The market for holiday homes and small non-hotel accommodation facilities offered for short periods to tourists and travelers has been booming in recent years. France is the second largest market in the world with over one million properties rented.
The Airbnb offer
Thanks to portals such as Airbnb, it is now very easy to rent properties that would otherwise sit unused or, more often than not, abandoned for much of the year. In France, there are many families who, thanks to this intelligent resource-sharing system, manage to make ends meet by creating an alternative source of income.
To obtain satisfactory results, it is not only necessary to have a suitable structure, but it is also essential to make it welcoming and suitable for people who will usually spend only a few days there. If you are also planning to enter the world of short-term rentals, know that, especially in areas with a high tourist flow, this type of market is very competitive and that, therefore, you will have to work hard to make your offer particularly attractive and able to immediately attract the attention of the potential customer.
Our tips to make your home more interesting
You don't need to spend a lot of money, in fact, don't overspend, this is a tip to keep in mind when furnishing an Airbnb home. The low investment is justified by the fact that the space will not be inhabited directly by you, but by many people passing through, and therefore it will be subject to considerable wear and tear. It is useless to spend large sums on expensive furniture, it is better to focus on functional, inexpensive, and resistant furniture.
Keep in mind that the goal you need to achieve is guest satisfaction: everything must be done for this purpose, and very little is needed to achieve it.
1. Keep the necessary space
A good suggestion would be not to fill the house with unnecessary items and leave the necessary space at the entrance and in the hallway to facilitate the passage of suitcases.
2. Think about the office
Setting up a corner of the house into an office with: a small desk, a computer, and a printer will be an interesting idea, especially for business travelers.
3. Renovate your walls
'Giving walls a coat of colour' costs little time and money, but gives character and liveliness to the home, making it less anonymous. Never forget that people looking for a place to stay on Airbnb or similar portals want a less cold and sanitized travel experience than a hotel room, and therefore expect a warm home environment.
4. The main rooms
The rooms most used during the holidays are the bathroom, bedroom, and kitchen, in which the essential equipment should never be lacking: there is no point in offering a beautiful apartment, perfectly furnished, and then forgetting to leave plates, glasses, cutlery or towels, and toilet paper.
It's the small details that make the difference and neglecting them can immediately give a bad impression. Finally, pay close attention to the photos you are going to publish: too often, because of sloppy shots, all the good work, and energy spent on decorating the house is wasted (better to make a small investment and enjoy the experience of a professional interior photographer).
After these general tips, let's go into the details of the subject and see how to act to make a home, a functional and welcoming home for any host looking for his apartment, or his house, on Airbnb.
Choose a style
- Personalize and make your rooms pleasant
- Making the house a unique experience
- Keep your home clean
- Give your home the right lighting
- Decorate your home with timeless furniture
- Entrance is the first business card
- A comfortable bed
- The kitchen must be super-equipped
- A clean and fresh bathroom
- Pamper your guests
What can't be missing in an Airbnb home?
Choose a style
Everyone has their own tastes when it comes to decoration but, in this case, you need to find the right balance between aesthetics and functionality. The environment you set up will have to accommodate people who may also be from other countries, so try to create it by putting yourself in the shoes of a traveler and his needs: your home must be able, as much as possible, to adapt to everyone.
The watchword is the minimum, that is to say, an essential furnishing with the bare necessities to make the living room, comfortable; Therefore, first of all, try to eliminate unnecessary items and trinkets that only serve to accumulate dust. Of course, you can also opt for more personal styles like, for example, the Provençal, which is always popular, or the particular shabby chic, so-called by interior designers.
Another aspect that you should not forget is the location of the house. It is clear that the style must find a balance with the location, therefore, it will have to adapt to different situations and it will be different if the structure is located in the center of a city of art, in a tourist area by the sea, immersed in the countryside, in a typical mountain village or in a ski resort.
The important thing in choosing a style, whether modern or vintage, is to always try to maintain a certain harmony to make the home welcoming and with everything you need at your fingertips.
Personalize and make your rooms pleasant
The house must attract the guest and convince them to book despite the dozens of other offers they may find in your area. Looking at the photos, he must perceive all the details that make the house welcoming but at the same time original.
