How to make your first listing on Airbnb feel premium

Key overview: How to make your first listing on Airbnb feel premium

• Add quality bedding, towels and warm lighting.
• Make sure every amenity in the property is working to its full capacity.
• Enhance the guest experience with details like lamps, bedside tables, cushions, full-length mirrors, towel hooks and block-out blinds.
• Create a dreamy vibe in your outdoor area by adding festoon lights, a firepit and relaxed seating.
• Make sure your Airbnb home matches the photographs and the gardens and entrance are kept tidy and neat.
• Take insights from guest reviews on what they love and ways to improve.

Amy’s Airbnb hosting journey started with hosting at her own former home, a winery near Canberra. She and her husband, a licensed builder, renovated a cottage on the property and listed it on Airbnb.

Before long, they were booked out nine months ahead, and people were asking for her tips. Now, as a co-host, Amy helps others with their listings on Airbnb, including this four-bedroom country home in the Northern Rivers, NSW. During her hosting journey, she’s learned many lessons.

How to give Airbnb guests an enhanced experience

Preparing this lovely old home for guests meant respecting the character while enhancing the experience. “We didn’t necessarily want to turn a vintage-style property into a modern new build,” says Amy. “It was about creating and celebrating the character it had, considering how we could use some of the features the guests were going to use – so obviously the beautiful outdoor fire pit area with festoon lights, and the barbecue.” Amy was also keen to give the place a premium feel. “That was about layering certain elements,” she says – items like quality bedding and towels, and warm lighting.

What’s the number one way to get a home Airbnb guest-ready?

Every element of a home needs to be guest-ready. “My number one thing is that if there is an amenity in a property, it needs to be working at its full capacity,” Amy says. “Different properties have all these different nuances, but if we’re including a TV, it has to work.”

Amy’s tips for making your Airbnb home feel premium

• Aim for fresh paintwork. “There’s nothing worse than going into a house and there being marks and chips and whatever in the paintwork,” says Amy.
• Think about first impressions. “As a guest arrives, that’s when they’re clocking, ‘Hey, does this match the photos that I’ve seen,’” says Amy, noting the importance of the initial view of a tidy garden, clipped grass and neat entrance.
• Make check-in and check-out really simple. Amy suggests considering smart locks and assessing the end-to-end process.
• Think beyond simply making the property photograph well. Amy thinks through the functional elements that she knows help enhance the guest experience. “Bedside tables, cushions, full-length mirrors, those kind of things,” she lists. “Making sure all the bedrooms have blockout blinds; even going as far as hooks for towels. A guest is never going to say, ‘Oh I loved the hooks,’ but they’re definitely going to notice it from a functional point of view!”
• Functionality is an important factor. When the couple renovate; hard-wearing finishes and durable products are high on the upgrade list. “The way we look at it when we’re painting, renovating or styling a property is always – can you clean it, will it withstand a turnover, is it easily replaceable and will it still look good in 12 months’ time?” Amy explains.

How to create a memorable experience for your Airbnb guests

As an interior designer, Amy also often helps owners set up their place in preparation for listing on Airbnb, with her husband jumping in to help with the bigger changes when needed. Amy loves the insights she gets when reading reviews from guests. “What it is that they love about the property, my hosting, the ways we could improve different things,” she says.

Amy shares this advice: “I always say that the guest experience comes first,” she says. Any extra income** they receive on the back end? “It’s just a by-product for creating memorable stays for people,” she says.

Want to host but don’t have the time?

Find a co-host on the Co-Host Network at airbnb.com.au/host.

Want to know what it takes to become a Superhost?

Check out our article on tips from a Superhost on Airbnb to get started hosting.

Photo credit: Sally Singh Creative, Coastal Images. 

**The information in this article is general in nature and for illustrative purposes only. Individual experiences vary. Earnings are not guaranteed and will depend on factors, including availability, price and the demand in your area. Your ability to host may also be subject to local laws. You should look at your own financial position, and seek professional advice before making any financial decisions.

Please note: Any plumbing or electrical works must be done by a licensed contractor.