Leaving "personal" things in the rental space

I have a small bookshelf with a few books on it - the Harry Potter series, some Dave Barry, a bunch of Little Golden Books and old Hardy Boys for the kiddos, Tolkien, the Kite Runner series, Pratchett, Sherlock Holmes, Wodehouse, Asimov… I’ve had guests comment on how much they enjoyed looking through them.

Whether you go for a more “home” vibe or more “sterile hotel” also depends on your target audience - I want my guests to feel like they are staying with family in a cozy and comfortable home, so I have books and board games and toys and comfortable couches with throw blankets and colorful dishes and hot chocolate… I have paintings on the wall done by my mother and grandmother, and artwork brought back from China by my grandfather. I love having families with kids or pets that really enjoy it all. It’s part of the fun for me and part of the charm, I hope, for my guests. And they do seem to appreciate it.

So I guess I would leave out your books and let a little of your personality show in your listing. It’s the difference between Airbnb and a hotel for me.

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