Penny Hoarder Article

The Penny Hoarder shared my AirBNB tips today.  Enjoy!

How This Woman Bought Her Dream Home While Making Less Than $60K

4 Tips for Keeping Your Sanity When You’re Hosting Airbnb Guests

I’m Officially Retired!

Well, from my Airbnb hosting duties.  I’ve hosted 74 groups, and over 380 people.  Time to share the good, the bad, and the downright ugly.

Navigating Negotiation: Airbnb Discounts?

Yes!  A host can send a special offer with a percentage or at a specific dollar amount off of a stay. 

Transmission Failure: Instructions for my Airbnb Guests

There is no way to sugar coat it.  Guests don’t read the house manual provided online, and often they ignore the house rules section, too.  The number one way to combat this is to have instructions in a guidebook at your house (and posted notices as necessary).  Hopefully that gets the point across to the guests who are harder to communicate with than an alien from outer space.

The Nonfinancial Benefits of Airbnb Traveling

Money (still) isn’t everything.

The Nonfinancial Benefits of Airbnb Hosting

Money isn’t everything.

The Best Investments to my Airbnb

Some conveniences are worth paying for, but some conveniences end up paying for themselves.

Hacking My Half-Million Dollar House

Living in a house has always been my preferred lifestyle choice, and getting paid to live in my house is even better.  When I moved down from Michigan, I had already been researching my area for 8 months.  The houses were extremely expensive, so I intended to get roommates to help with the cost initially and figured a partner could split the cost with me later.  The roommates turned out to be a disaster, and only brought in $1200/month anyway, so I decided a change was needed.  I tried hosting in my house for AirBnB in June, and found that it was far preferable to roommates, so I invested in the necessities to turn it into a solid business.

Cutting the Cord for Airbnb?

Cutting the cord is a sensitive topic for people who “need” it, and fortunately or unfortunately, a lot of people see lazily watching TV for the week as one of the best parts of their vacation.  It makes cutting the cord much harder when your goal is hacking your house for maximum profits.

Cleaning After Airbnb Guests

Someone has to do it.

AirBNB Photography Tips

You only have one chance to make a good impression before someone will move on to the next listing. The photos of your space make up a huge part of it.  Listings with great photos have significantly higher traffic, which leads to higher bookings.

My Worst AirBnB Hosting Experiences – And the Lessons Learned

I’ve had some great experiences meeting guests, from wine nights to Elf on the Shelf.  Overall, I find guests are respectful of my space.  Many leave my house as clean as they found it.  I regularly get asked about any negative AirBnB experiences, so I’ve decided to keep a running list.  None of the following are bad enough that I’d hesitate to continue hosting.

The Pool I Didn’t Want / Pool Maintenance 101

I had a very specific list of wants when I was buying my second house, including no pool.  Then I picked a fancy area where over 95% of the houses have pools and found a foreclosure for 77% of market value.  “I guess I’m about to learn how to maintain a pool!”

How to be a Good AirBnB Guest

I promise it isn't hard.

Tips for AirBnB Hosting

I will always rent out my house on AirBnB when I’m out of town because it’s such an easy way to cover the cost of the trip.  No matter how dirty things are when you get home, you can scrub things down and clean them well.  If things break, guests will usually pay to replace them, and I keep my valuables and important breakables safely hidden/locked away.  AirBnB takes the guest’s money up front when they book and directly deposits into my account the day after they check in, protecting us both.  AirBnB does a great job marketing.  They also do a great job with conflict resolution. See AirBnB’s insurance policy for more details on how they help protect their hosts.

Minimalism and Airbnb

The less you have, the better the experience for you and for your guests.