How to List Your Home on Airbnb and Earn Easy Travel Cash

Would you pay fortwo hotel rooms in a singlenight, but use only one? Probably not, but when you goon holiday and continue to pay your rent or mortgage while you're gone, that's essentially what happens. Paying for a space you aren't staying innot onlybleeds your travel budget, but leaves a perfectly usable space, well, unused.

WhatI find mostpainfulabout all of this is that there's a solution that can even handyou a profit while you're gone. In turn, it can also help other travellers explore your hometown. So why not return the favour, and earn some travel cash on the side? Here's how to list your home on Airbnband be an AWESOME host, too!

1. Make an Airbnb account

Signing up for Airbnb is safe and convenient. If you haven't yet made an account, you can signup for free here. There's even a handy calculator to tell you how much you could earn based on your location!

Being a host on Airbnb starts with creating a free account.

Some quick tips for setting up a trustworthy profile:

Fill it out & be detailed!Hosts are wary of accepting guestswho don't adequately complete their profiles and in turn, guests are skeptical of hosts with barren profiles. Airbnb even gives you prompts on what to include.Get verified & include a clear headshot of yourself.Confirming your identity instils much more trust in hosts or guests. Include a clear image of yourself and complete the identity verifications (e.g. a scanned Passport (not made public), connecting your mobile number (not displayed publicly), or linking your Facebook, Google, or LinkedIn account.

2. Set upyourlisting

Airbnb will practically hold your hand through this entire process. And by entirely, I mean it will also address these common questions:

How much should I charge per night? You needn't calculate this, Airbnb does it for you! A suggested nightly rate is provided based on the# of rooms, amenities, location, tourist season, prices of other listings near you, and whether you've had any bookings yet. In many cases, you can charge much more than you think. Ultimately, you decide the listing price and it can be adjusted anytime and changed for specific dates, weekends, and more.What if I only want to list certain dates?No problem you can even set this up and only book your place onceand then never again! You'll be provided a calendar which you can block out, open up, and adjust any time you like.

Still having trouble? There are Airbnb listing professionals offering their services that you can consider who have been past Airbnb Superhosts.

3. List amenities and describe your space accurately.

When describing your listing, you want guests to be able to envision themselves in your home. Clearly portray the vibe. Is it chilled outand relaxing? Footsteps from delectable eats and markets? Does it have that perfect little balcony for a morning tea, or a cozy couch and a great selection of books? Remember: your description iswhat will ignitepeople's interest to choose your listing over someone else's.

Provide accurate descriptions

I cannot emphasize this enough, but accuracy is key.Inaccuracies will hurt your reviews. And in the world of Airbnb, reviews are highly influential in getting bookings.

So, how to get great feedback? Be upfront! Acknowledge any potential turn-offs for guests. Bad surprises are what lead to docked stars.In turn, list charmingqualities and offer other perks instead to off-set lesser aspects here's how!

ddress downfalls tactfully

People often worry about the not-so-great aspectsof their home or neighbourhood, and it can even convincepeople to never list their space at all. Trust me when I say this: so long as you aren't living in the local dumpster, there will always be someone looking for a place, no matter how average it may be. If your description matches reality, guests shouldn't be disappointed with your space's downfalls.

Here's common deterrents hostsface, and some waysto address them:

Noisey neighbourhood? Say so, but include why. Is it lively? A prime location just steps from all the action? A quick walk to the train station or close to the airport? Are there cafes, exciting nightlife, a thriving community feel in the area?Boring residential area? If your home is removed from the action, state this. You could list transport options and distances/times to give guests a realistic understanding of how far out you are. A plus of residential areas is peace and quiet, quick access to local shops, markets, or cafes, and a local, community feel.Small living space? State this, but describe what makes it great. Is it cozy, intimate, minimalist, space-wise? Are the trade-off's of wanting to spend most of the time in the vibrant neighbourhood better? (E.g. This is asmallspace witha bustling neighbourhood at your doorstep).Older unit? Say so. But is it charming, historical, retro, or cozy? You can let people know you have an older home without making it sound too uninviting, but do acknowledge it in some way.Got pets? You MUST list this as guests can have allergies or strong oppositions to pets. But are the pets cute, great company? Are they an adorable local, and do they keep to themselves?

