Hold Steady on Price for next weekend?

@azreala, @konacoconutz @Yana_Agapova and other friends - you know I’ve agonized over my prices, and have charged way to little for what I offer my guests. We had a long vacation planned but had to cancel it - we’ll still go away for a few days, but now I have next weekend and most of the following week open. Beyond Pricing is putting my price over my base price -

Do I just hold steady? The suspense is killing me. I think that’s why my price was so low - the security of getting the bookings.

Thanks so much.

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@dcmooney

  1. Pour a LARGE glass of wine
  2. Relax
  3. I would price it at your everyday high season price minus 20% if you really want it booked. If you are willing to not have it booked, I would raise your price to what you are thinking of and use this time as an experiment to see if you can actually get the higher price.

PS- You owe me a private message about the free mattress!!!

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That’s a good thought to use this time as an experiment.

I already did get a nice booking at my higher price which filled an empty spot in June PERFECTLY, with a night off on both ends.

I realize that THIS part of hosting I’m terrible at - the waiting…

Thanks!

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@dcmooney You have to be patient!! Raise the price and see what happens…

Remember the concept of premium pricing. Those customers looking for Kia are a different set of guests than those wanting a Volvo. There is a perception that if it is priced higher you will get a better product. For you that means a better class of guest and also shows the gust that you value yourself enough to be worthy of earning more.

Which we know is true!!!

Raise your rates! Fewer bookings at a higher price point are better than a ton of low quality bookings!

@azreala, I’m having wine as we speak! Cheers!

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See how it goes. It’s pointless to hold on to the price if you stay not rented. I am still trying to determine a pattern but since I don’t have any hospitality education I don’t know why I don’t get booked even with my low low pricing and all these reviews. All I noticed that price does make a big difference in how I am Booked and since I am
Not offering anything unique but just a room now when hotels are priced almost at my minimal price I don’t get booked very often

You’ve gotten great advice, so my input isn’t needed. Just know that the other day, I raised my price for next weekend, not much, by $4 per night, and sure enough, not 30 minutes later, someone booked it. You just never know.

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HEY YOU GUYS!! You were right!! Someone booked for just the right number of nights, 4 people, a nice price. I’m so happy!

Of course, the request came in just as I was opening the table from which we were selling flowers and candy during my kids dance performance. And the flowers had not arrived, but people were coming in! And the people are from Kyrgyzstan. Apparently airbnb does not have that country on their list, so, they couldn’t verify their passport. They wanted to know what to do. A moment later ANOTHER booking request for the exact same dates came in. WAAAH! Turns out, it was the same family, and someone who lives in the US was able to finalize the booking.

YAY!!!

I don’t have any of that red wine but am lifting my bottle of nice cold pear cider in salute to you all - cheers and thank for the hand-holding!!!

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This should inspire you to keep your rates at a high and fair price for you…to make sure you are not only fairly compensated for your work but for sharing your home… Which as we all know, is far from free! So why should we be giving our homes or parts of them away to strangers?

You’ve got the reviews, you are a super host… So no move off the plateau and raise those rates!

Cheers!

Ps …My sons are home for the summer and making us margaritas. Cheers!

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exactly what @konacoconutz said!! RAISE YOUR PRICE.

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so glad they are home, so dumbfounded we never made it down to the Capitol to meet Kyle! Enjoy the summer!

@dcmooney we experimented with beyond pricing for May and they had my rates lower then my base price and this was at the same time as the infamous one day glitch I was getting pretty nervous and really began studying those around me and then I realized I appeared too cheap. I thought about it and thought if it appears too cheap some folks might think there is something wrong with my studio. I made the decision that even in the mean season I would not go below my base price. Guess what I raised my prices and I am now almost full May June and parts of July and a few days in August.

I am just like you and get worried when I don’t hear that chime but I have learned to distract myself and the bookings will come.

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@Carmen, yes, thanks so much, that’s very helpful - I agree - when I’m shopping for a place for my family I have a price in mind. If something is below that I am suspect and don’t even look at it!