All Forum Posts by: Dado Vucak

Quote from @Kevin Luttrell:

@Dado Vucak how did you set up your smart thermostat to change to certain temperatures at check out and before check in?

I’m sending a webhook from my channel manager to the automation platform (IFTTT) when the check in/out event is triggered. The automation platform then sends a subsequent web request to my home automation hub (hubitat). You can actually create an API within hubitat to control your devices, one of them being a virtual switch that I created. When the automation platform makes the API call to hub, it just tells it to turn that switch on/off depending on whether the guest is checking in or out. The last step was just writing a rule that says when the switch turns on, set the thermostat to home setting and when it turns off, set it to the away setting.

Quote from @Andrew Steffens:

Property manager here, but I feel like I can add a little value here: 

We use Lynx for the home automation (locks and thermostats, pool heaters coming soon).  We are in FL and an issue here is that people set the AC to as low as possible (66-70 in most homes) and then will leave all day for the beach.  We have it set to raise every day at noon for enabled homes to 76.  This does cause some guests to question "why the house gets warm" every day but it is a simple response to not freeze up the AC unit and to conserve energy/reduce costs.  If they are in the home they are free to lower it back down, but most people are outdoors in FL during the day.

Also you may already be aware that AI is being somewhat perfected to handle FAQ's.  We are experimenting now with ChatGPT but nothing 100% solid yet

Have you considered using a home automation that integrates with your smart thermostat? 

You can create a rule that says if the indoor temperature reaches “x” degrees, then turn the heat on, AC off, etc. 

You can also do more complex things like if the temp is at or below “x” degrees for “n” amount of time, then turn the heat on, AC off, etc.

That way you can set that expectation with your guests up front that if the temp stays below x degrees for n amount of time, that the HVAC system will turn off and you can avoid having to answer questions as to why it was adjusted. Might also help keep folks from leaving a bad review for adjusting the temp without them knowing. 

Quote from @Ken Boone:

Quote from @Dado Vucak:

Quote from @John Carbone:

Whenever someone books/cancels, that information is automatically ingested into my database. I created a dashboard from this data so that I can see a real-time wholistic view of my occupancy rates, revenue, avg nights/booking, avg guests/booking, etc. across ALL booking platforms (another custom automation using channel manager, digital automation platform, and sql server database)

I’m curious how you do this. I use hospitable with Airbnb and vrbo. Any suggestions?

This is one of the custom automations I created. I intentionally didn't go into too much detail as it's not the most intuitive solution and does require some technical skill but ultimately what I did was create a webhook (think of it as a custom URL that I created) and attached a trigger event that fires off within my channel manager whenever I receive a new booking or cancellation. 

That trigger event takes the booking/cancellation data from the channel manager and sends it to the webhook in the form of a JSON payload (which is just data structured in key/values pairs: “GuestName”: “Joe Doe”, “HostPayout”: “637.91”, etc.). When the webhook receives that information, it then subsequently fires off another event (within the automation platform) that then takes the data and adds into my sql server database.

I do something similar using zapier but I just write the data to a google sheet as far as data collection.  

Yeah, Zapier is great! A little pricy in my opinion. It has an integration to anything you can think of. I didn’t need all the extra bells and whistles so I didn’t want to pay for it but I’ve definitely used the free account for other personal things. You only get a single step zap with the free account but better than nothing in some cases. 

Quote from @John Carbone:

Whenever someone books/cancels, that information is automatically ingested into my database. I created a dashboard from this data so that I can see a real-time wholistic view of my occupancy rates, revenue, avg nights/booking, avg guests/booking, etc. across ALL booking platforms (another custom automation using channel manager, digital automation platform, and sql server database)

I’m curious how you do this. I use hospitable with Airbnb and vrbo. Any suggestions?

This is one of the custom automations I created. I intentionally didn't go into too much detail as it's not the most intuitive solution and does require some technical skill but ultimately what I did was create a webhook (think of it as a custom URL that I created) and attached a trigger event that fires off within my channel manager whenever I receive a new booking or cancellation. 

That trigger event takes the booking/cancellation data from the channel manager and sends it to the webhook in the form of a JSON payload (which is just data structured in key/values pairs: “GuestName”: “Joe Doe”, “HostPayout”: “637.91”, etc.). When the webhook receives that information, it then subsequently fires off another event (within the automation platform) that then takes the data and adds into my sql server database.

Hey all - 

For those of you self-managing your STRs, what kind of automations are you currently using to make life easier? 