Provide perks

Small perks addasense of invitation and are a low-cost investment for what you will earn per stay. Here's our suggested must-have's, as well as above and beyond provisions.

Must-Have's

InternetA kettleCoffee & teaSugar & creamerTowels

Bonus Perks

Toiletries (shampoo & conditioner, soap)Basic breakfast (yogurt in fridge, juice, granola bars, muffins and/or bread)Local or national snacks/treatsOrganic teas, hot cocoa, or fancycoffeeA list of your personal suggestions for eating, drinking, and activitiesA map (awesome if you can take a minute to mark down your favourite local places)

These aren't essential, but I'd argue that these low-cost staples are likely to make your a super host (more on that below). If you really want your listing to stand out from the rest, consider offering these low-cost perks.

List all nearbyattractions & activities

No matter how mundane some of them may seem to you, be sure to list any or ALL of the following. If possible, also list the walking/transit times to reach them, which shows how accessible your place is.

Parks (national and local)Walking trailsPopular neighbourhoods/areasCity centreShopping mallsMarketsPublic transitGrocery storesCafesRestaurantsTourist attractionsLook-outs/viewpoints

4. Post great photos of your space

Above all else, photos are arguably the most important aspect of your listing. Do not be lazy when it comes toshowcasing your home, since you're likely toonly take those photosonce!

Here's some quick tips for posting photos:

Clean your apartment (As in, de-clutter, tidy overstuffed shelves, push aside trinkets & personal items, make sure bedsheets are not wrinkled and pillows are straightened).Take photos in natural lighting ideally on a sunny day with all curtains opened.Capture the whole space. Step as far back into a room's corner or doorframe to capture its full size. If you can, stand on a chair or stool for a more aerial view. Use a landscape or panorama setting on your camera to get a widershot, and snap the most attractive aspects of a room such as a large window space or beautiful balcony.Add photos of the neighbourhood & street. Try to convey what the space and/or neighbourhood is like by adding a few photos ofwhat's around. Even one photo of your street can help guests envision their visit.

A photo of our (old) balcony from our old Airbnb listing on a cloudyday.

The same balcony photo but taken on a sunny day, with a breakfast display of smoothies & coffees. Small touches & good lighting make all the difference!

Interesting shots and angles help add flare to your listing.

ddressing ugly rooms

If you have a room you especially despise, do not omit photographing it. Being sneaky with guests will not only leave them upset, but will likely result in a bad review. Take a positive spin on less-desirable areas. Brighten a sad bathroom with a vase of flowers, colourfulcandles, or a vibrant shower curtain (see left). It doesn't take much!

Be sure to add descriptions to each of your photos as this influences the guest's perception of ashot, especially with potentially not-so-great rooms. If a spaceis small, call itcozy or petite. If it's old and tired, dub itvintage, retro or well-loved. A crammed and tiny kitchen can instead beanolder but well-loved cooking nook. You can be honest without being overtly negative!

But what if someone steals or breaks something?

Airbnb's host coverage insures for up to $1,000,000 in damage or loss (this is part of what the ~3% Airbnb booking fee for guests and hosts covers). Keep in mind that incidents of theft or damage are rare. It's always advised to only accept booking from guests with previous positive reviews. See more info on the host guarantee here.

