Airbnb hosting has become a very attractive prospect. With the short-stay market hotter than ever, many are jumping at the chance to maximise their investment and gain a successful passive income.
Gone are the days, however, where you could simply list your property and hope for the best. There’s growing competition, guest reviews and social media that make your property styling and look SO important.
Short-term rentals have boomed in popularity in recent years, even experiencing consistency as the world entered its third year of a global pandemic. With local stays the safest (and often only) option, the Australian short stay rental market has no sign of slowing down.
With this boom in demand comes a demand for Airbnb hosts, and attractive Airbnb properties. If you’ve found yourself hosting a home, you may be overwhelmed by your list of things to consider. From proper sanitary standards to the administration requirements, it can begin to feel like a full-time job. Add the need for styling on top of that and overwhelm is imminent.
When it comes to Airbnb hosting, reviews are your bread and butter. A simple shared social media photo can be enough to spark envy and encourage bookings, making your guests do your marketing for you. With the short-stay rental market continuing to heat up, having a property that stands out among the rest is more important than ever.
First impressions last, and how your guests feel when they walk into the space and their experience during their stay will significantly influence your rebooking rates. With so many Airbnb locations to choose from, it might be the minor things that make you stand out, such as having a coffee machine or a comfortable couch to relax on. Consider the individualised experience for your guests and add little details that will make their stay memorable, and you’ll be on the road to Airbnb hosting success.
Get the best out of your styling with these tips
Selecting a theme for your Airbnb is one of the easiest ways to find inspiration and achieve a coherent style. This can be based on your location (think industrial for the city or cosy and nature themed for the hinterlands) or the everyday needs of your guests (do you mainly host families or businesspeople?). Once you’ve chosen a theme, you can maintain it through your marketing, your rooms and even your tone of voice when chatting with guests.
Airbnb property furnishing often requires walking a thin line between making a space feel welcoming but not like somebody else’s home. Nobody wants to walk in and feel like they’re intruding. The key is to add a cohesive and clear personality to the space while avoiding the personalised items that you’d have in your own home.
Things to avoid include:
Have an objective third party walk through your space before presenting it to your guests to ensure that nothing feels out of place or alienating.
Staying in an Airbnb should be an inspiring and exciting experience, and often guests leave thinking of ideas to make their own home emulate that of their holiday experience. The last thing you want is to have too many ‘style’ pieces in lieu of functionality.
Think of things that will make your guest’s stay relaxing and easy and opt for stylish versions of these things. This can be a gorgeous yet extremely comfortable statement chair, fresh linen that doesn’t skimp on quality, an incredibly ‘instagrammable’ hanging chair to relax in, or a decked-out entryway to dump beach toys and sandy shoes (win-win!).
Styling doesn’t have to be expensive or complicated, and adding texture is one of the best examples of this. Switch out your vertical blinds for some light-blocking curtains and add some throw pillows to your empty couch and watch your space transform. Keep your theme and colour palette in mind, and don’t forget to maintain practicality.
Imagine walking into a fresh, clean space, greeted by local flowers picked just for you. Their scent refreshes you, and the sentiment delights you.
You could create this for your guests by spending some time bringing the outdoors in. Some hanging plants, homegrown herbs and some handpicked (or fresh store-bought) flowers will have your guests raving about their stay.
Bonus pro tip: Invest in professional photos
Your guests will choose your place based on the photos and reviews. There are no two ways about it. While you can only control reviews to a certain extent, professional photos allow you to write the exact narrative you want your guests to read. Proud of your statement artwork? Want to show off your relaxing loungespace? Got a pool worth promoting? Do it all with professional photos.
Afterall, there’s no point in spending time and effort styling your space if nobody will see it!
Need a stylist?
Our Ford Clancy team includes an interior designer that can help you with everything styling related. From setting up a brand-new Airbnb property to touching up your existing one, we can help take the pressure off.
Our stylists can help you on whatever level you need – from a short consult to get you on the right track for you to DIY, to a complete start to finish service where they find, buy and set up the furniture and styling pieces.
The best and most successful Airbnb hosts understand that they can’t do it all themselves. From the styling to the admin, the cleaning and everything in between, it is impossible to do all of it well without some outside help.
At Ford Clancy Property Partners, we can take care of everything your Airbnb needs to experience success in a market that is only getting hotter. Hosting an Airbnb has never been easier with our very own stylist and professional photographer, dedicated cleaners, and linen service that will have your guests swooning. Our team can take your Airbnb to new heights without you needing to lift a finger, so you can just watch the good reviews and repeat bookings roll in.
