Image source: Architectural Digest

Get Your Home Short-Term Rental Ready

Listing your home on a rental platform like Airbnb is a great way to bring in some extra income. The average annual revenue for people who list their homes is $20,000, making it a very profitable source of extra cash—especially considering that the majority of people list their primary residences, and have other jobs as well.

But unlike being a landlord, listing your property for short-term rental isn’t exactly passive income. Managing reservations and communicating with guests is a crucial part of the job. And your home also has to be ready to accept guests. With that in mind, here are a few tips on how to get your home ready for short term rentals:

Image source: Kohler

Invest In Your Home

While you’re in the process of getting your home ready for short-term rentals, now is a great time to invest in your property. Smart home remodeling is the key. Not only will this be better for your guests, but it can improve your home value and allow you to price your property a little better on home rental platforms.

The bathroom and kitchen are among the best places to start a bit of rehabilitating. Add custom-made vanity units to your bathroom or repaint your cabinets white to make the space feel bigger and cleaner. Throw in new countertops and add a backsplash for a bit of color and sophistication. There are endless options for throwing around a little TLC. Of course, this all depends on your home’s needs and style.

Image source: Contemporist

Start Decluttering

Decluttering seems like a simple tip, but it’s one that’s too often ignored. Unless your property is being marketed as artsy and kitschy, keep the “noise” to a minimum. For instance, once you’ve optimized your storage across your cabinetry—and perhaps gotten rid of a few things—you can get rid of many of the items that sit on your countertops.

There are a few storage solutions that you can easily implement. For example, use risers in your cabinetry to vertically separate items and create more space and organization. You can also install a pegboard or pot rack to hang up the bulkier items that you may have stuffed into one of your cabinets. In the bedroom, good storage techniques can be extremely handy. You’ve got to check out Happy DIY Home! They have some awesome bedroom storage ideas that will help you get your bedroom organized.

Pegboards are particularly useful because of their versatility; not only can you hang pots, but when you purchase hooks, you can hang nearly anything—including additional shelving. Use it to decoratively display and store spices, small plants, spoons, graters, and other kitchen essentials.

Over in the living room, clear off your coffee table, save for a select few books or magazines, candles, a tray, or simple decorative items. Install wall shelves to organize your living room must-haves. Fill it with books, artwork, extra folded throw blankets, plants, and more. By delegating “clutter” to an organized wall shelf, your home will much more cohesive and comfortable.

Do a Deep Cleaning

A deep cleaning goes beyond the standard house cleaning process. In fact, it will like take more than just one full day to do a proper deep cleaning, but it’s a necessary preparation step when it comes to having guests stay in your home.

A deep cleaning involves a thorough cleanse of each room in your home. This means scrubbing the walls, tubs, and showers, toilets, shower curtains, in and around the refrigerator, fans, window treatments, and much more. It’s a huge task to undertake and is best broken up over the course of several days or weekends. Alternatively, if you have the budget for it, hire a professional cleaning service or independent team through a platform like TaskRabbit.

Fortunately, you won’t need to do a deep cleaning in between each rental; schedule a deep cleaning every few weeks, and that will do the trick.

Source: Igloohome

Don’t Forget About Amenities

Living in your home, you may not realize what travelers and vacationers consider basic necessities. Amenities add a personal and premium touch to the rental experience. In fact, if you read over some Airbnb reviews, you’ll find that renters are often raving about the simple things that go above the call of duty.

First and foremost, consider creating a welcome gift basket for your arrivals, as this will go a long way for your reviews. Your gift basket could include items like bottled water, snacks (such as nuts, chocolates, chips, and granola bars), or a bottle of wine.

If you live in a popular city or neighborhood, try to infuse some local flavor. In Lisbon, Portugal, this might include pastel de nata, a popular custard tart in the region; in Paris, macaroons and local cheese would farewell; in Southeast Asia, local fruit spreads are ideal.

Here are some other amenities you can add:

Coffee & tea
A suitcase stand
Toiletries (soap, shampoo, conditioner)
Extra toothbrushes and toothpaste
Board and card games
Disposable razors
Universal chargers
Eye masks & earplugs (especially if you live in a noisy area)
Umbrellas
Local brochures and maps

Have you ever stayed in a or offered your home for short-term rental? What would you include or like to find in a welcome basket?

With over 700 new and vintage guitars in stock, Guitar Center Detroit is well known for their impressive selection. Plus in addition to guitars, you can find a large variety of other instruments, as well as other quality products to meet all your music needs.

I’ve always been impressed with the selection that we always find in Guitar Center stores and now I find out that they also offer rentals. No more waiting, you can get started playing right away!

Never used the gear before? Don’t worry, with guitar center rentals they show you how to use the gear and make sure you’re comfortable setting it up by yourself.

Rentals available at Guitar Center Detroit Include: