanely expensive job. One of my neighbours, whose house is smaller and newer than mine (late Victorian, rather than Regency/Early Victorian) is trying to do it. His quotes came in at up to £100,000!!! He accepted the cheapest one, which was £45,000 and paid half up front. The guy hasn't shown up to do it! Oh dear.

I know there are some fixes I could make to draught proof the house a bit more, but I just can't find people to do it and it's way beyond my DIY skills. I'm jealous of people like you who seem to be able to do pretty much everything themselves.

[John5097]

@Huma0 we have very strict historical conservation in the historic district. I grew up with them with the old glass and my dad had weather stripping installed on all of them, but back then there were a lot more local craftsman. A friend I worked with a few years was featured on This Old House when they were in Charleston. But I'm not a fan of old windows. Growing up several friends had injured themselves badly when they broke when trying to push them open, and one lost the use of her hand. Now these houses sell more over 5-10 million each. But the Airbnbs are usually in busy commercial area an still have to keep the old windows. I really like the old houses but can understand how some guest might wonder why the windows aren't new, or that its busy in the city. If I get a inquiry that ask if its walking distance to restaurants etc, I suggest downtown. If not they will stay here and think they can rent one of the 10 million dollar mansions for $100 a night. I'm not sure what city in the world would have a sprawling marsh front view and be in the center of the city? Maybe a view of the bay, but mine says abundant wildlife. 

The ad is subjective but I don't think a lot of people will be impressed with the twist at the end where they turn back from werewolves or whatever. 

My skill set is definitely renovating the place, very accurate listing, decent photography skills, and it just being a great lot with a view. Back then no one wanted to live on a "swamp" but now everyone does. 

I'm looking forward to start the install of a mini split heat pump tomorrow. Very frustrating one supplier forgot to ship the thermoset wire so can't finish tomorrow.  

I really like the guest reviews though. Its up to them whatever they want to say or review and generally a reflection of the listing and host. I do a lot of research so managed to avoid some of the beginner mistakes. I'm also not going  to try and make a claim for mention something really minor. 

The honeymooners who had little communicaiton a few days ago, stained brand new sheets, only the second time they had been used. She washed them but that jsut managed to set the stain, but I was able to soak them in oxyclean overnight which fully removed it. That's pretty typical experience. But the adds really turn me off when guest are running around with sheets. 

All of my lights are also LED and the house is very energy efficient. The guest apartment uses almost no extra power. I had a friend who's two bedroom apartment had 3x higher electric bill from the heat and ac. Colder climates also pretty much burn fossil fuels. Things are changing but if there is a power outage the heat pumps don't work as recently seen. But everyone has heat pumps here for both AC and heat, and a lot of solar energy. I'm not fond of exterior lights but these aren't that bright, and just for the parking area and their entrance way. I leave the lights off inside. I'm confident if it was just completely dark when they are cheking in at night would ding me on the check in, and overall rating. Its just what a lot of people expect and I chose to rent a place out.  

[Huma0]

@John5097 

I take all of your advice very seriously. You have a lot of reviews and 5* across the board, in every category, so you must be getting something right!

I've never had any accidents with old windows, nor heard of anyone I know having them, but it's certainly something to consider. I think my old windows are beautiful but boy, do they let in the cold and the noise.

Electricity consumption is not an issue here. It's a very energy efficient house in that respect, with bills a fraction of what is typical here for a house of this size (I actually used to work for the Energy Saving Trust for a few years, so I am fairly clued up about that). It's the gas that's an issue and specifically the heating. Gas bills for hot water, stove etc. in summer are low. The problem is that many of the things I need to do to reduce that gas usage are either out of my control, too expensive or I just can't find the tradespeople to do it. I will keep working on it, but it's baby steps right now... It doesn't help when guests come here in the middle of winter and expect to wander around barefoot in shorts and a vest top and then complain that they are cold.

Your listing mentions your place as only being a few minutes from downtown. Maybe that's where people are getting confused. Do they take that to mean that everything is on their doorstep? I don't know...

I also don't claim or ask guests for money for minor damages and have had success at getting stains out of sheets (towels have been more challenging). I've only ever filed for one claim and that was a more expensive item that the guest would not have broken if he'd just listened to my instructions and been less careless/brutal.

