You are so sweet, @Paula.
Thank you! It was my first and only dog (foster failure here ✋🏼lol she rescued me though 💕❤️🩹).
So my top 3 tips for a great start as a newbie on Airbnb would be (they'll be more as I go):
1. Do your research.
-Be a guest somewhere else a few times (it's a great perspective). I had hotel management and travel experience, so I knew on a high level what I was doing (which is fun to add those premium touches that a concierge would of I needed something I forgot at home), however the personal Airbnb experiences over the past couple of years helped me to understand the inner workings of being a guest at an establishment such as these.
- Read everything that Airbnb provides for you.
There's plenty of clear instructions, tools and guidance, plus I just found the community today so that was exciting.
-Do searches of other Airbnb rentals in your neighborhood (or in the vicinity- city wise). This is not necessarily for you to use for you to ramp up your Airbnb, but more so for valuable insight into other Airbnb comparisons like yours. You get insight into what they offer, how they price, and quickly know what not to do or what guests appreciate via the reviews.
2. Let Airbnb set your main rental price to start out, then add your own reasonable cleaning fees (my pet fees are too low because I didn't set it the way I wanted to, but it's next on the list). Anything I have ever sold, sells. I do believe pricing for the value is key.
3. Most importantly, and if you do anything BEST, be honest.
-My Airbnb is a spare room in my basement. It was my daughter's room which I updated a little bit. We have one bathroom. None of this is 5-star, but it's charming, clean, and we are hospitable. Our location is the bomb (best neighborhood in the city and we are local to anything and everything including main highways, though it's quiet here with walking for people and dogs near the lake).
Be honest because they're going to see it anyway, and we all know we very much dislike being misled.
-My guests are more comfortable knowing in advance what the situation is. Whether or not it's what they want, at least they aren't facing any surprises when they get here. They know before they book.
(Be sure to highlight the greatest things about your Airbnb or the area as well.)
A Bonus?
Be hospitable.
1. If you're just starting out, but never worked in hospitality, an EXCELLENT ATTITUDE & CUSTOMER SERVICE will go a long way ☺️. Be available to them from the start to the end. Even if you can't rectify something immediately, at least they know your response time kicks and that tells them you care about them.
2. You're always going to miss something.
Don't panic, just make a note for the next time someone books with you.
If you do the above, and take care of safety first, then work down the line on the list making sure it's clean, comfortable, and things work, you should do great.
That's the least we can do for our guests and often those are their top concerns.
