5 easy and inexpensive ways to increase the value of your Airbnb property

With the trans-Tasman bubble open and other bubbles opening up soon, it’s time to put your phone away and spend some time improving your Airbnb space for future guests. But don’t worry if you don’t have a lot of money to spend right now (COVID hit all of us hard), we have conducted an easy and inexpensive list of ideas to instantly add value to your space and make vacationers take that all-important step to click ‘book.’

Freshen up your paint job

Give your Airbnb an instant facelift by repainting or adding a fresh coat of paint to your walls, closets, and kitchen cabinets. This is such an easy and inexpensive option to make your place stand out against all the other properties out there. If you pick the right colours then this can also lead to a much higher return on investment. For example, Opendoor recommends painting small rooms with light or pastel colours to make them seem much larger (these colours also tend to make the room feel brighter and photograph better). Whereas warmer and darker colours can make large spaces feel cosier. You can also use bright colours to create a memorable space that will charm Airbnb guests.

You can paint your rooms more cheaply by watching for sales from major paint distributors such as Resene.

Create more storage space

Focalpoint recommends adding more storage space to make your Airbnb more convenient and enjoyable for guests. This could include wall hooks, a shoe rack, or more closet space. According to Airbnb, you should aim for 8+ hangers in your bedrooms so that guests can hang up their clothes.

Plus, adding more storage usually doesn’t take very much time at all, so this is one change you can make right away!

Make energy-efficient choices

As well as making your Airbnb more eco-friendly (which has a positive impact on everyone) adding more energy-efficient options into your space will also reduce the cost of appliances. According to Energy.gov replacing your lightbulbs with ones that have the energy star can save you money as they use “25%-80% less energy than traditional incandescents,” which means they can last 3-25% longer. There are also other energy-efficient choices you can make to save you money such as energy star-rated fridge/freezers, using smart thermostats, and inserting countdown timers for ceiling heaters and fans.

Swapping out old amenities

Try swapping in new bed linens, statement pillows, or replacing old/well-used pieces such as the shower curtain or furniture. You can do this inexpensively by keeping an eye out on store sales or buy second-hand from an antique store.

Experience your own Airbnb space

Airbnb suggests putting yourself in your guests' shoes by staying in your own place for a few nights. This will be a great little work vacation that will allow you to see the flaws in your Airbnb space and anticipate your guests' needs so you can make small changes to improve the quality of their experience. Similarly to this, you can also check out your guests' reviews to discover what they think would improve your space.

So now that you have these 5 ideas, it’s time to plan a time to go shopping and implement these changes. These improvements may be small, but when you implement a few of them, your property will reap the benefits! So what are you waiting for? Start implementing these changes today!