You’re debating on whether to Airbnb your house while on vacation. Here are the reasons why you should- and what to know before you do.
Living life on the road has been a dream many have made a reality in these modern times, now that so many have the ability to work remotely.
Whether this is you or whether you’re packing your bags for a needed vacation, you may have considered a compelling thought- could you Airbnb your house while on vacation?
I mean, why not?
What would have seemed an unlikely way to make some extra cash just a few short years ago, now is totally feasible with the popularity of short-term rental platforms like Airbnb.
For the past two years, my family and I have packed up our belongings and moved out of our home to do some traveling for a few weeks, and we were able to help pay for those vacations by renting our house out on Airbnb.
In this post I’ll share with you all the benefits of renting your home while you travel and what to know before you do. I’ll also share with you step-by-step how to go about the process of how to Airbnb your home.
This post is all about how to Airbnb your house while on vacation.
Why You Should Airbnb Your House While On Vacation
Pay for Your Vacation
Okay, obviously the main reason anyone would want to rent their house out as a short-term rental is to make a little extra money!
Renting your home as an Airbnb can be lucrative if you’ve got a decent place with everything a person might need for a short stay in your city.
Look up the nearby hotel rates- you can charge around or more than what they’re charging depending on how many beds, baths, amenities, and how the quality of your home is.
If you can rent your home to for $150-$200 pr night, that adds up to a decent amount of extra cash that can go toward paying for your vacation!
The best part is that this is passive income. Besides the prep it does take to get your place ready (which it does take a decent amount of prep- more on that later), most of that money is made while you are sipping a pina colada on a beach somewhere– or wherever your vacay dreams take you.
Your House Becomes an Asset
Deciding to rent your home out can turn it into a part-time income-producing asset. Once your place is set up to rent once, it’s that much easier to do again and again in the future, meaning more potential for income.
Once you’ve got listing photos, a well written description, and a system for storing all your personal belongings while you’re gone, you’ve basically created a well-oiled machine that makes it possible to repeat the process again and again in the future.
And consider the shift in your perspective you have of your home once you know you’ll be making money from bookings. You don’t mind spending a little extra to outfit your home with nice bedding or upgrade to that water filter you’ve wanted, since you know that you can make some of it back in reservations.
Sharing Your Home is Fun
When you decide to open your place to someone else while you’re away, you get excited about sharing your home, full of personality and life, to someone who’ll really appreciate it and take care of it while you’re gone. Your house will appreciate it too!
You’ll probably also find yourself enjoying the idea of playing the role of travel guide to your guest(s) while you’re gone, making restaurant recommendations, advising them what to do and see in town, and making them feel most comfortable in your place. It’ll remind you just why you love your home & community so much.
It’s an Excuse to Make Your Place Look Good
For those of us that need a little added “push” to get things done around our homes, Airbnb-ing your place puts just that little fire under your bum to get moving on any unfinished projects.
For me it was the wall art. 2.5 years into owning my home, my walls were mostly still bare. When we decided to rent out the home while visiting my family in FL, I knew I had to attack this project for the listing photos. And, lo and behold, I finished that project, and I’m so happy I finally did!
Related: The Superhost’s Complete Airbnb Kitchen Essentials Checklist
Come Home to It in Pristine Condition
If you did a good deep clean and staging of your place before you left, odds are you’re going to find your place as you left it– sparkling clean, free of your everyday clutter, and looking in its best condition ever. There’s no better welcome home than that!
And if you’re concerned about a guest trashing or damaging items in their place, as is the common fear of new hosts, the truth is, most Airbnb guests with great reviews are going to treat your place like their own. I’ve been hosting with Airbnb several years, and I’ve only had a handful of minor damages happen at any of our rentals.
And when it comes to renting my personal home, my guests have been incredibly respectful. It’s been a matter of taking out the trash and doing up the laundry after their stay, and other than that my guests have left my place spotless.
And another note on that: at heart, Airbnb is a really awesome community of hosts and travelers, and you have to remember the original spirit of Airbnb was always one of neighborly trust and mutual respect between guest and host. And I find that most guests are of this kind of spirit.
