So, apart from the money, what have you gained from hosting on Airbnb?

[Kevin1322]

We have rediscovered the joy of meeting a new generation of people from around the world.

To put it in context we have to do Airbnb to help make ends meet, but when we were first married with young kids we used to host foreign exchange students and our kids (now grown up) benefiited (I think) enormously from meeting people from other cultures.

Now that we are older we ourselves are meeting the international "next generation", and it's an eye-opener.  They are like we were, but instead of fearing  nuclear Armageddon as we were in the 1980s they are worried about climate change and global stuff.

We are meeting the nicest people on Airbnb.  How about you?

[Dimitar27]

For me is just an experiment. Trying something different. It's not about the money (they are not so much).

[Alice746]

Good question! 

This made me laugh @Kevin1322 "Hosting would be an exceptional pastime if we only we didn't have to host people."

Hosting has certainly been an eye-opening experience, I have had a really eclectic mix of guests, and I enjoy making them feel welcome. It's nice when guests tell me they've had a great time (I'm a bit of a praise junkie)!

I started hosting to make a bit of extra money, and I've done ok so far. I've seen a bit of a slump in low season so I've been looking into ways to make seasonal changes. I've had fun thinking of ways to turn my summer retreat to a winter bolthole (I've found I have a knack for upcylcing furniture and I' getting to grips with a sewing machine to save some money)! So hosting has pushed me to learning new skills.

I always welcome tips on how to boost bookings - I'm guessing there's a raft of ideas on here - I will have to make time to do it a bit more research! I did find this useful incase you want to check it out:

https://www.airbnbtips.com/airbnb-revenue/

[Mary1710]

I have had a challenging guest this weekend, this post made me rethink why I am doing this and to be more patient, as I am never sure what people are struggling with personally. I like the extra money but it is also helping me to stay empathetic towards others. 

[Mike323]

I started Airbnb with a “why not?” attitude, it added to cash flow, then it overtook the mortgage. Necessity forced me to build a man cave to escape to, which turned out to be a better performer than the guest room, and I don’t get to use it as much anymore 🙂 a couple apartments later and I probably have career 2.0 lined up. All of that to say each category has its own “personality” and demographic with VERY different results.

-Generally the tiny house guests are the most laid back, unassuming guests, they are the easiest and quickest to warm up to, lots of good times beside the fire pit with them.

-Im near a university and in my home I get to host a lot of international guests, very respectful and gracious, some of my best experiences have stemmed from cohabiting with parents of students that end up here for 7-14 days, it takes about 3 days for guests to settle in and be themselves. People are people, culture and language barriers are super thin, for some there’s almost a sense of loss when they go home.

-Unshared apartment spaces are guests that typically don’t want interaction, there are two categories with that; legitimate preferences, and parties (prohibited)

The negative side as hosts expand the number of listings and/or bookings, the less personal time, attention, and energy we have for guests. You still need down time for yourself. Hosts know, you’re always on call, it can be a challenge when there’s full occupancy, 3 AM questions, normal duties, and guests sharing your home with you. Oh! And LAUNDRY, man is there ever a lot of laundry!

Perhaps the biggest takeaway...house is always clean, like the way normal people do once a year for holiday guests!

[Rita662]

Great question @Kevin1322 .

I guess hosting teach all of us diferent things, and that we are still learning.

For me, I learnt to be more patience: aswering questions that are aswered in the house listining, waiting in the laundry, wainting for the guests...

I also am learning to deal with the unexpected, and being more diplomatic

Hosting is also teaching me to be comfortable with strangers and make a great conversation with them.

I just love to make check in and talk about Porto.

[Helen350]

@Kevin1322 What's with the photo? Who added that? That's not a cosy cottage in Cornwall! 😄

[Kevin1322]

I think that may have been added by a grown-up..... 

[Helen350]

@Kevin1322 "a grown up"? - "Better suited to a Travellodge/Premier Inn!" 

[Stephanie]

@Helen350 @Kevin1322 

You wound me! I'm waiting for a cozy cottage pic to be approved - I can't feature excellent topics without a snap! Will update when it is ready, don't worry!

[Kevin1322]

@Stephanie  You must be our designated grown up. My colleague at work likens this job to "herding ferrets" in the workshop.  Sadly I am one of those ferrets she has to herd.....

[Stephanie]

Ah @Kevin1322 , how did you know? My mate has actual ferrets, makes herding cats look like a walk in the park. 

[Yulianna0]

@Kevin1322, good theme to think about!
In my case it is like training. I do not need people around me, totally introvert and self sufficient. And hosting shows that I still have some social skills and people like to stay with me. Guests from all over the world are proving that the humanity is not so lost as it seems. Young people are giving hope! 

[Suzanne302]

@Kevin1322 What a great question and good to think about!

-I have a restored faith in humanity that most people are generally good and kind.

-I'm a bit of a control freak and hosting has forced me to become more laid back about all kinds of things.

-My house is way cleaner than it would be were I not a host!

-I have a ready-made and cozy guest space for family and friends.

-A sense of purpose. It feels really good to make people happy and that's what I strive to do. Happy people make the world a better place and I feel like I'm contributing to that.

[Yadira22]

@Kevin1322 I have learnt to fold a fitted sheet like a pro 😂

but in all honesty- I have had so much fun. I realise that there is a difference in cultures and just plain old attitudes and the latter asks for boundaries to be set from the beginning. I have learnt to be organised outside of work which is a huge thing as I am the type to lose my phone and find it in the toilet sink for eg- still have no idea how or when. The worse place I found it was in the fridge 🙈
i have learnt that for every « bad » person there are like 10 great people and usually those « bad eggs » are just projecting their « disappointments » onto you or whatever, and that kindness and coffee or cocktails go a long way in calming them. However, the most important thing is I have learnt that I am more capable, and to stop doubting myself... hard work, honesty and resourcefulness usually is enough to get you through the tough parts! When in doubt ask how would I like this to be handled if I was that person but always try to set guidelines. 🙂

[Sarah977]

@Yadira22  I love the fitted-sheet comment. I had no idea how to fold a fitted sheet before I started hosting, as I couldn't care less if my own sheets are wrinkled. I had to ask a friend, and it was funny. I had given her a lot of welcome and helpful advice when she was having her house built, as I know quite a bit about construction and she knew nothing about it. So when I said I needed her to teach me something (she has a linen fetish, 10 times more bedding than she needs and irons everything) she said she couldn't imagine that she knew how to do something that I didn't know. But of course she knew how to fold a fitted sheet so I finally learned at the age of 65! It's just not true that you can't teach an old dog new tricks.