You all have been so helpful to me in the past - I am hoping for more of your wisdom. I have been a host for just over a year and achieved superhost the first rating period. We have one bedroom with attached bath we use for airbnb. I really love hosting!!! Have met great people and I was feeling sad we are moving and can no longer do it. We are having a house built and will move in August - only one small bedroom with bath across the hall. But the one window opens to a screened porch. It really isn’t suited for airbnb. So then I got this idea - what if we only rent in the summer and my husband and I move into the guest room and leave the large room with ensuite for rental? How difficult do you think this would be? We would need to probably lock the closets in the bedroom if we don’t want to move out our stuff? We could scoop up toiletries and the clothes we need for a few days? Am i being unrealistic? Would it be more trouble than it is worth? I got so excited about this idea then reality sets in and I am thinking hard about it all. Advice please? The new house is less than a mile away from our current house - I think I can keep my reviews right?
Thanks, Maggie
I think so, just open another listing. Don’t put it on IB yet. Just list as an experiment to gauge the interest.
Follow your instincts. If it excites you then it’s the right thing to do. Any room for a little cabin in the garden?
I don’t see any reason why you can’t host in your new place. At the right price you could rent out the small room. If you want to make a bit more, move to the smaller room yourself. That is what we have done: The nicest room with en suite private bathroom is for our guests. We are in the second largest room and share two half bathrooms with another room. Moving around the whole time, is a bit more difficult. We did it in our former place and I can’t recommend it: We literally moved everything out when a guest booked our room 
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Think about storage solutions however, you can’t go into the master suite to get the jumper you forgot in there.
To be honest, what does puzzle me a bit: If you’re custom building a house, why didn’t you take your love for BnB into account? I’m sure that any kind of architect could solve the problems you are now facing for doing AirBnB within the same square meters and budget. Can you still make a separate walk in closet with a second entrance to the hallway? Or can you just put the closets in the hallway instead of in the room? People must think I’m crazy, it’s hard to explain without a plan, but thinking out of the box you could find wonderful solutions.
Build it and they will come… 1st thing that comes to mind as a real estate broker is why are you building so small? Consider going bigger, make it with two master bedrooms, make the guest room with its own entrance… Why build something that does not suit you?
RR
Thanks for the response - as I explained we are old as dirt and looking for something small with no maintenance. Its only recently that it occurred to me that we might be able to continue hosting in the new place. I do hope it works out.
Maggie
We are in our 70’s and ready to downsize. Our new house is all on one floor and includes all the maintenance. Last year we had just started hosting and had no idea how much we would love it. The new house isn’t actually “custom” - we got to pick a model from a few selections. We are not even sure if the HOA would allow us to host in the new place.
Thank you for sharing your experience - I guess we can try it out with moving into the smaller room and see how difficult that is for us.
Thanks, Maggie
Just an update - First thank you to all who so generously replied. We have rented the guest bedroom and the across the hall bathroom with great success this year. It has worked out really well for us and we continue to love the people we meet through Airbnb and the money we are making is allowing us to travel a bit. This group is great and I appreciate the ideas and suggestions you offer.
Maggie
It’s great that you have found a passion for hosting, and would be nice if you could continue on your journey. You have a few options:
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Try renting out the smaller guest room. Single travelers might prefer to pay a lower rate and not mind a compact space in exchange. You could add value and charge more by offering a cooked breakfast/dinner - this will satisfy your love of socializing too!
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Move into the guest room and rent out your room. This might gain more money and interest but could be a real pain! You will need to be super organized in moving everything out and clearing your room of clutter and personal stuff. Locking your wardrobes could be an option, but it will be a hassle to try and drag out everything you need prior to your guest’s arrival - no popping back for a lost shoe!
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Create an alternative space - Can you build more space? I am not sure how far you are along with the design/build, but if you want to make a go as a professional host you could consider building a bespoke “guest room” suitable for anyone who comes to stay. You could even look at building cabin outside if space (and planning regs) allow?
I hope you can find a solution so you can continue to meet and greet lots of lovely guests!
Do you actually read the whole topic before you post?
JF
Aha I have only just seen the update, my scroll wouldn’t scroll down that far for some reason! Love a technical hitch! Thanks for pointing it out though JF x
I am so sorry - yes indeed I have read it and found so much helpful advice. I was just updating from last summer. It has all worked out so well and I am thankful for all the advice and info I was given. Thank you everyone!
Maggie