Three Killer Poconos STR Renovation Examples

[Mike Eichler]

Hello BP,  

I wanted to share some success stories of three of my clients who bought homes to renovate and then rent out STR-style. I am very excited to show you the before and afters. You will be blown away by the last one... Without further ado, here we go!

I realized that photos are too big and make the post look crappy, so I will link the before (Zillow) pictures and then the After (Airbnb) links!  

#1 - Small 3 Bedroom Renovation into small group luxury accommodation.   

Before Pictures  (Zillow Link)

After Pictures (Airbnb Link) 

This investor purchased and painted all the bedrooms and living spaces, replaced flooring all throughout, and has gotten brand new and very high-end furniture.  They went a step beyond and put money into the backyard space with a nice fire pit, string lights,  mulch, and lots of landscaping, which gives an awesome look.   (Very proud of you Chris!) 

#2 - Larger 5-bedroom renovation into a sweet rental home 

Before Pictures (Zillow Link)

After Pictures (Airbnb Link)

These investors took something that was very boring and extremely residential-looking and transformed it into a cozy retreat for travelers with highlights being adding wood paneling, kitchen renovation, new furniture throughout, beautiful outdoor space with added hot tub and fire pit spaces for guests to hangout and an exciting game room space to occupy guests for hours.  (Chester and Sari you really impressed me here!)

#3 This one is crazy!  2-bedroom renovation into a crazy couples retreat! 

Before Pictures (Realtor.com link)

After Pictures (Airbnb Link) 

Wow is this transformation absolutely crazy!  This investor spent over $60,000 to really make this one a top tier option for couples or small groups traveling.  He opened up and vaulted the ceiling in the living room and then added wood paneling accents to give the total cozy cabin look and feel.  He painted walls and replaced all the furniture in the house, and laid gravel around the yard, adding a fence, fire pit, and hot tub.  

Hope this inspires you to make the leap and jump into the game.  This is the kind of style you need to replicate to find success in the Short Term Rental world.  You can't take a crappy and boring house and expect to find success.  Want help doing this?  DM me and I can guide you through the process.  My team does Turn-key, Renovations and new construction homes in the Poconos Region.  

Thanks for reading!

-Mike Eichler 

[Armani Colon]

Hi Mike,

First - thank you very much for sharing these wonderful examples. I think this is a valuable reminder to newer or less-seasoned investors, that successful STR's are BUILT, not always bought.

#3, Old coach is my favorite! 

[Andrew Steffens]

Beautiful properties. I love mountain rentals, and I grew up near the Poconos. Good to see people creating high quality rentals. When you choose quality success will follow, especially in the STR world.

[Madri Koppe]

Thanks for sharing, these look great! When I’m working with clients on their STRs I emphasize the need to have a clear vision for what the property can be. As you point out, it’s not going to be a home run at first glance. There needs to be a level of investment for it to be successful. 

[Max Ferguson]

Absolutely love this. The pictures from the zillow link are pretty good already, but after looking at the airbnb it shows how much room there is for creating exemplary photos above the zillow listing. Nice job!

[Garrett Brown]

You and the team crushed these! Congratulations all around and I imagine they are going to be successful for years to come. Would you mind if I told the story of one of these in the BiggerPockets weekly STR newsletter "BiggerStays"? PM me if so please!

[Brian G.]

@Mike Eichler so what are the #’s? Purchase price, make ready cost and expected annual gross revenue? This is what investors want to know before entering a market: the expected gross revenue to purchase price ratio.

[Zach Edelman]

These are some sick Air BnBRRRRs!

[Mike Eichler]

Quote from @Brian G.:

@Mike Eichler so what are the #’s? Purchase price, make ready cost and expected annual gross revenue? This is what investors want to know before entering a market: the expected gross revenue to purchase price ratio.

 Thanks for the comment.  I was making this post to show off the before-and-afters. I may make a post on the numbers, but that was not my intention here.  

[Sarah Kensinger]

This strategy is a goal for us in the next 5 years! Love turning "forgotten" places into something beautiful that makes the world a better place!

[Andrew Prince]

WOW, really?  to suggest that property #2 has a "game room" when it actually has an arcade1up "arcade game" is disingenuous at best.  It gives those of us with the gumption and resources to offer a real gameroom a bad name.