How to Airbnb your vacation home:
1. Stage it for Listing Photos
Do your best to clean, stage, and take photos of your home. You want these to be as nice as possible. Make sure to clear as much clutter and remove personal items from the photos. They may not be 100% perfect. The goal is just to get listed. But you want them as nice as you possibly can. You’ll want to go back and take more better photos just before your first guests arrives when its all staged up and in perfect condition!
2. Write Up Your Listing
Next, write up a description of your home. Include details about your location & surroundings, what your place is like, and what amenities you have to offer. Check out this post for tips on how to write a listing description.
3. List and Set Your Pricing, Availability & Settings
Once you list, you’ll want to make sure you set your calendar availability right away. That way, someone can only book on the days you make it available. You’ll then want to set your pricing. I like to look at comparable listings in the area as well as the local hotel prices to get an idea of what to charge. Lastly, you’ll want to take a look at your settings and make sure they are all set how you want them. One thing I like to adjust is I like to turn instant book off so that I can have a chance to screen the guest a little bit before they book.
4. Find the Right Guest
The best way to find your right guest is by having your listing complete with the appropriate details and settings. Make sure to set your minimum nightly stay requirement, any guest requirements you want to set like previous host recommendations, and list all the amenities you offer at your place.
Again, I like to turn instant book off so that the guest has to first inquire about your place. That gives you the opportunity to exchange a few messages back and forth before accepting a request to book. If there are any red flags, you can almost always tell right away.
5. Prepare to Store All Your Belongings Away
Next, come up with a plan for how you will store all your personal belongings away. We decided to lock off our attic and store things there. Anything we didn’t want to leave guests from our kitchen cupboards, we locked in our pantry. And our office items were locked in our desk drawers. Toiletries were all stored away in large plastic bins and moved to the attic.
Make sure you have a plan to remove any family photos or personal belongings as well.
You can expect the process of packing up to take some time and effort. Its going to be kind of like moving.
6. Invest in New Bedding
Next, you’ll want to make sure your bedding is fresh and up to par for a guest. You may want to get new pillows, sheets, and a duvet. Here are some of the items I recommend:
Related: How to Get the Perfect Airbnb Bed: 5+ Airbnb Bedding Tips
7. Schedule a Deep Clean
Of course you can DIY this, but by the time you’ve done all the other prep, odds are you’ll be ready to pass this one off to a pro. Either way, you’ll want to do a full deep clean of the house. You want you place to be *sparkling* clean for your guests! Be sure to get every nook and cranny – inside of drawers, interior and exterior of your cabinets, dust off your blinds, and make sure to do an oven self-clean (do this one days before, as it will smell up your house).
8. Create Check-In Instructions & a House Manual
This doesn’t need to get real fancy, but be sure you guest knows what to expect when they arrive and how they are getting into the house. Leave any pertinent information like how to adjust the heating/cooling, what the wifi password is, and how to work the TV. Let them know the best way to communicate with you if they need anything during their stay.
Related: How to Make a Stunning House Manual + FREE House Manual Template!
9. Stage, Take a Second Round of Photos, and Leave for Your Vacay!
The last thing to do once you’re all cleaned staged, and ready for your guest, get all new photos. Your place is going to be looking pristine, so now’s the time to capture photos for any future opportunities to list your place again.
10. Collect Your Payout & Go Travel the World!
Once you’ve accepted a booking and prepped your place, all that’s left to do is collect your payout and head out on your travel adventure!
Conclusion
If you needed that list of pros for why you should Airbnb your house while on vacation, this was it! And if you’re still debating on whether or not to do this thing, don’t be afraid to take your time and mull it all over. Its a big decision. And while you’re at it, check out these other resources that’ll help you get started if you decide to pull the trigger.
How to Get the Perfect Airbnb Bed: 5+ Airbnb Bedding Tips
7 Incredibly Helpful Airbnb Host Tips for Beginners
This post was all about how to Airbnb your house while on vacation.
