How to Upgrade Your Airbnb Listing

There are over 7M Airbnb listings worldwide. That translates to 2M+ on average of people staying on Airbnb per night. As a matter of fact, more than 300M guests have checked in an Airbnb property in the last 10 years. This makes Airbnb one of the world’s largest accommodation platforms. A platform that continues to grow. So if you have a home listed on Airbnb, then upgrading it for the Airbnb’s Plus program, is a good way to ensure that your property stands out from the rest.

How to make your Airbnb home listing stand out

So what makes a great Airbnb listing? (Provided that all the standard amenities and basics are covered that is).

Along with becoming the best host you can be, the pillars of any great home listing are: the design, the aesthetic, the comfort for guests and the cleanliness. These are the things that you need to focus on and there is always room to improve these without breaking the bank.

Design and Aesthetics

Any well designed space involves taking the time to curate it. Your Airbnb home is no different. So it may be necessary to take some design decisions that will update it in order to make it feel more homely, bright, and inviting.

A stark minimal environment that feels like a catalog’s showroom is not exactly going to score positive feedback. Likewise, old furnishings are not necessarily going to earn you any credit either. Hardly anyone likes a dated looking interior. Thus, if you are going to include vintage pieces for that eclectic vibe, make sure that they are in excellent condition.

Now one of the best design approaches is to blend modern with traditional elements. Hence, a mix and match decorating style for that hyggelig aesthetic is a real winner. Thus, introducing pillows and throws on the sofas and some nice rugs will add on both texture and warmth that will polish up your interior.

Another design approach is ‘bringing the outdoors indoors‘. It is one of the biggest current macro design trends and it will get bigger in the near future as more people get inspired and adopt it. This may be partially achieved by adding some easy to maintain greenery along with comfortable seating that works for both indoors and outdoors.

So when it comes to a deciding upon a design scheme, I think it’s very important to keep a cohesiveness. Having said that though, I should mention that keeping a neutral color palette for your Airbnb home can go a long way. Introducing pops of color keeps it looking ‘fresh’ and ‘vibrant,’ but easy to update in the future should you need to. (You may want to check out my 6 failproof decorating tips for impact).

In every case, as a side tip: have some local maps with any attractions and a couple of coffee table books inspired from your home’s location. That is both a thoughtful and mindful way to inspire your guests to explore the area they are visiting and inspiring them to make some fond memories. In return, you have better chances at gaining a more favorable review.

Comfort and Cleanliness

Comfort is king! And everyone who travels anywhere expects some basic comforts like hand-wash liquid, shampoo, hair conditioner and a blow dryer. But, if you take a leap and add on some other than the standard comforts, that is when your efforts will be praised.

Being a good host, means that you make sure that your guests’ stay is as comfortable and easy-going for them as possible. That may mean having a couple of spare umbrellas in a stand in case it rains or a couple of old toys for children of your guests! It is details like that that add a ‘home away from home’ feel to a place that eventually scores better with everyone.

It goes without say that both the kitchen and bathroom must be up-to-date and clean as can be. After all, lack of cleanliness brings on feelings of discomfort. Obviously, the kitchen must be fully equipped for anyone to make any type of meal and well lit for that matter too. A dining set is also quite important to have, to ensure that your guests can eat in.

Furthermore, providing your guests with some snacks and fresh fruit from the local market is always a great welcome gesture. I surely appreciated that when our excellent Airbnb host last year provided us cakes, cereal bars, and fresh milk for my kids. It made our stay much easier especially since our late arrival made it impossible to find an open supermarket.

Moving on, I think it is also very important that your home should be free of clutter, for two reasons. Firstly, it will make your Airbnb home look more spacious and more importantly ornaments are great dust collectors. That makes it a lot harder to clean and cleanliness matters a lot!

So, if you can’t use ornaments to decorate your Airbnb home, what are you supposed to do? Use artwork.

Artwork fills the spaces nicely while it creates some great focal points. Perhaps in your area there is some local folklore art that would serve as an inspiring source for further exploration. If so, then employ it. Likewise, consider creating an accent wall or ceiling as long as you keep your design scheme cohesive.

Lighting

Believe it or not, a big part in comfort has to do with your lighting scheme. You need to ensure that you have overhead, ambient and task lights for your guests to adjust them as they please. No shady corners please! They are not acceptable. Hence, have a table lamp on a nightstand for one to delve in a good book or a little nook with a floor lamp in the living room. These are must haves.

Now if you include dimmers, some wifi light bulbs and/or table lamps with USB ports then you are taking things to another level. That will resonate well with your guests.

Quality

Another major thing to consider has to do with quality sleep. The statistics from Airbnb’s newsroom speak for themselves. Almost 3,000 Plus hosts bought new pillows in 2018. And I think that was one smart move. Because quality pillows, mattresses and blackout curtains if needed, can make a major difference when it comes to a good sleep. Naturally, the bedding must be clean and kept up-to-date. Or else the bedrooms might look dated.

And on this note, I think it’s worth mentioning that 1,441 Plus hosts bought new hand towels before the arrival of their first guests. Another smart move! Because using fluffy towels that look and feel new, spells out quality. And quality etches nicely any great travel experience.

Suggested read: 21 quick and easy budget upgrades.

Concluding, I think that being a great host that offers an Airbnb home with a tailor made look is bound to stand out and attract guests. When considering how to upgrade an Airbnb listing, adding tech gadgets is certainly a great addition, but only if all of the above have been carried out first. At the end of the day, having a comfortable, inviting and pleasant place to stay is what stays in people’s minds. And that is what matters most.

Have a lovely weekend, xo