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hi everyone,
we are in the final phases of renovating our basement to become an airbnb suite in an urban area. It’s a small ~ 450-500 square foot place, and only have room in the kitchen for 1 extra appliance. Initially the plan was to have a ductless combo washer/dryer in case we decide to have a longer term tenant in the future but now considering putting in a dishwasher instead- I know some of it may be subjective but is there a sense on which appliance is more desired?
What sort of guests are you targeting?
I would say young professionals or guests in late 20’s or 30’s- my guess would be ones who come to the city for a 3-5 day holiday but I would be ok with people who stay for a little longer (1-3 months)
I should add that my area is a trendy neighbourhood in an urban city
I’d go for dishwasher then, particularly if there is a laundry around the corner.
Really depends on whether you have facilities for people to cook/guests who like to cook.
With a small space like that, it may take quite a while for guests to fill up the dishwasher - unless they are cooking full meals a couple of times a day. Then the dishes will be caked on nasty by the time they go to run it. Is it a full size kitchen or just a small kitchenette?
I def. think a longer term guest will prefer a washer/dryer. I’d much rather hand wash my dishes versus dragging my laundry to the laundromat. I am a bit biased though. I don’t use dishwashers even if there is one. I just prefer to hand wash, dry, and put away.
In my limited experience the washer/dryers don’t dry the clothes very well and they take a long time. Also, all the ones I’ve seen use electricity which is expensive. Therefore, I vote for a dishwasher.
Personally I’d go for dishwasher. Doing dishes is the worst! But from a business point of view, a washer/dryer would probably be more attractive to your guests.
Have you used a combination washer/dryer before though? I’ve honestly never used one that’s been any good at the drying part. Everything needs to be hung up to dry afterwards anyway. Unless they’ve got heaps better in the last few years
thank you for your replies!
yes there is a full kitchen (albeit small). There are lots of near by laundromats, but also lots of restaurants- I’m assuming that most people will cook at least breakfast.
Wasn’t there a thread recently where most people said their guests had never used the washing machine? If that thread is to be believed (search washing powder or something…) then it’s got to be a dishwasher…
How many guests will it sleep? Do you think they will bring children? Guests with children are more likely to cook meals in the home versus single millenials wanting to eat out and explore the city till late at night. Parents with young kids are the type to come back early and cook dinner, then get the kids off to bed.
it will sleep 1-2 people and I’m envisioning more millennials than young families based on the decor and location
I would select a dishwasher over a washer/dryer. But, I love to cook when visiting new places and I understand that I am in the minority. You will be washing those dishes by hand after they “clean” them though. Millennials as a larger group are not great at cleaning dishes. Anytime they have cooked in my kitchen, I have to redo. And to follow up with Ellen’s comments, a combination dryer will not be fast enough for changeover day.
Another option for a 24" opening is a dishwasher drawer (taking away the concern about filling it) and a built in microwave.
Dishwasher. I live alone and manage to run mine full every 2-3 days. I’d book a unit with dishwasher over laundry every time. Laundry is far easier done when travelling in laundromat, more machines mean it’s done all at once for singles, couples or families. I’m the family member who seems to be the laundry person when we travel.
Encountered the same dilemma when renovating my small (less than 600 sqft) rental condo. Short term renters prefer a dishwasher because early on they would ask if there was one. So we put one in. Renters seem to be okay with using the coin-op laundry machines at the end of the hall. It’s better than driving to a laundromat.
When I’m in town and using the condo, I wish there was a washer/dryer in the apartment. Then I wouldn’t have to worry about having rolls of quarters on hand or making several trips down the hall only to find that the machines are in use.
I don’t use the dishwasher there or at home. Several years ago, I decided it was more labor intensive to wash off each item before loading it and then having a full dishwasher to unload several days later. What a drag. And it was always my luck to need something that was sitting in the washer which meant hand washing it anyway.
Remember, a dishwasher in a small apartment needs to be a quiet one or it will drive your renter nuts. Or maybe it’s just me.
By the same token, I am not a fan of ductless dryers. I have a long-term rental which has a stacked washer/dryer (not vented). I’m sure they have new and improved ones now but the ductless one I have pumps humid air into the small condo. When I have used it, I had to open the front door a bit and the balcony slider to air out the place. The A/C is useless when the dryer is on. Also, it takes longer to dry. Ugh. I don’t know how the tenant has stood it for 5 yrs. There’s no dishwasher in that unit.
I think your target renter would prefer a dishwasher.
The best indication. We’ve only had one comment about the lack of a dishwasher (in private feedback) but several guests have appreciated the laundry facilities. But we often have guests who are on roadtrips so therefore appreciate that fact that they can do laundry.
Other guests like the fact that they can do their laundry before they go home and not have suitcases full of dirty clothes.
sorry posted in error
There’s a few things to consider that may factor into your decision:
Personally, I believe that for Airbnb I believe a dishwasher is better as I feel that guests would prefer not to wash dishes while they are on vacation. The other benefit to having a dishwasher is that when guests leave, they will most likely run a load to wash the dishes before they leave so you don’t have to wash after them. If you don’t have a dishwasher they may leave dishes in the sink and you end up having to wash them while you’re cleaning the unit. The other issue you may run into is that your electricity bills suddenly skyrocket if guests are constantly using the washer/dryer, especially for small loads. If you purchase an energy efficient dishwasher, it uses very little water and electricity so from a cost perspective, it’s cheaper in the long run for you to offer to guests. It also costs less up front. From the sound of your target guest, they would be less likely to use washer/dryer than a dishwasher as they’d only be there for a few days and not in the unit much.
However if you plan to rent your suite to long term guests in the near future and this is a certainty, and there is no access to a washer/dryer (even shared), then I believe a washer/dryer as this seems to be more important to long term renters. If you have the space, I would put the washer/dryer in a hallway, closet or shared laundry room and the dishwasher in the unit so you have the best of both worlds. What we did when we renovated our basement was put in a dishwasher in the unit but in the hallway we put a hookup and a vent for the washer/dryer. We didn’t buy a washer/dryer but we will if we ever rent to long term tenants. This way we don’t need to offer it but aren’t limiting ourselves for any future use. I would recommend doing the same if you can.
Another thing to consider is how many plates and dishes you provide - if you mostly have 1-2 guests they’ll need several place settings each to fill the dishwasher and have clean plates to eat from.
We don’t have a dishwasher in our rental and we’ve rarely stayed in an airbnb which has one. Although we always use the dishwasher at home it’s never bothered me to have to do the dishes by hand while on holiday, in fact I quite like it as I prefer slow, relaxing holidays to dashing around the whole time! None of our guests has ever mentioned the lack of a dishwasher, either.
On the other hand I am always happy to find a washer/dryer as we tend to travel for a few weeks and I haven’t used a laundromat since my student days - a LONG time ago! We ourselves used to have the combination washer/dryer and although it’s not as good as separate appliances it wasn’t bad for a small load.
I will go for the washer/dryer.