House Furnishing Insider Tips EVERY New Airbnb Host Needs to Know
After 5 years of staging and furnishing hundreds of houses for Airbnb and other short-term platforms like VRBO, we have learned (often by trial and error) what to do and what NOT to do when staging and buying furniture for a house or an apartment.
We enlisted the help of one of our resident buyers and literally pumped her for information. We got SO many tips out of her that we decided to write a short series of blog posts to better organize the content and not overwhelm you.
Let’s start from the beginning, it is VERY important that you keep in mind the location and the type of guests that are likely to rent your property. For example, if your property is near an amusement park(s) you can assume that families with children will rent your house, therefore the furniture and extras should be child friendly.
Keep the following in mind as well:
•. Furniture should be child-friendly (not white or with sharp edges)
•. Include plastic dishes/bowls/utensils/cups
• Get popular characters bedding and happy colors for the children themed bedrooms
• Outfit the house with clip on eating chairs, stroller, and/or anything else that would make your guests stay easier/more enjoyable
•. Do add at least one set of bunk beds but don’t forget to have at least one bedroom with one king or queen size bed (for parents/couples looking for privacy)
Keeping your audience in mind will help you stage your property the right way and will attract the type of guests you desire to entertain.
Once you have a VERY clear idea of the potential guests you will be entertaining, take advantage of the provided pictures, measurements, and video (if you don’t have those…you can enlist the help of your realtor, https://www.zillow.com/ or wherever the property was listed).
We have developed a system so pictures and often videos are provided to the purchasing department – we have noticed that having those makes their jobs easier and optimizes the space and streamlines the staging process.
When in doubt, request measurements (it is better to take a trip to the property than receiving furniture that is too small or too big and then potentially delaying the launch date due to having to send furniture back and having to wait for replacement items. Yes, we are speaking from experience).
Create or purchase (http:///www.Etsy.com is a great place to look) an Excel spreadsheet template that lists every room in a house; doing so makes it easier to track what you need to buy. (You have no idea how easy it can be to miss key items when you are buying lots of furniture to stage an ENTIRE house).
Pro Tip: add links and pictures (whenever possible) to your spreadsheet so you can easily find what you have purchased and see what it looks like.
Our buyers have learned to NOT order furniture that has too many pieces or is hard to assemble. Time is literally money when it comes to staging…so choosing items that are easy to assemble and or come already assembled is key (more on in the next blog post in this mini-series).
If you are planning on owning MANY short-term rental units we recommend choosing a certain look or style for your portfolio (not saying every house should look the same) but doing so provides cohesiveness and it will also make bulk purchases easier (buying in bulk saves money and time).
Shop by room instead of buying anything and everything randomly. Following this tip will expedite the buying process and will make your item search easier.
Follow the tips above and you will be more organized and less likely to become overwhelmed by the thought of having to buy furniture for an entire house(s). It always helps to think about what you would like to see or would want when on vacation or away from home.
In the next installment, we’ll talk about how to start the buying process and where to buy key items. You DO NOT want to miss the next blog post.
Question for you, what are you struggling with when it comes to staging and/or outfitting your short-term rentals? Who knows, your question might inspire a future blog post.
Have questions about becoming a host or need help managing your short-term rental? We can help! Connect with us by clicking the following link and learn about ALL our services for real estate investors like you: https://www.patriotfamilyhomes.com/services
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