We’ve talked before about how to make your AirBnb listing great but the listing and photos can only do so much and if you want to ensure you get rave reviews and repeat guests then your interior design is a very important factor. At Cozie Homes, we offer an interior design service but we wanted to share a few of our top tips to make your AirBnb more appealing on a budget…
60-30-10 Rule
The 60-30-10 rule is a tried and tested rule for decorating. It is basically as follows:
60% should be the main colour – something easy on the eye. Your walls, flooring and even some of your main furniture pieces should be this colour as it serves as the backdrop for the rest of the picture.
30% should be your secondary colour – different to the main colour but complementary. You will use half as much of this colour as your main colour so is ideal for curtains/blinds, bedding, feature furniture pieces, rugs etc. For example if your main colour is a light grey then your secondary colour might be a charcoal grey.
10% should be the highlight colour – a pop of colour that stands out from the other two colours you have chosen. Don’t go crazy with this – it’s just an accent and is perfect for cushions, throws, lamps, bedside tables, appliances, vases, plants etc. Remember to stick to just 10% – you don’t want to overwhelm your guests.
The key here is to make the room visually appealing and this balance ratio is important to do that.
Furniture
You might think you need to rush out and buy all new furniture to make your AirBnb both functional and appealing but you’ll be surprised how you can furnish the property on a budget.
Check out your local Gumtree or Facebook Marketplace sites for pre-loved bargains that might work in the space you are filling.
Secondhand beds, sofas/couches, cabinets etc can often be found free or very affordable on these sites and there are even services that will pickup/deliver them for you and maybe even clean and sanitise them too!
Remember to keep your 60-30-10 rule in mind when selecting your pieces and ensure that they are the right size for the space.
House Plants to make your Airbnb more appealing
House plants are a fantastic way to make your AirBnb more appealing on a budget as they help bring life into the space. Obviously, you want these plants to be very low maintenance so you don’t have to keep replacing them – there’s nothing appealing about a dead plant!
At Cozie Homes, we have a few favourite varieties that we like to use…
- Fiddle-leaf Fig / Ficus Lyrata
- Swiss Cheese Plant / Monstera Deliciosa
- Zanzibar Gem / Zamioculcus zamiifolia
- Peace Lily / Spathiphyllum
- Devils Ivy / Snow Queen / Epipremnum
Of course you can choose any plants you like but these are some of the ones we find work especially well in the properties we manage.
Artwork
Artwork might seem unnecessary, but it definitely helps to add the wow factor to a space and bring in colour to an otherwise dull room.
Choosing the right piece of art can be tricky. You want to be sure you choose something that stays timeless and ties in with the overall theme of the property. For example, if you have a beach theme, then driftwood hangings, beach landscapes or beach-coloured (blue/aqua/sand) abstracts will be best.
You may find something affordable on the sites mentioned above or at your local markets or if you are a bit creative yourself then maybe your create your own!
If you are struggling to find the right piece on a budget then stretching some fabric over canvas can be a great way to get the look you want without breaking the bank.
Working with what you’ve got to make your AirBnb more appealing
Often properties have awkward or quirky features that you aren’t quite sure what to do with. Maybe it’s a void space under a staircase or an empty corner of a room or an unusual little nook. Rather than ignoring that space, find a way to make it a feature.
Here’s a few ideas that may help:
- Create/buy a bookshelf and fill it with a selection of books/games from the thrift shop
- Create a workspace or a guest book area by adding a desk
- Add hanging plants or artwork
- Install hooks or a coatrack for coats/scarves/hats etc
- Add a chalkboard or magnetic board
The only limit with this is your imagination – every space is different and it’s about finding a unique way to turn the awkward into something functional and appealing.
Conclusion
It’s easy to think that a holiday rental is just a place to rest your head but it’s so much more than that. Guests are looking for a little oasis where they can relax. There are a multitude of ways to make your AirBnb property appealing on a budget and when your property looks it’s best, you will have much higher occupancy rates and may even be able to charge more for it. At Cozie Homes, we help you with all this and more when you enlist our AirBnb Property Management services. Feel free to get in touch for a no-obligation chat about how we might be able to help you.