[John5097]

@Huma0 Right to switch from natural gas heating to something like heat pump or some kind of renewable energy to power the boiler would be very expensive. Some of the new construction here are mansions with net zero energy consuption as they produce more energy than they consume, but that is also very expensive, multi million dollar houses. I would also install solar panels but just not a good time. I'm in hurricane prone area and in a flood zone and insurance is always changing so wouldn't want to risk that much of an investment that insurance wouldn't cover. A lot of houses do have them tough in all kinds of neighborhoods. 

Yes some guest expect it to be very warm. Really isn't fair for listings with older big houses as heating can be very expensive and still drafty. 

I did install light proof curtains and shades so the light from the driveway parking area wouldn't bother them. 

The older houses can cost millions to renovate. The windows would need to be custom made and each indivdual pain would be a double pain with sealed gas between them. It could still be drafty though if there isn't weatherstripping or cavities around the windows. Its not unusual for someone to sped a lot on something like that and be disappointed. 

Our climate is perfect for heat pump. Its more efficient because it is just transferring heat from inside to outside or vice versa. Its not creating energy just moving it from one place to another. Although if it gets below freezing it can become more expensive because the auxiliary heat kicks in. I really don't know but a radiator with boiler may also be very efficient, those are just in colder climates so I'm not familiar with them. They used to be in older houses before AC.

Sorry din't mean to ramble so much. I"m just generally interested in these topics and always curious what others are doing.   

[Huma0]

@John5097 

Don't worry about rambling. I am a terrible rambler. It's also interesting to me.

Yes, there are certainly options but, as you mentioned, the investment can be huge, like the example I gave of my neighbours. I just don't have that sort of money and no amount of Airbnb bookings are going to cover it.

I think I am just going to have to keep looking for the little solutions that improve things slightly (especially important during this energy crisis we are having). So, maybe buy heavier, thermal curtains. I am very focused on the aesthetics of the house and it's difficult to find attractive ones, but I might just have to compromise on that.

I will persist on trying to get a carpenter back again to finish fixing the more problematic windows and doors (I did actually already pay to have all of this done when I bought the house, but the original builders didn't do a great job).

My brother and his wife used to live in a very old house close to mine and they invested in having their window frames fixed and insulated. It wasn't cheap, but a lot less than replacing the windows. They said at the time that it was the best money they spent and that the house was so much warmer and it did seem quite warm after that. They just can't remember who did it for them, sadly, otherwise I would get the same company round for a quote.

[John5097]

@Huma0 
I haven't tried them, but interior window inserts, might be worth a try. I've seen them at trade shows and thought they were a great idea. I'm sure there are a lot of styles and companies. Here is one that was at the top of google search that claims to cut outside noise by 70%. Some others can still open. 
https://indowwindows.com/window-soundproofing-for-noise/?creative=&keyword=best%20window%20for%20sou...

[Huma0]

@John5097 

Thank you! I will check this out (had an initial glance) and see if I can find similar here in the UK.

[John5097]

@Huma0 Sorry up early and found this one in UK that looks promising but like anything takes a lot of research. 

https://www.extraglaze.co.uk/extraglaze-for-casement-windows.html

I've done some research on soundproofing windows. Recently a neighbor two houses down lets their adult kids stay there and they throw all night party outside. Even with double pain windows its still comes though, especially thumping bass from subwoofer and wakes me up at 4 am and they keep right on going. I usually have to move to the guest bedroom, and thankfully isn't on the side of the house with the rental unit. But I recently researched additional way to soundproof the bedroom window. Curtains are pretty much useless. Adding another layer of glazing with a tight seal around the edges or replacing with double glazed windows is far more effective. Usually just install a storm window on the outside but historic district doesn't allow them, hence the interior inserts. I've also seen very expensive windows, doors measured wrong and complete loss. On one job three double sided glass doors custom doors for an entire wall in a kitchen in historic district where the doors were custom mahogany made at high end mill shop, and each individual pain, about 200 total, all double glazed with gas inbetween, very expensive, and likely what your neighbors got a price for, were all the wrong size because someone didn't measure accurately.     

