Willow & Twig

I’m not sure how the idea came to me – we’d never used Airbnb, but by 2015 it was rapidly rising in popularity. We had just purchased a large duplex and lived in the lower half. The duplex was our solution to the rising cost of childcare (we had two children under two years old) and it allowed me to stay home with them.

We renovated and rented the upstairs and finished the main living space of the lower unit for ourselves. The unfinished back bedrooms and bathroom had its own entrance, so the idea of creating a small but beautiful short term rental began to take form.

The Stats:

Our initial estimate was that if we could book 5 nights a month at $70/night, it would make the whole project worth it. It wasn’t three months into our experiment that we were booking more than 90 percent of the nights. And to sweeten the experience, I loved prepping the space through the eyes of a guest. The Bnb suite will forever be 4x cleaner than my house. For all my fellow “words of affirmation” love-language speakers, getting positive reviews is like an automatic deposit into your emotional bank account. And then there’s the deposit into your actual bank account…

We’ve raised rates a bit over the years and learned a lot as the platform grows, but our goal remains to offer an affordable and beautiful space, and to send our guests away feeling they got more than they paid. To date, I think we’re achieving these objectives.

“Perfect place to stay. The location was perfect, the apartment was lovely & we appreciated the tips on places to go downtown.”

Jacob, Bloomfield Hills

Considering renting your home or extra space on Airbnb? We’ve learned a lot, and I’ve compiled some of our top takeaways below.  If you have more questions – let me know! I’d love to share our experience with you, whether you’re looking to host or to stay!

1. Nearly All Guests Respect your Property: we’ve only had two bad experiences over the past few years of hosting (You can read about salt foot and urine man). We’ve been amazed at how considerate people are – from stripping the linens unasked, leaving a bottle of wine, concert tickets and best of all – leaving the suite in a generally clean and tidy condition.
2. Hairy People Matter: There’s a lot of speculation that if municipalities allow Airbnb that every landlord in the county will abandon their 12 month leases in exchange for overnight guests. Here’s the cold, hard and dirty truth: unless you live in a town with a cultural obsession with human hair… that will not happen. Call it a niche – be willing to vacuum, wipe and unclog human hair. But if that’s what sets us apart then…!
3. Multi Night Bookings are the Best Bookings: For our suite, we have no minimum night requirement, but you will notice many hosts require a two night minimum. And for good reason. To clean the space once for two nights really makes hosting significantly easier. If you plan to rent your own home out on Airbnb, I can’t stress enough the importance of stating a 2 night minimum. Prepping your house tips can be found here, but it takes a lot more to get your own space ready to rent than a space designed for guests (read no personal items, daily personal use, etc).  
4. The Flex Pricing Feature Makes Pricing Based on Demand SUPER EASY: One of the many host features is flex pricing. It allows each host to put a minimum and maximum price you’re willing rent your space. Once established, airbnb uses search and traffic information and adjusts the price you get per night based on demand. I love this because we’d rather have someone stay than not, but of course you still want it to be worth your while. Often, I end up getting more per night than I would have charged if I kept my flat rate.
5. Email Templates will Save You ALL the Time: You’ll find there are a few things that every guest needs to know. In fact, you’ll find yourself typing out checkin instructions and your favorite list of coffee shops for nearly every inquiry. BUT YOU DO NOT HAVE TO! Create templates including welcome messages, checkin information, parking, etc. with a simple click. Not sure where to start? See my template starters here!