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So I just finished renovating one of my rental properties into an Airbnb rental.
It’s was a pretty run down house but I put in $10,000 to fix it up for a nice airbnb, but don’t have anymore money to fix the outside.
So my question to you guys is how should I go about the listing discription. It’s diffently rundown looking from the outside but really nice on the inside with granite counters and stainless steel appliances.
Should I just embrace the ugly of my house and the listing?
Don’t bother with mentioning the outside. Show interior pics and don’t worry about it. There’s peeling paint on my front house and there are some “deferred maintenance” issues with my back house, but no one seems to mind. My ratings are fine. I’m a Super Bit… H even. Set aside some $ from your proceeds and start fixing the exterior. People really don’t care. It’s the inside that counts.
Yes do not worry about the outside. You should see our lawn! We desperately need one but it’s all about where the guests will be making themselves comfortable.
Yeah, our apartment we list is above our garage. The exterior and the garage are lacking, plus we have 2 acres that we have to attempt to maintain. So blah is a good description. But then people walk in to the apartment and it’s got charm that fits the age of the buildings on our property. Even with I redo the bathroom and kitchen, I plan to keep them true to the age of the building and not use trendy materials.
Your place is charming and inviting looking because it’s not trendy. In fact I’d love to come stay there for a few days. You are wise in not doing the granite and stainless steel deal. OMG I can’t stand that stuff; now, at least in my area, people are ripping out the granite for the next style trend And the 2 acres are just fine! Let mother nature do her work. And no zipline please :))))
As a big traveler and the same time I am a host, I care about how place looks like. Sorry You might get some guests for who it is also important. What is about the neighborhood? Does it look nice?
We’re redoing my kitchen (hopefully) next spring, and we plan to use all the cabinets from my kitchen to redo the apartment kitchen. I like them, but the current layout is horrendous and I have already done a rehab with matching stains on new cabinets, etc. Ugh.
I love old buildings which is why I bought a 95 year old house. I hate watching shows like Property Brothers where they buy these gorgeous old buildings and strip it down and make it stark and trendy. You can go new and functional and stay true to the age of the building!
I think you need to just be honest - include in your ad that the outside has not yet been renovated - and that your price reflects this. I think I would also point this out after they book - you do not want a bad review because of the outside.
And @J_Wang, that’s Flip or Flop. That show, it’s a love/hate thing for me. They do a beautiful job and thankfully in CA there’s not a ton of beautiful old homes for them to screw up, but yes her voice! And I can’t get over the home prices. We own a 950 sq ft full-time rental that was our first house. I could sell it today for probably $80K, but in CA they’re getting like $300K for similar quality remodels! I paid $180K for our almost 4,000 sq ft “manor” home on 2 acres this year. Now that it’s remodeled I could MAYBE get $250K for it.
I would mention something about the outside - maybe along the lines of “it’s an ugly duckling on the outside, one of the ugliest houses on the block, but wait until you get inside”. I think that it’s better to be upfront about it, as some guests with little imagination will take one look at the outside and tune out the gorgeousness of the inside as they’ve already made a snap judgement about the kind of place it is. Also, don’t forget that people use Google street view all the time, and it’s best that they know right off the bat the reality of the outside of the house and the neighborhood. So I totally get what everyone is saying here about not worrying about the outside, but I tend to be super descriptive about the state of the exterior.
Thank you for that suggestion I like… I put “its rough on the outside but smooth and cozy on the inside” but I like yours more, and wow
Are you kidding me your house looks like a palace on the outside compared to mine
Actually there are a ton of old homes here in California that do, on a regular basis, get screwed up; but more likely torn down. My front house was built in 1918, like most of the homes in my hood and in many areas in Los Angeles County: lovely, simple Craftsman homes. Luckily a neighborhood association was formed a few years ago to preserve and protect homes in my area, but they were too late to protect the 1912 redwood shingle house next door from being stuccoed over, added on to and “Home Depoted” to death. It’s a monstrosity, but it just sold a few months ago for $780,000. It’s ghastly.
But back to Tareq’s wife with the vocal fry. CHOKE. And choke her! lol!!!
You could add a line in there something like this:
Moment of truth: The outside of the house is slated for renovation, so it is definitely ‘vintage’…
I read this type of thing on another listing that had a kitchen from the 1950’s and I thought it was cute. First she showed off the rest of the house and the last thing was this sort of poking fun line toward her kitchen. If you don’t say something you might hurt your new listing depending on who rents it. The first reviews are important.
I plan to retire to a Craftsmen house. It’s my plan, to find one that has good bones and completely rehab it once my kids are grown and gone and I don’t need the gorgeous monstrosity I currently have. Hopefully one of my kids will want to buy it from us.
Granite counter tops are the best option for its unique appearance. They are durable and nearly maintenance free. They would give you many design options like the quartz,Mica, Feldspar, Horneblend, Biotite. Granite is affordable, beautiful and durable counter tops.
List your home. Getting expert advice form your real estate agent or say some remodeling services would be prudent before your renovation work is complete. Check this article on 3 tasks you can tackle while renovating http://www.avonlearenovations.com/blog/home-renovations/3-tasks-you-can-tackle-while-renovating/ .
Stainless steel appliance are good for many reasons as they are fingerprint magnets which stains less though not never. It has become symbol of status good. They are a staple of commercial kitchens due to their rugged , easy to clean construction. Anyone would desire to experience these same benefits at home. Though some argue that they are going out of style. Best thing is they are resistant to stains, corrosion and bacteria.
Set aside some $ from your proceeds and start fixing the exterior. People really don’t care. It’s the inside that counts.
You might get some guests for who it is also important. What is about the neighborhood? Does it look nice?
