Tourist Area (Conway, NH) AirBnB and buying furniture/contents

[Parker Fairfield]

I have a 3 story condo 3BR/3BA and am going to be renting it out on Airbnb

I need to buy beds/mattresses --- where would you buy them? AMAZON? 

How would you price the nightly rate? 

There are several 'seasons'= 

1) Summer (June July & August) -- about 80 days

2) Foliage (October and November) -- about 60 days

3) Ski Season (January February March) about 70 days

4) Holidays (Christmas, New Years, Easter) about 30 days 

That's about 240 days .... how many do you think? Do you agree with the number?

What percent of those days do you think that we'd rent ? 60% assuming we have good pricing? 

[Sean Walton]

Hi Parker,

    airbnb will help you with a suggested price. I would recommend starting with a slightly lower price to begin with until you have a few review. Reviews are key and some research suggests the more the better even suggesting 100 good reviews are better than 4 stellar reviews. I would lower prices a lot on small gaps in booking to try and fill those up as you get closer to those dates..

I don't know your area that well but furniture quality is finding a balance between durability, cost and design sense. I would check thrift stores for dishes and silverware maybe cookware, Amazon or Homegoods/Marshals for cookware. Ikea for most furniture. I would spend a bit more on mattress, pillows and sheets. People will remember how comfy the bed is when leaving reviews. Good quality sheets will last longer. Remember you will be washing them a lot as you turn over between guests. 

Remember to keep all your receipts to deduct on your taxes. 

consider getting a keypad lock or lockbox for late night arrivals.