Save time with these services and tools

As your listing becomes popular, the process of handing off keys, messaging guests, and cleaning your home can become time consuming. Here's a few of our favorite services that can save you time along the way:

Cleaning: Handy lets you book and manage house cleaning services online. Enter your ZIP code and size of your home, and you'll be connected with a background-checked professional cleaner. Get $30 off your first booking with coupon code AFF30OFF.Guest messaging and management: Sending timely messages and leaving reviews for your guests is essential to improving your ranking on Airbnb. Smartbnb automates the process, using templates that you can customize for welcoming guests, sending check-in and check-out instructions, leaving reviews, and much more.Key handoff: Offer your guests the convenience of self check-in while freeing up your own time by using a key lockbox or smartlock.Odd jobs: For any other help with your property like cleaning, meeting guests, performing repairs, or anything else, try posting on TaskRabbit. You can post almost any kind of job and get safe and reliable help on-demand from people in your neighborhood.

How to become an Airbnb Superhost

Being a host on Airbnb really is just4 simple steps. But becoming a Superhost, which then adds a badge of recognition to your profile, is a step up. This is a major attraction point for guests, as it reflects a lot more trust in your listing. This is more likely to result in consistent bookings for you.

The criteria for becoming a Superhost is:

High overall rating (4.8 stars overall or higher)High response rate (90% or higher)Active user (10+ stays per year)Reliable (0 cancellations)

This criteria is reviewed by Airbnb every 3 months.Here's 4 quick tips to becoming a Superhost (and avoiding any hosting hiccups).

1. Keepa goodacceptance rate &keep your calendar up-to-date

Your acceptance rate is based on how many times you accept bookings, so make sure your calendar reflects when you are actually available. It's okay to decline a booking once in awhile, but this is tracked on your profile on a scale of 0 to 100% and may deter guests if it seems the hosts frequently declines.

If you continuouslydecline guests because your calendar is incorrect or you don't respond within 24 hours of the request, your acceptance rate will drop.

2. Maintaina strongresponse rate

A response rate is based on how quickly and frequently you respond to messages on Airbnb. This rewards hosts that are prompt, which is attractive to guests who want a reachablehost. Unfortunately a glitch in this system is that hosts must always have the last word, even in a string of back and forth messages. Make sure you always have the final message, even if it's simple thanks! or great!, as Airbnb will otherwise track this as a non-response to the last message, bringing down your rate.

3. Review your guests

Airbnb has now changed their review system so that guests and hosts cannot see the others review for 14 days after it's published (unless you leave a review, too). Leaving a review is courteous, andshows you are a responsible host. Remember, potential guests can see all of your written reviews (both about you and ones you've written on guests), so be respectful and detailed, as this gives potential bookers a flavour of who you are!

4. Have an emergency contact if you won't be nearby

Be sure to have someone reachable who can deal with any emergencies or issues guests could have. You should let this person know you'll be using them just in case, and leave this contact info with guests. Problems that can arise range from clogged sinks and Internet flops, to household floods and broken BBQs. It's not likely, but it can happen (and has happened to us thankfully when we were physically nearby). An unreachable host is an Airbnb guest's worst nightmare and will definitely ruin your reviews!

Need more tips? Check out our extensive full guide on How to Become an Airbnb Superhost!

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The Thrifty Gist

Hosting on Airbnb is simple, and begins with making a free accountMake a detailed listing with bright photos and well-thought descriptionsOffer simple perks such as a local recommendationsand free tea & coffeeBe a reachable host promptly reply to messages and inquiries to maintain a good profile (or use Smartbnb to automate this)Keep an up-to-date calendar to maintain a good response rateSave time with a cleaning service like Handy ($30 off your first booking with coupon AFF30OFF) and allow self check-in with a key lockbox or smartlock.

And there you have it! Everything you ever needed to know to be more than just a mediocre host on Airbnb. You are now well on your way to earning back your travel cash while on vacation. What better way to go on holiday and spend money than know your bank account is simultaneously growing!

What are your tips for being an AWESOME Airbnb host?

The post How to List Your Home on Airbnb and Earn Easy Travel Cash appeared first on Thrifty Nomads.

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By: Jen Avery
Title: How to List Your Home on Airbnb and Earn Easy Travel Cash
Sourced From: feedproxy.google.com/~r/ThriftyNomads/~3/NF32537Sm4w/
Published Date: Fri, 03 Jan 2020 18:06:12 +0000