How Decor and Design Can Make or Break Your Airbnb Home

If you are a homeowner with some extra space or you are out of town a lot, then you might have considered opening up your home to guests and turning your place into an Airbnb. However, while you may be excited about an additional income stream, you first need to look at your current decor and decide if you have a place that people will want to call home during their next vacation.

Since the Airbnb market has grown exponentially over the last few years, you will need to put some serious thought into the pros and cons and decide if the work that you may have to put into remodeling is worth the potential reward. Let’s look at the pros and cons of hosting an Airbnb and the decor that will make yours shine.

Consider If You Should Host An Airbnb

Before you renovate or modify your living space, you really need to think about what you are in for when you start bringing guests into your home. There are many pros and cons to consider when starting an Airbnb, and you will want to make an informed decision prior to moving forward.

For instance, it is important to remember that you will have strangers living in your place, sitting in your chairs, and using your bathrooms. While you can use common cleaning supplies to fix everything up after the fact, you will need to consider if you are comfortable with others calling your house their home while you are not there.

On the bright side, you can earn a decent income if you continue to rent out your space throughout the year. You can use the earnings to clean up the space and buy extra amenities that guests might enjoy, like an outdoor grill or better seating, which can help you to earn more cash. However, like all side gigs, the income and earnings will be a bit erratic, and there is likely going to be a part of the year when tourism is down, and reservations may be few and far between.

Once you understand the benefits and the downsides, you need to look at your home or apartment and verify that you have the space necessary to host guests. If your house is full of clutter or you lack the necessary pieces of furniture, then you may not have many paying guests because they can’t enjoy the space properly. Take a good look around and think about if you were a paying guest. Would you be satisfied with your stay? If the answer is not 100% clear, then you need to go back to the drawing board.

Clean And Simple Spaces

When tourists pay to stay at a hotel, they go into the room expecting to have a clean area that appears sanitized and well cared for. Many tourists choose Airbnb over a hotel because they want to see the same cleanliness, but they also want more space where they can relax and bring their family without being cramped. That is why, when it comes to the design of an Airbnb, simplicity is key.

People don’t like clutter because it cramps our style and makes us feel subconsciously like we are losing control of our space. Guests also don’t want to be tripping over debris and excess furniture during their stay. It is important to have adequate seating in your rooms, but you shouldn’t have so much that there is no space to move around. Instead of buying a bulky furniture set, look for statement pieces that are gorgeous to look at and comfortable to sit in.

Even if you have a smaller apartment or you are just renting a room, you can give the area the illusion of more space by adding mirrors and by painting the space colors like off-white and blue, which will make it appear larger. You should also open the windows and let in plenty of natural light. In addition to helping us to feel happier, more comfortable, and energetic, natural light will also bounce off of the mirrors and create a wonderful ambiance.

Give Your Guests What They Need

In addition to making your guests feel comfortable, you should also think about what they may need during the course of their stay. That means telling them where to find extra towels and bed sheets and anything else they may require. While you are decorating your spaces, also consider adding a workspace where guests can sit down to write out their travel itinerary or do a little work on the side. Add a nice desk, a comfortable chair, and a houseplant to help boost their productivity.

If you have an outdoor space that they can enjoy, then make sure that it is in good repair as well. Decks and patios should be in good shape, and you can apply a fresh coat of paint to make it look brand new. Look for comfortable seating that fits the decor but is also comfortable and weather-resistant, so you don’t need to buy new items year after year. Of course, an extra amenity like a pool or hot tub could also bring in more customers.

Once you have perfected your new decor, you should take some high-quality pictures or a video that you can show on a website. Highlight the best aspects of the space and give viewers a virtual tour of the rental so they can see the benefits of choosing yours over the others. If your video editing skills could use a little practice, then consider taking a class where you can learn how to add the best effects and cut down your video to a size suitable for a website or mobile device.

As you can see, there is a lot of thought that should go into deciding if you want to go forward with an Airbnb as well as choosing the decor that can make it attractive to tourists. Consider these tips, and you could earn some extra money and beautify your home all at once.

Sam Bowman authored this post