All Forum Posts by: Rachel Hughes

Listen to any podcast Zeona Mcintyre has been a guest on - including BP episode 229. I have listened to every podcast she has ever been on but I'm a bit of fan-girl. 

You can access surface level market data on airdna.co for free. Their rentalizer tool is also free and will give you a revenue estimate for any address. Can't speak to how accurate this is, but others have said it is a good starting point. 

@Shelby Pracht Thank you. This is really helpful.

@Shelby Pracht Thanks for sharing. Have you had any issues with lost/mis-placed keys? 

I am planning to be close by and self-manage so a smart lock might not be necessary at first. Using a lockbox would definitely save me a few bucks!

@Luke Sanderson Good to know!!

Thanks everyone. Here is what I'm thinking...

1) Key-less entry

Schlage wifi enabled lock - not sure what model yet

2) Ring door bell (too intrusive?)

Skip for now

3) Other home security tech?

Skip for now...Ring floodlight in the future.

4) Fancy coffee maker

Keurig (simple) + drip + espresso maker (for the "hip" millenials)

5) Smart TVs

TCL Roku...sounds like a no brainer

6) Smart thermostat

Still on the fence about this one... I have never used one before. Do the benefits outweigh the cost? 

The property is a duplex. My husband and I are planning to live in one side for the first month or two but ultimately plan to Airbnb both units (we purchased as an investment property, not primary). Hopefully our learnings from furnishing the first unit will help us with the second unit. Planning to share our experience once we get it up and running. 

Thanks again for all of your insights. I am so glad I discovered the BP community. 

Rachel

@Michael Baum Thanks for the detail. Do your guests seem to like that you have multiple coffee options? My market is pretty competitive so I'm thinking this is one way I could stand out. I guess it depends on your demographic...as a 25 year old I love the idea of having a drip and espresso maker in addition to the Keurig. 

@Paul Cox Congrats on your new place! Thanks for the detail. I noticed Schlage has many different models...what sold you on the Encode? I noticed a few other models are less expensive. 

Hi Everyone!

I am closing on a property next month that I plan to rent as an Airbnb. Looking for any tips from other Airbnb hosts about what technology is essential vs just nice to have. What has made your life easier? What wasn't worth the expense? 

With Black Friday/Cyber Monday approaching I don't want to miss out on deals. 

What are your thoughts/recommendations for...

1) Key-less entry

2) Ring door bell (too intrusive?)

3) Other home security tech?

4) Fancy coffee maker

5) Smart TVs

6) Smart thermostat

I really want to create a seamless experience for my guests. Any tips/best practices you can share would be super helpful. 

-Rachel

@Paul Son Nice to meet you! Yes it's definitely too late to get in on Airbnb in Nashville. Memphis is a different story although I imagine there will be stricter regulations at some point. We considered several cities (Saint Louis, Knoxville, Chattanooga, Indianapolis...) and ultimately decided on Memphis. The numbers look great... hosts that take it seriously have occupancy rates well over 70% (according to Airdna) and average daily rates for entire homes are over $100 in most areas. We actually put in an offer on a duplex last week and we are hoping to put both units on Airbnb. Feel free to stay in touch with me. I am happy to share information. 

@Richard Smith No hosting experience yet. Just looking at data on AirDNA. I don't know much about Bartlett, but I imagine they are not very Airbnb friendly... To my knowledge Memphis does not have any ordinances against Airbnb yet. Just an additional occupancy tax.