My List:

- Auto Generated Smart Lock Codes (built-in integration through channel manager) 

- Set Smart Thermostat to Home Setting 1 Hour Before Guest Check-In (custom automation I created using home automation hub, channel manager, and digital automation platform)

- Set Smart Thermostat to Away Setting @ Check-Out Time (another custom automation)

- Whenever someone books/cancels, that information is automatically ingested into my database. I created a dashboard from this data so that I can see a real-time wholistic view of my occupancy rates, revenue, avg nights/booking, avg guests/booking, etc. across ALL booking platforms (another custom automation using channel manager, digital automation platform, and sql server database)

- Automated Guest Message Check-In Points (standard message templates through channel manager)

- Automated Cleaner SMS Notifications for New Bookings, Cancellations, and Check-Outs (standard option that most channel managers offer)

- Smart Pricing (PriceLabs) 

Future Plans:

- Install smart bulbs so that I can ensure the lights are turned off when the guest checks out

- I would love to figure out how to automate the inventory management piece of that when we're getting low on supplies, they can automatically be re-ordered 

At this point my level of interaction with the business is quite minimal. I'll have the occasional guest question that I need to respond to (that I can't automate unfortunately) and my standard check-in with my cleaners. Aside from that, it hasn't been too bad. 

Now, granted, we're still quite green with only one STR that we've been operating for a few months, however, my plan has always been to treat this as a business from day one. I want to have the systems and procedures in place so that when it comes time to scale, we can do so without creating a ton of additional work for ourselves.

What's everyone else out there doing? I'd love to see what other creative ideas folks have implemented to minimize the stress and time commitment of self-managing STRs. 

Also, if you need help automating some repetitive task, don't hesitate to reach out. No promises that I can solve your problem, but I'd be happy to take a look and see what's possible. 

This looks great, Jeffrey. I don't think I have anything to add - well done!

It's clear you put some thought into the design and the guest amenities like the pack and play, highchair, and different charging options - all crucial components to having a successful short term renal. 

Given the constant color theme throughout, I have to assume you put a little work into this place before listing it. Do you have any before pictures to share? 

Also - love the dining table. Is that from Castlery? @Jeffrey Page

@Michael Nelson My cleaner does not use any software (unfortunately), however, I am trying to push them toward TurnoverBnB. 

Hey Bruce –

Congrats on your success thus far! If you want to take this to the next level here’s what I would do:

• #1 Photos. You need new photos – no question about it. The photos are grainy, the lighting is not great, and some are just kind of odd to be honest.

o The main photo has a light in it that’s unnecessary. It’s also taking up roughly 10% of your main photo’s real estate.

o There’s another photo in the kitchen that has a trashcan in it. Get that out of there – take the picture, then put it back. You don’t need that in your photos.

o The Horse Tradin’ one. I’m not sure what photo is highlighting?

o The one in the kitchen with the cookies and the candles. Again, I’m not sure what the point of the photo is. Do I get cookies if I stay here?

o The yoga photo is great – highlighting the amenities that you offer. However, I would stay away from having people in your phots.

o I’m not sure what that pole is between the living room and dining room but try to angle your photos so it’s not in there. I don’t think anyone will leave a bad review because they didn’t know you had a structural beam/pole in your house prior to arriving.

• Lighten it up! It’s too dark in there. You have a dark couch, the rugs are also dark, and the walls are a tanish/yellow.

o Paint the walls white

o Get a lighter color couch

o Get new, light-colored rugs. The coffee table is awesome! However, I barely notice is because it practically blends-in the with the rug.

o Get new lighter colored bed covers, ideally white.

o Living room is too dark. Maybe get one of those floor lamps that hangs over?

• Miscellaneous

o What’s up with the red floor in the dining room? It kind of looks like it’s OSB painted red. I would get some matching hardwoods (or whatever you have in the house) and cover that up

o I know this may sound odd, but I would get a modern looking front door for your house. For whatever reason it seems to attract people’s attention when looking at listing.

o If the budget allows, paint the exterior a dark gray/black.

After all that I forgot to tell you where we actually purchased the furniture…

Most things are purchased from either Article, Target, HomeGoods, or Poly and Bark. We’ll buy used if we can find a good brand for a good price. However, I usually find that it’s not much more expensive to buy new if you’re looking for a good brand and it typically includes a warranty.

We most recently furnished a 4 bed/3 bath for around $17k.

@Eric McClam do me a favor, forget about the question you asked for just a second and do the following:

- Go to Airbnb/VRBO

- Select location that you’ve been wanting to go to visit (even if it’s unrealistic at this point)

- Pick your top 3 stays from that list and open them in separate browser tabs

Look through those and take note of the design, decor, and furnishing within each property. My guess is that you ended up with three beautiful properties were they did not skimp on the interior design or furnishings.

The point that I’m trying to make is that most folks that are booking STRs are going to have a similar mindset. Spend the extra money and buy new (if possible) furniture from reputable stores and retailers - you won’t regret it.

If you’re thinking I don’t have the cash for that, well then you can look into getting a new credit card with 0% interest for the first 12-18 months and then just pay it back over that span.

That’s my suggestion. Good luck!