Get in touch today to chat with our experts about your Airbnb styling or management needs.
Airbnb arrived on the short-term rental scene in 2008 to completely change how the world sees accommodation. Giving travellers options to get out of the hostel and into a furnished room, unit or entire property, Airbnb has set the standard for what has become an incredibly popular way to travel. Nowadays, used for more than just backpackers and budget-seeking explorers, Airbnb has evolved to not only host but support entire families as a successful means of passive income.
So, how profitable is it? And how can you find success in what is already an established and densely populated market?
Read on to find out.
Many people who host Airbnb properties have either decided against traditional renting methods or created a purpose-built means of second income. While an Airbnb property doesn’t always offer the consistent flow of income of a traditional rental, it has many financial perks that cannot be found through a 6 – 12-month lease.
While traditional rental properties have fixed pricing charged weekly, an Airbnb host can adjust their pricing based on demand, market needs and their offering. Airbnb guests are often willing to pay more to book, and the fees are charged per night, offering a greater earning potential overall.
Traditional renting features a closed relationship between landlord and tenant, with an intermediate such as a property manager maintaining communication. In an Airbnb, however, the opportunity exists for extra revenue through add-on services such as catering, laundry, cleaning, and partnerships with local attractions.
No matter your rental type, one cost is inevitable: maintenance and upkeep. If you have a traditional tenancy with the same people residing at the property for 12 months or more, you can only conduct a handful of inspections at allocated times. This can make it easy to miss maintenance or repair needs, resulting in a higher lump sum at the end of the tenancy. Additionally, a lease would have you locked into the same price for up to a year. On the other hand, an Airbnb host can visit their property between stays, keep on top of maintenance issues as they arise, adjust the pricing based on special local events or demand, and even block out a few nights for their own enjoyment.
While this may be another upfront cost, the payoff from having great photos, descriptions, advertisements, and property management will be well worth it. Where you can generally get by without making significant improvements or renovations to your space, you cannot advertise it well without professional photography. Moreso, your experienced Airbnb property partners will be able to tell you what’s hot and what’s not, making your property stand out among the sea of competitors. Partnering with professionals from the get-go is the best way to make your Airbnb as profitable as possible.
Owning an Airbnb can have significant financial returns, but like any investment, there is a certain amount of risk. With Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky stating that in a post-pandemic world, millions of new hosts will be needed to keep up with demand, there has never been a better time to take up the mantle as Airbnb’s newest host.
Some of the expenses you should expect include:
Airbnb must make their money somewhere! Airbnb charges a standard host service fee of 3% of your set price for every booking. This can go up to 5%, depending on your cancellation policy. Your guests will also pay a fee, from 5 – 15%, depending on the length of the stay, the subtotal, the type of listing and other factors.
There is no hiding the fact that managing a short-term rental will require a good chunk of your personal time. Some hosts even turn hosting into their full-time job. Managing your rental will be ongoing, with many tasks needing your attention, often all at once.
Generally, around 10 – 15% of every booking should be reserved for ongoing maintenance or replacing broken items. Damage happens, and by having a portion of your kitty set aside to anticipate it, you will be setting yourself up for less of a headache when it does.
Airbnb hosting is becoming a common side hustle for those wishing to make an income from an existing asset: their home. However, while it might seem perfect to you, your property likely needs some improvements or upgrades before it's ready to host. Some of these expenses include:
So is Airbnb profitable? The answer is it CAN be if you do it right.
With the demand of short-term (and long-term) rentals at an all-time high, there has never been a better time to become an Airbnb host, particularly if you have a property in a popular holiday region such as the Sunshine Coast. Much of the industry's growth in the past few years has been concentrated in areas with high demand, with well over half of Sunshine Coast Airbnb’s experiencing a consistent occupancy rate.
Partnering with an Airbnb property management team is one of the best ways to increase your profitability through higher occupancy rates, improving your guest's experience, boosting your income, and actually enjoying the process of hosting your home. With so many balls in the air all at once, being an Airbnb host can quickly become overwhelming. Let us take care of everything from your styling to your photography and the laundering of your piles of towels and sheets. We are proud to be an investment owner’s best friend and are ready to help you get the most from your investment property.
Simply get in touch today on 0492 949 642 to get started on your free appraisal.