The tourist who chooses to stay on Airbnb is not only looking for comfort, but wants to live a unique and unforgettable experience. For the house to tell a story, you can use furnishing details like, a library with old manuscripts or typical and old objects related to the area. Avoid placing personal photographs and images of a political or religious nature that could upset or irritate people sensitive to these subjects: it is better to have a beautiful landscape or a reproduction of a work of art.
Make your home a unique experience
The guest expects a cozy and warm atmosphere and you can try to impress him with a whole series of additional comforts. It is certain that having a house with a swimming pool, sauna, jacuzzi generates added value that would make the proposal much more attractive. Similarly, offering a breakfast location with stunning sea views, romantic lake views or the impressive view of towering mountains would be an additional arrow to your bow.
However, it is not necessary to own facilities in dream locations or make expensive investments to provide an unforgettable stay. It is often the small details and unexpected services that leave the visitor speechless. For example, finding some technological gadgets in the house such as voice assistants (Google Home or Amazon Alexa), a video game console to entertain young and old, Bluetooth speakers to stream music in every room, and a modern TV system with a set-top box and subscription will surely be appreciated.
If there are bike paths and areas nearby that can be visited comfortably by bike, it's not a bad idea at all to provide a few mountain or city bikes. As you can see, the possibilities are countless and it takes very little for your offer to be winning and, above all, unique and different from the average, managing to offer a unique stay and enjoying the advantages of a structure.
Always keep your home clean
One aspect that you should absolutely not neglect is the cleanliness of your accommodation. If you plan to rent your apartment successfully, allow a good amount of time, or money, to keep your home environment clean and sanitized at all times. In addition to the normal tasks you will have to perform upon departure to prepare the house to welcome the following visitors, there are other essential services.
Waste collection is an aspect that should not be underestimated. You will need to provide the customer with all the necessary information to properly dispose of the waste. Especially if the tenant has booked for a long vacation, he will need to know where to place the waste and, above all, the exact times and days of collection. Especially if the visitors are foreigners, it is important to clearly indicate what to do.
The laundry service to ensure clean sheets and towels at all times is another task that must be done regularly. All of this takes time and dedication to fully satisfy customer needs. If you encounter difficulties, simply ask for the help of an employee who will take care of it for you.
Give your home the right lighting
To successfully rent an apartment or detached house, you can not do without proper lighting in each room. This is a rule that still applies, but even more so if the available spaces are rather limited. In order to give depth and a feeling of space, it is necessary to make the best use of external and artificial light. Avoid painting walls too dark and choose light colors for furniture too (you can never go wrong with white), this will allow you to get a brighter interior that reflects natural light.
If necessary, use lamps to put on tables, furniture, or directly on the floor; You will be able to easily illuminate the corners of the house that are constantly in the dark by also highlighting the details of the furnishings. If you haven't already, replace all bulbs with eco-friendly and energy-efficient models. LED technology is the best solution that allows you to have both warm lights for the night and cold light for the day and bathrooms while reducing operating costs and guaranteeing a very long service life.
Furnish your home with timeless furniture
As we have already stressed several times, the furnishing of an Airbnb home must offer the right compromise between aesthetic appearance and functionality. A factor that becomes even more decisive if the available space is rather limited. In these cases, it is necessary to use every available centimeter, even with 2-in-1 furnishing accessories. A classic example is a bed with large drawers that can be used to store a large number of objects in an orderly manner.
In small apartments, try to reduce as much as possible the effect of claustrophobia that can manifest itself in the guest. The best is to choose furniture with light tones and very simple and sinuous lines that give an impression of lightness and greater depth to the room.
Entrance is the first business card
The entrance area represents the business card of the whole house and must surprise the visitor without making him regret, immediately, his decision. Choose furniture that retains certain usefulness, but, at the same time, is original and able to convey your good taste.
Details always make the difference and the lobby should never lack a lamp that perfectly illuminates the area, an easy-to-access switch, and a pot containing a few umbrellas to use in case of rain (tourists are unlikely to take an umbrella on vacation).
Inside, there must be enough space to move around with suitcases, a coat rack and a piece of furniture, or shelves, to put everyday objects such as keys, small bags, smartphones, etc.
A comfortable bed
The bedroom, like the other rooms, should be beautiful and welcoming, but what guests don't compromise on is the comfort of the bed. It is, of course, a pleasure to open the door and find yourself in front of a neat décor and a clean and fragrant room, but if you wake up in the morning with back pain or unbearable neck pain, these will probably be the only things you will remember.
