Decorating Tips to Get your Airbnb Booked
There’s more to hosting on Airbnb than changing the sheets and leaving the keys under the door mat. Northern shores stylist and interior designer Kerena Berry from well known online decorating website Designbx shares her best tips for getting your house permanently booked in addition to some of those coveted five star reviews.
Local style
Airbnb guests are searching for an authentic neighbourhood escape, not a cookie cutter hotel room that you can book easily in any location. “Your job is to design the setting for their fantasy,” Berry says. Opt for an interior design style that celebrates your place and local culture, such as coastal interior design for the northern shores, industrial or bohemian for the inner city town houses and apartments, or conventional chic for your semi-rural suburban house. Pick decor which has broad appeal and you will be able to easily get your place booked.
Keep it real
While high-end furniture looks luxurious, it is also easily damaged and can make it tough to relax. A family will feel more comfortable in a durable house, they don’t need to be walking on eggshells, and this can deter young families and young adults holidaying with friends. Choose flooring that’s easy to wash, silk or satin paint with a finish that can be easily wiped if any dirt gets onto the walls, non-absorbent bench tops, poly mix or natural fibre rugs and industrial materials for the living homewares and curtains.
A Great Night’s Sleep
To secure a five-star review it’s essential that your guests enjoy a fantastic night’s sleep. Three hundred-plus thread count linen not only feels luxurious, but it washes well and lasts longer than cheaper materials. Pick white over coloured sheets since they seem crisper and cleaner. In regards to pillow inserts and duvets opt for feather or duck down to save on heating costs in the long run, and will fit well into your interior style.
It is in the Details
It’s often the tiny details that seem to have the largest effect, soft, relaxing music playing on arrival. Spotify is an affordable option which has a bottomless catalogue and it’s simple to set up playlists. If you are not there to welcome your guest personally, consider timer heating or cooling depending on the time of the year, and lights, or leave a vaporiser on. Include luxurious toiletries in all of the baths, and do not scrimp. When it comes to thoughtful extras, a charging dock that suits all types of outlets rates nicely with travelers and a tea chest or coffee pod machine puts everybody in a fantastic mood.
Get it on Paper
Put together a guestbook on the best way best to navigate the house. Include where the light switches are, how you run the oven, what day the recycling is picked up, don’t set your visitors through a week of trial by error. Guests will also appreciate your recommendations for neighbourhood eateries, in addition to some information on public transportation and nearby cultural attractions. You can even go so far as to add a guest basket with local produce or homemade goodies. It reminds people that you aren’t running a resort; you’re welcoming them into your own home and they will take more care of it for you if you show care towards them.
