With lockdown rules lifting again from today, why not make some extra cash by renting out a spare room, annexe or garden room on Airbnb… here’s how to get your house in order!
It’s all about staycations again this year and with news that Cornwall is basically booked up for the summer, desperate holiday-seekers will be looking for alternative places to unwind. If you’ve got an attic room, a garden shed or room over a garage that’s currently hosting spiders, cobwebs and piles of junk, now’s a great time to clean it up and host some paying guests instead!
Creating a state of the art space to let, such as The Hideaway in Painswick, Gloucestershire, can be an investment, but it doesn’t need to cost the earth either. The Hideaway was originally created as a home office/ guest suite but demand for UK-based staycations means that the owners had the foresight to start making some money from it with just a few modifications.
Airbnb is the most obvious place to start if you want to join the holiday rental market. It is free to join and easy to get going. There is plenty of information on the Airbnb website to help you get started but here are our top tips:
- Renovate forgotten spaces: when did you last go up to the attic, the log shed, or that tumble down brick outhouse? These are all spaces that, with a little love and attention, could become valuable holiday rentals. If they are structurally sound, they won’t need much to bring them back to life… and if not, our team can certainly help bring some wow factor to your unused spaces!
- Think about separate entrances: if you’ve got a spare room that can be closed off from the main home, and accessed separately, then that will afford you and your guests some privacy. You may need some small renovations to your current set-up to make this possible, but the long-term benefits could be huge.
- Make it quirky: make your offering stand out by giving people something unexpected. It could be an unusual location, an intriguing architectural design or even the materials used in the building that create interest and help to make a talking point. The Hideaway in Painswick combines an innovative concrete roof with specially designed wood panelling that seamlessly hides away the kitchenette and bathroom areas from the main living room.
- Dress it up: add some visual impact to your space – paint the walls or the furniture, hang striking wallpaper, or have some unusual but memorable objects that give your space its own unique personality. Details such as app-controlled lights, speakers and window blinds all create a sense of luxury and escapism.
- Add creature comforts: at the end of the day, paying guests want somewhere that feels comfortable and where they can kick back and unwind. Choose tactile fabrics, such as soft throws, snuggly blankets, fluffy towels and good quality bed linen. Include a sumptuous rug on the floor and have a beanbag or comfy chair that guests can sink into after a day out. Special touches such as a complimentary bottle of wine, tea and coffee or homemade cakes can help guests feel extra welcome.
If you need help to renovate outbuildings or to modify your home to create some rental income why not give us a call? Our team can advise on design, create plans and project manage your build so you can take a well-earned break!