The elements that make the difference are the mattress and pillows. The choice of advanced materials such as latex or polyurethane foam (the famous memory foam).
Bed linen
The fabric of the mattress cover and sheets is also important, the best solution being cotton, which is fresh, hygienic, and non-allergenic for people with sensitive skin. For blankets, it is enough to respect the seasons.
One thing that guests, particularly appreciate is the ability to choose a pillow from several models and different shapes... This can be a great idea to surprise even the most demanding guests!
reading in bed and perfectly illuminate the entire room. Place the switches at hand and use lamps with dimmer lights, possibly with a remote control: with a little extra expense, you will offer your guests maximum comfort.
Lighting
Great attention should also be paid to lighting. First, apply double curtains to each window, so that you have a light layer to let daylight filter in while ensuring sufficient privacy, and a heavier curtain to ensure total darkness at night and promote rest.
Carefully choose the lamps according to the areas of the room. The arrangement and intensity of the light should allow
Temperature
An adequate temperature is necessary for satisfactory rest. We are almost in 2023 and it is strictly necessary to equip the room with an air conditioning system to maintain a constant temperature between 20 ° C and 23 ° C in all seasons. Air conditioning, like Wi-Fi, as we will see later, is no longer an optional option but the fundamental element that should NEVER be lacking.
Brochures
The last suggestion is to leave in the room all the useful information for the tourist for his stay: I refer to excursion brochures, guides to tourist attractions in the area, or phone numbers to order a pizza or book dinner in a recommended restaurant.
It is very appreciated, but especially useful to provide guests with a list of telephone numbers and addresses needed in case of emergency: firefighters, hospitals, medical services, pharmacies, police offices, etc.
Kitchen must be super-equipped
What should never be missed is a microwave oven that allows not only cooking but also heating water and prepared dishes in a short time. Of course, the refrigerator will have to be of the type combined with a freezer as well. A toaster, coffee maker or, better yet, a waffle machine, become popular tools for breakfasts. Good cookware, various utensils, cutlery, glasses and assorted plates complete the accessories that should not be missing in the kitchen.
If you want to be a particularly scrupulous host, also leave a basket containing fresh fruit and basic necessities like, for example, a packet of pasta, tomato puree, cookies, rusks, oil, vinegar, salt, sugar, tea and at least a dozen pods or coffee capsules. Those who arrive at their destination tired from the trip will find great comfort in having something to eat or the opportunity to prepare a simple pasta dish without having to leave their home.
A clean and fresh bathroom
The bathroom is one of the most important rooms in the house, but above all, it is decisive for the total satisfaction of customers.
The basic rule is maximum cleanliness, with sanitary items that must shine and soft towels. Even though many tourists bring from home everything they need for their personal hygiene:
- some new, unopened toothbrushes,
- toothpaste,
- shampoo,
- shower gel,
- a scented lotion,
- etc...
In addition to the level of hygiene, it is fundamental to highlight spaces, whether small or large. The choice of furniture is a determining factor and will bring a touch of originality. The urban chic style combines classic shapes with modern finishes and can satisfy the most diverse tastes. If you want something less showy, you can opt for freestanding furniture that offers the feeling of a more discreet and reassuring atmosphere.
Pamper your guests
There are many little tricks to show your visitors that you are happy to have them as guests. A personalized welcome card, a bottle of wine, bouquets of fresh flowers in the rooms, and sweets and chocolates scattered throughout the apartment are just a few examples of how to pamper guests and make them feel special.
Want to go even further?
You can then decide to arrange corners of the house into relaxation areas, placing small tables and armchairs where they can read a book, sip a cup of tea or listen to good music in peace. On vacation, everyone tries to unplug and leave behind, at least for a few days, the stressful daily routine: even a small space where you can close your eyes and meditate will be much appreciated.
If you have a family-friendly facility, consider whether young children may be present. A special area for the care and cleaning of babies will be welcome. Likewise, a basket full of toys, the availability of accessories such as high chairs, crib, deckchair and kettle for baby food will be appreciated.
All these details are essential to success and demonstrate your great desire to share and welcome people into your home, considering them more than just tourists.
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