Airbed vs Real Bed?

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Hi Everyone!

Our guest just let us know that our airbed has sprung a leak - a sizeable hole in a crevice.

It seems that in about 3 hours of my time and about $600 I can get a decent-enough queen size mattress set and frame -

I have ordered a top-rated airbed from Amazon, delivered today, for $120.

The problem is we are putting a ton of money into the rental right now, having just purchased business insurance and adding a full bath…plus ‘evicting’ our full-time tenant so we can have that room for airbnb and the playroom back as our office. ; )

Help! Must do now - bed is flat!

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The new airbed delivered today is flat???

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sorry, no - the airbed we’ve been using since June went flat. The guest last night twisted up a piece of tissue and used it as a plug - god love 'em - but it is a signifcant hole in a crevice; can’t be repaired.

So I’m trying to decide - invest $600 in a ‘real’ bed or invest another $120 in a top-rated airbed (though the company said in the FAQ that it is not designed for daily use - and we are hoping for quite frequent use - especially once tourist season hits!

And I think - surely some people will read our listing and choose to NOT stay with us because of the air bed, but no one is going to reject us because of a real bed…

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Stil confused DC…you already purcheased the $120 airbed to be delivered today - correct?

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No - I cancelled that order - because I haven’t decided - so I’m asking for opinions - which should I invest in?

I guess I should have had lunch before typing this up!

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Oooohhh…tough one since you are doing this for today. I would ultimately go with real bed and if you are pretty much fully booked during high season - can you increase the rate slightly?

What would be ideal though is to get it all free from craigslist. Some nice neighborhoods give away really nice beds. But that is waiting to check every day, and if you have the means to pick it up (truck) without hiring someone.

Is guest still staying tonight or gone?

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We are the same investing so MUCH into our Miami Listing. We just purchased a sealy from Macys and got a terrific deal. If you could offer it get the real bed because it will attract more folks. Older folks would appreciate it more and folks would be willing to pay more for a real bed.

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Chevy Chase area today on free section - not sure of condition:

Do you need a mattress? We have a mattress! In fact, we have two. And we need only one. So, please, come take our queen mattress. Medium firmness, clean, just looking for a good home.

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Those were my thoughts.

Craig’s List? I don’t know - in my area bed bugs are a constant concern - but I do remember seeing wrapped sets for sale - thanks for the tip! I do have a van I can use to haul it.

The guests are here for several nights, then another group - we are blocked for the rest of the year because of the constructions - but we have a largish group for a week in December - then I’m booking up pretty nicely through the off-season, and have some bookings through the summer - filling up but slowly.

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Craig’s list was a great tip!!

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Can you be sure that it doesn’t have bed bugs?

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I don’t really know exactly how to check bed bugs but in neck of the woods there are a couple of high end neighborhoods and when they purchase a new mattress theirs is still in great condition and they just want someone to take it off their hands. You just have to check every few hours and monitor the free section to be the first to get in there and say you will pick up immediately.

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But anyone traveling can bring bed bugs even to a brand new mattress

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sadly, bed bugs are usually not aware that they should only live in poor neighborhoods.

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Great point, AND I had a friend who purchased a new mattress from a mattress store and it had a bed bug!!

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i vote real bed. My rental bed is from cragislist – I tried around 3-4 before purchasing although I realize you don’t have this kind of time.

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Here in Hawaii beds are expensive and hard to come by. If any do come up on Craigslist, they are gone in 60seconds.

I got my queen size bed from someone in the neighborhood who had bought it new and within a few months, left the island. (We get a lot of that…they move over and move right back).

I agree with cabin, DC. I would not fork out a bunch of money for a new one. Just find one someone’s giving away and maybe have a professional service steam clean it. Then wrap it in a plastic mattress cover to protect it.

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Hi - I also didn’t want to spend alot of money when we set up. I didn’t know if we’d make money. I managed to buy a really good second hand bed for $125. I just looked around on Craigs List and those kind of sites until I found one close by. Took a couple of friends, we loaded it on to roof of our car. It’s a good comfortable bed and we get lots of comments. The mattress was a little stained, but I’ve enclosed the whole thing in a waterproof cover, bought a foam topper for $25, a padded mattress protector. And bingo. It’s like sleeping on a cloud.

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Sorry dcmooney - I didn’t read the whole thread and see that the second hand discussion had already been had before I posted.

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I know some people don’t like to buy mattresses especially from other people used, but I just bought queen bed with mattress and 2 night stands high quality for 150$ from Offerup.com from half a million $ house. So, it’s not like you buying a junk. It’s a mattress that people just don’t need anymore and this one was only a year old pillow top.
This site offers local ads from people who live near by. You are putting your location and how many around you want to travel and it gives all the offers in your category.