For the fireplaces maybe oder some blocks of foam, closed cell is generally the best, then cut it just a little larger to fit up in the chimney.

I'm looking forward to installing the mini split today! Sucks I have to wait for thermostat wire but if nothing else ABB is an exercise in patience and planning. 

Wow, I suppose this has gotten completely off topic! 

[Huma0]

@John5097 

Yes, we have rather gone off topic!

Thanks for the link. I might order a sample. Not sure it will work with my window frames, which are quite detailed and ornate, as it says you need a flat frame all round. Worth checking with a sample just in case...

Also, good idea about the fireplaces. Also worth a go! I have heard of people putting balloons up them during the winter time. Not sure if you would need to fill them with helium though.

Good luck with the mini split! Glad it's finally happening.

[Huma0]

@Mark116 

Good for you. It sounds like you are definitely getting it right. 

I used to have a light out front with a sensor, but when it broke, I replaced it with one without, which is not so practical but it was really pretty!! As a result, I never leave the light on. My next door neighbours have such a strong outdoor light that the sensor lights up my front garden whenever someone enters. I also live on a street with plenty of lighting.

Only one guest has complained about it being a bit dark out front. But then she also complained about not being able to turn on indoor lights. In her review, she mentioned this but did admit that she could have asked me where the light switches were. I found this very odd because she did ask me and I showed her! Besides, they are in very obvious places, e.g. the light switch for the entrance hall is right there as soon as you come through the front door. 

The hallway lights are usually on during the evening, but I don't leave them on overnight. I try to be energy efficient. I would get those night lights with sensors, but I have three cats. Some people also find it annoying to have hallway lights on overnight because it prevents them from sleeping. So, if you have a guest who is unable to turn on simple light switches and you've already shown them where they are, what are you supposed to do, just leave all the lights on all the time? I would have to double my room rate and it doesn't sit well with me as an environmentalist.

I do agree though that the add shows a very dark space at the beginning. I think the point of it is that everything seems strange initially but then turns out to be 'beautiful', i.e. beautiful place and beautiful guests. Not strange after all.

Personally I don't worry about new guests arriving to a dark space because I do all check ins in person.

[Mark116]

@Huma0  A small gift goes a long way.  I was sure we were going to get a 4 from a recent guests because she said one of her group found the mattress too hard and bought an air mattress.  We left them a small chocolate cake on their last night, and she gave 5 stars. That was $6 well spent.

[Huma0]

@Mark116 

Yes, it usually does. I always leave cards/gifts if I know someone is celebrating a birthday or anniversary. They seem to really appreciate it. I can imagine a birthday can be a bit of a non-event if you are travelling alone so it's nice to get something. 

I did have one guest though who never thanked me for the birthday card and gift and left both behind. She had opened both though (so the gift had to go in the bin). I guess she didn't like them! She did leave me 5 stars though.

[Mark116]

@Huma0  That's weird. 

We leave a gift for almost all guests who stay more than 3 nights along with a thank you card, or at this time, a holiday card. We also usually do fresh flowers for guests staying 5+ days if the schedule works to get them in time.  If guests tell us they're celebrating a birthday or anniversary we tailor the gift to the event.  Sometimes we leave a welcome gift for people who will  have been traveling many hours and are arriving late at night..some kind of fruit or bread/pastry.  

Our thinking is that they may forget about the welcome gift over a few days, but getting a gift on their last night we hope will stay with them during the review.

[Huma0]

@Mark116 

Okay, you do a lot more than me then! All my guests stay for weeks or even months, so I will take that on board. A thank you card and gift would be easy to do. The welcome gift may well be forgotten that far down the line, or maybe not...

I kind of gave up with the Christmas cards and gifts and treats though as very few guests seemed to appreciate them in the past. Most never mentioned it, let alone thanked me, and some didn't even bother to open them or chucked them in the bin. I think if Christmas just isn't part of your culture, it's pretty meaningless. The few guests who did appreciate were ones from countries where Christmas is celebrated.

I did have one girl though who was an influencer. She took photos and videos of it all and then chucked it in the bin!