5 cabins on 1 property - list separately or as 1?

[Chelsea325]

We are looking at a property on just under 4 acres, on a trout fishing river, with five 2 bed / 1 bath cabins, walking distance to national forest. 

In the area we're looking, the average occupancy rate is 67%, the average nightly rate is $150, and the average size is 2 bedrooms.

My question is should I list each cabin separately, or list all five as a family compound type listing? 

I assume I'd get fewer bookings with just 1 expensive listing, but it may be easier to deal with.

I have a couple regular rentals, this will be my first foray into short-term rentals.

[Chelsea325]

@Anonymous I'm incredibly excited about it! I have quite a background in tourism internet marketing and I've been in real estate for the better part of a decade so this seems like a great next venture.

Step one of the plan is to build a pavillion with outdoor kitchen facilities and storage! We're hoping to use it occasionally as family fun compound so having something like that would be fantastic.

The changeovers with be the toughest part, as we live just far enough away to make it extremely inconvenient & tough to do it ourselves.

[Sarah977]

@Chelsea325  I would suggest that you look for a co-host who is already operating in the area, either co-hosting other properties or just being a host themselves who might like to take it on. And who of course have great reviews.

Also try to meet neighbors- someone may want to do this, such as a retired person or someone who works from home with a flexible schedule. Same goes for finding a housekeeper. You may have to train them as to how to clean thoroughly, and how you want the place to present, but even professional housekeeping services are sometimes lax.

Stay away from professional property management companies with tons of listings- these are generally the type of listings that end up with disgrunted guests, complaints about poor cleaning, etc.

And don't let anyone talk you into letting them list under their profile rather than yours. It can be a huge hassle if you aren't pleased with the co-host and want to find another.

[Anonymous]

@Chelsea325    @Sarah977  beat me to everything I wanted to say.

From the guest's perspective, the human that they engage with is the face of your whole business, and your concept wouldn't be well represented by a predatory management company. A dedicated co-host who also happens to be good at cleaning and maintenance would be perfect, but even if you had to subcontract some of the labor, it's still better value than what those parasites are charging.

[Chelsea325]

@Anonymous @Sarah977  I didn't even know that co-hosting was a thing! That sounds perfect though. 

I'll do some research into how to find one and how they get paid, etc - I don't know ow anything about it.

[Anonymous]

@Chelsea325  The best way to go about it is to enlist someone you already know and trust, and have them set up a co-hosting account linked to your listing. Airbnb has it set up so they can correspond with your guests without having access to your bank details and other sensitive stuff.

If you don't already have someone in mind for the position, it's just a matter of making local contacts and vetting just like you would for any other contracted job. The best reference for a co-hosting gig is an Airbnb host profile with reviews, because of course you can see the track record right there. If your area has a social media group for STR hosts, that would be the easiest place to connect with people for this.