5 common Airbnb design mistakes you might be making.
If you have an Airbnb in a relatively competitive market and you’re struggling to get consistent bookings, your rental is probably not showing up as it’s best rental-self on the search platform. Here are 5 super common, and super fixable design mistakes many Airbnb owners make in their rentals.
Your photos aren’t professional. Okay not a design mistake per se, but they are the window to your Airbnb design. Your rental’s photos are the first impression, and guests want to feel assured that their experience is premium from the time they hit “Book”. No amount of editing on your smartphone will compare to the quality of a professional photographer. Great photos aren’t necessarily rewarded with more clicks, but poor quality photos are definitely penalized with low interest and low clicks. Hire the photographer.
Your rental has no real design scheme. Each piece of furniture should “talk” to the other, whether in style, scale, shape, or colour. It can feel really visually off-putting if all furnishings are overly mismatched from different eras and styles. Guests don’t want to feel like they’re staying in a space of all your hand-me-down stuff. For example, mixing many different metals in your hardware, lighting, and accessories can have an undercurrent of visual chaos. Making an effort to stay within a certain design aesthetic or scheme will ensure everything feels cohesive.Your decor is dated, there’s too much, or not enough. Wall art, mirrors, vases, candles, books, trinkets…They’re what makes a space feel finished and inviting, but if there’s too much or too little, or it’s too…wild, your rental can feel suffocating or sterile. Neither are very helpful in creating a space people want to spend time in. Rooms need cozy area rugs in living rooms and bedrooms, ambient lighting with lamps, and selective wall art strategically hung in order to feel well-curated.
Designing your rental for your taste rather than the market. It’s lovely to infuse some personal touches into your nightly rental, but be cautious about thinking everyone enjoys all the same design styles as you do. Aim to be as objective as possible when choosing furniture, paint colours, art, and decor. Or, hire this part out to someone who can balance your rental’s features with what your ideal guest wants.
Not choosing quality, durable items. It always sucks when you buy something only to find out it’s not as you expected. No one likes to pay a premium to stay somewhere where the couch fabric is pilling, the sheets are itchy, and the dresser drawers squeak when opening. Sourcing furniture that’s going to hold up well to wear & tear and also hits the design marks doesn’t have to be exorbitant, but get clear on what pieces are worth investing a bit more into.
Sure, you might still get consistent bookings and okay ratings without making any changes, but most people set up short-term rentals to maximize their income. Making an effort to correct any of the above will always pay off in what you’re able to charge and the types of reviews you receive from very impressed guests.
If you think you need a second opinion on what things to fix in your own rental, we can help to fill in the gaps to make sure your rental is performing at it’s best and attracting (and impressing) your ideal guests. Check out our Airbnb Setup Services.
