Should I buy a dining table?

[Chris1944]

Hi all. My flat has an open plan dining/living area. The kitchen workbench is long and has an overhang where 4 stools are currently placed. My property can accomidate 4 people. Will they expect a dedicated dining table and chairs, or will the bar stools and kitchen work top suffice?

[Tim-and-Holly0]

@Chris1944:
It sounds like the bar and chairs would be fine, but, since your listing is not live yet,  it would be nice to see pictures of the area to get a better idea. Perhaps you could update your post?

[Chris1944]

Hey. I'm not home at the moment, but the setup is very simlar to this 

[Annette76]

I think it depends on your location and what guests will be doing while there. My place is in a resort area, guests will spend the day out in the mountains and such. There isn’t much in the way of nightlife so people come prepared to cook their evening meal. So for that they do want an actual dining table and chairs. Whereas if you are in a spot that guests would be just doing breakfast or brunch but will eat out at night then a dining table may be superfluous. 

[Chris1944]

My apartment is right in the city center with lots of restaraunts nearby so plenty of places to eat out.  I am just trying to keep costs as low as possible initially, but I don't want to jeopodise my rating. Maybe the bar stool arangement will be fine for now.

[Anonymous]

@Chris1944  The dining table would be more useful for long-term stays than for guests in town for just a couple of nights. And it would make your home more suitable for families with small children than it is with just barstools. So if those are markets you're interested in, a small dining table would be a good idea.

But maybe it's best to give it a couple months and see what kind of patterns emerge. Perhaps your first few guests' feedback will inspire you to choose different improvements first.

[Annette76]

The other reason I have my dining table is for rainy days. People like to relax and do a puzzle, play a board game, or play cards. So it’s pretty popular for that. 

[Cian7]

If someone's mentioned it or marked your place down negetively in the Reviews then yes invest; but if not, then I'd be more inclined to keep it as it is.  

[Alexandra316]

@Chris1944 I think it's a bit tough to say without seeing your space. Do you have any other surfaces for work or other activities? I don't mind eating on the couch, for example, if it's available, but I'd prefer to work sitting at a table rather than a counter. A table can serve lots of purposes apart from sitting down to eat dinner.

[Stephen-and-Adam0]

Hey @Chris1944 

I agree with others - leave as is for the moment as the current setup is probably sufficient (both for casual dining and laptop workspace).  If you have plenty of clear photos on your listing, the lack of a separate dining table should not be a surprise (of course, the key criteria of a guest paying attention to a listing!).  Then you can see how feedback goes and, if it seems to be a major thing, then you can invest in a dining table.  

Adam

[Paul154]

@Chris1944 

You are choosing to use Airbnb, so respect Airbnb's tradition.

The "air" in airbnb refers to the "air" mattresses the first airbnb guests used.

Airbnb is meant to be cheap digs for people looking for cheap stays.

Keep your expenses low and functional. Your stools at the counter are fine (and cheap).

They meet the guests needs AND markets to low kitchen usage guests. Win-Win.

Later, after you learn the business and your clientele, you can choose to spend money on a dining table.

[Ayse15]

Hi, the advice from Paul154 is very helpful for me, thanks for this. I had an unfortunate situation in my kitchen on the first day that my guest arrived. He was an obsessive person and he couln't tolerate a repair day, and then he started to criticise everything in the flat. He even criticised the comfortable, oversized sofa-bed that  it is not a hotel bed. The price that he was paying was really low, even in Turkish Lira, and he really broke my heart as I cleaned the house myself for two long days in hot summer. 

I have a question: if I rennovate my kitchen and/or change a sofa in the living room, should I inform my reservations beforehand? Or will it be enough to change photos only? ( provided that the standards don't change or maybe even get better?)

[Jody79]

@Ayse15 If the renovation is going to be going on during the guest's stay, you will want to inform them.  If it'll be completed by the time they get there, and the accommodations are better than they were when the guests booked, then I'd say you don't need to inform them, updating pics in your listing should be fine.  It would come as a pleasant surprise to the guests (under promised, over delivered).

[Chris1944]

Thank you everyone. I've decided to just leave the dining table for now. I will make sure it is obvious there is no table in the pictures and will buy one once I get some money coming in.

[Marg11]

Chris,

Please don't assume that your guests will have looked at the photos or read what you have written about your place! Many don't and are surprised with the lovely flat or disappointed that they don't have their own washing machine at $50 AUD or that there is no full oven, just a toaster oven with element on top, glass oven, fry pan. rice cooker, new BBQ and other cooking facilities. Our guests just left without stripping the beds, drying the dishes or putting them back where they found them despite these instructions being clearly in the welcome letter they received on arrival with the keys and wifi code.

However, most guests are delightful as this family was.