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I’m not expert! But we have recently repainted our airbnb bedroom. It
become very neutral, so I bought some teal coloured euro pillow that
matched the kiwiana duvet cover. Here’s my listing. https://www.airbnb.co.nz/rooms/11127790?preview. Ignore the other areas -
we have to redecorate the living area and kitchen at some point.
The photos don’t show the prints I mentioned on airhostsforum.com. I think
they’re pretty cool and they look great printed A2 in black frames. And
the prints themselves are free! http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/visions-of-the-future/. Or maybe some posters or
photos of the area you’re in. Or even a map? I know you are close to Port
Fairy (our favourite place along that coast). Get your camera out.
Kmart has a great range of cool and cheap stuff for the house. If there’s
one near you, check it out. Sometimes all it takes is a pot in orange or a
brightly coloured cushion to add a bit of personality.
Also stalk your competition - check out their photos and how they have
presented their rooms, and keep checking to make sure your prices stay
competitive.
I think your place is fantastic and really good value. I’d book it.
You’ve done a really nice job restoring it and you deserve to be run off
your feet with guests.
Hi Susan,
Thanks for your reply.
Do you think that bringing in red might work? I am not sure, the place is missing something but I am not sure how to give it that final lift? Do you have any photos or ideas that might help.
Sorry to be a pain
The walls in my living space are white and the kitchen units black, but I have brought in warmth with lots of wood and picked out accent features in a dark red. However my space is in a Victorian building and is aimed at the couples/singles market.
By the way I wouldn’t bring in a trampoline for the garden as kids can easily have accidents on them and you don’t want any liability issues. But some soft toys or maybe plastic sets for younger children.
In terms of decorating, why not ask advice from some friends who have families whose taste you like. Photos of attractions in the area, paintings, cushions, throws, rugs, kitchen items picked out in accent colours can all help make it feel more homely.
I am in the minority of Airbnb guests, but I will mention it all the same. Please know this is just my personal preference, but …
I am turned off by neutral, empty spaces that look as if no one actually lives there. That’s not to say I don’t like the colors here - I do - but clearly no one lives here and it shows. If I wanted a space like that I would rent a hotel.
What draws me to peer-to-peer travel is the chance to stay in a real home - especially one where the vision and life and energy of the owners are evident. Books, art, mementoes - not clutter, of course, but texture and life - I want to travel and live like a local. That used to be what Airbnb was about, but not so much anymore.
That said, it is very nicely done as a neutral space with no personal touches.
Thanks Caroline,
It has been a long and expensive haul so i hope this works. Thank you for the links, I will have a look and let you know what I think.
Hi there,
Your place looks great, well done.
I have noticed that you have taken good photos at night, I think that I will have to go back to the drawing board with my photos.
Are you getting great reviews and good bookings?
Regards
Ross
If you don’t have an “eye” for interior design…it’s going to be difficult to decorate with color - even after looking at photo examples. According to the posts in this thread - some love the neutral colors, and others don’t care for it. I don’t care for neutral looking spaces myself. But you need to think about who is likely to book your place. If it’s a bunch of bachelors, then you might be good to go. I once read that the person booking a vacation rental is likely to be the eldest women in the group (who is tech savvy). I don’t recall what percentage that was.
I know you have already spent much more than you anticipated. Do you have thrift stores, estate/garage sales in your area? If so, I would plan an entire day and take someone with you who is good at “blending” items. Write a list of the items you still need: artwork, lamps, pillows, misc. kitchen items, etc. Let this person pick out some colorful items. They are also going to need to have a good eye for where to hang artwork, and the size the artwork needs to be.
None of this needs to necessarily exactly match, it just needs to blend well.
RE: cleaning fee - be careful with having a low cleaning fee while not compensating for it in your nightly rate. I saw your min. night stay was 1 night. If you get a lot of 1 night stays, then you will be taking a loss on the cleaning - esp. if you paying a housekeeper a lot more than that to come in.
Hi Nancy,
thanks for you kind words.
Yes I am waiting for the electrician to some changes around the TV.
Once the grass grows I will just keep adding bits around the place, I am
excited as I received a booking within 24hrs of listing so this will be the
tester.
Could you tell me if the cleaning fee is per day or per booking duration
please.
It’s slowed down because of the holidays, I find that’s normal. It’s picking up again slowly. We were booking, some months, with only 2 or 3 days free. It’s awesome!
Thank you for your reply,
So if it is an overnight booking and say the cleaning fee is $30.00 they pay the $30.00
If they book for a week would the fee for cleaning still be $30.00 (not $30.00 per night) for the booking ?
