All Forum Posts by: Jon Martin

Quote from @JD Martin:

I basically do the same thing and specifically tell them not to worry about bedding. Despite that, case in point- a guest decided to wash the comforter, with the duvet still on it . .. . Right before Helene knocked the power out for a week! 

So yeah, worth emphasizing more for them to do nothing at all aside from start the dishwasher. I do ask them not to leave trash laying around as well, however I'm not sure if this helps, because the types of people who do this will probably do so anyway. 

Quote from @Gregory Schwartz:

I'll probably get pushback on this... but here's my experience. I have 4 units, 2 have formica and 2 have quartz. There has been no noticeable difference between all 4, same income, same 5-star reviews. 

No pushback at all . . . I've listened to some analysts break down the top amenities and kitchens rank near the bottom. Bedrooms and shared/fun amenities are much bigger drivers. 

What I want are countertops that have a subtle slope built in 3-4" around the sink edge so that water drains naturally. 

Quote from @John Underwood:

I've heard horror stories of people putting in butcher block and people using it as a cutting board.

Isn't that kinda the point? I know someone who had trouble remembering to use a cutting board as an adult because they grew up with butcher block. 

Which to me sounds like leaving the house and forgetting to put your shoes on . . . . 

The Go Daddy vacation rental template was good enough for me and super easy. You don't need much. 

That said I tried to make a more extensive (yet not complicated) website on word press and it was a nightmare. Square Space is super easy and intuitive. 

Quote from @Patricia Andriolo-Bull:

This doesn't make any sense at all.  I can't even understand how they would know.  What if someone books through Airbnb?  They still charge you 10%?

Would not be a stretch to use AI or bots to do reverse image searches of your profile pics to scour the web for direct booking sites. 

@Mindy Nicol that's great! I find with larger homes that are big enough for wedding parties, reunions etc that I get a lot of bookings well in advance, with ~50% occupancy several months in advance. With my 2 bed I get a fair amount of advanced bookings but nothing like the 5 bedroom. 

IMO 2-3 bedrooms are the squishiest middle in most markets with too much overlap in guest avatar. I'd rather have a 1 bedroom that I can optimize for couples or a 4-5+ bed. 

Quote from @Mindy Nicol:

I have a tiny home on my property and can't recommend it enough.  It is booked every weekend.  I believe the success is 1. cute factor, 2. price in an expensive town 3. demographic that is underserved.  From the hosting side it is a 20 min turnover and there are no parties with just 2 guests.  I just wish I could have 10 of these!  Much preferred over normal size homes.

 How far forward do you get bookings for this property? 

Whether you DYI or hire out, below is what I recommend:

Optimize for assembly. It is worth paying more upfront if it takes less time on site to put together. Plus there are less moving parts that can break, need constant tightening, lost/missing parts etc. A nightstand or dining with 70 pieces is a major bottleneck and keeps your team from moving onto other tasks, whereas one that is already assembled might cost $50-100 more but only takes minutes to unpack. 

Buy nice or buy twice. If you follow my advice above you will likely buy quality by default. Cheap items will break sooner and require replacement, and will make your place look cheap overall. 

That said, you don't want to overspend either. If you buy something too nice that is also light and compact then a guest may help themselves to it. Shoot for middle of the road kitchen utensils, blankets etc

Otherwise it is pretty easy to have most of your stuff scheduled to arrive at the same time. Couches, dining and bedroom sets are the only things that should require a delivery. 

Get a roll away dumpster too- the amount of packaging waste the setup generates is staggering!

Quote from @Cheng Chu:

Level and Arrived? 

Quote from @John Underwood:

Checkout Huntsville, AL.

It is usually listed in top5 for growth. 

Another place to lookalike is Union SC. There is a need but not much competition. 

Coming across Walhalla is what drove me to your neck of the woods . . . Inventory was sparse at the time as it usually seems to be. 

@Tom Dean not every STR needs to be somewhere tourist centric, people have all kinds of reasons for wanting to rent a STR in an average joe kind of town. Often the less touristy places have better year round occupancy because there is a broader mix of reasons for people to visit, plus those towns are often short on hotel beds. Especially growing areas where they need out of town work crews for new construction.

Just be sure to optimize for location within that market as much as your budget will allow and also make sure you are compliant with local laws.