We have a Schlage and love it!!! I agree, keyless entry is probably one of the best things we did. Can’t get on the microfiber sheet bandwagon though. They feel cheap to me and sleep hot.
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Hi Chrissie,
Welcome to the fold!
We were newbies a year ago and my first advice is read the archive on this forum. Tablets of stone for hosts! Inevitably many posts are ‘problems advice needed’, so be assured from our experience the year has been a huge success, but not without its issues. I am unaware of whether you have a complete dwelling or it is part of your home. This, imo, is important as each scenario requires different approaches.
Ours is a complete entity and we live on site and have chosen to only let when we are actually at home. Means loss of income, but delivers peace of mind. We will not consider instant booking, despite Airbnb pushing it. Why? So we can educate potential guests to manage their expectations and crucially, we can “interrogate” the enquiry. Who’s coming, what they will be using our barn for, are they bringing any pets, suggest reading all the Airbnb barn info including house rules e.t.c… This process has resulted in approx 90% of enquiries still go ahead and the rest walk away. Of those 90% we decide we don’t want say 10-15%. The result is that we get guests who have a basic understanding of what is on offer and we get pretty much ideal guests. Our pictures are also deliberately taken when the barn hadn’t been internally ‘dressed’ (pictures e.t.c). So when guests arrive, they are likely to conclude it looks better than they thought, when booking.
We aim for a 5 star experience (not 5 star hotel) and charge top quartile for our area, but do provide lots of goodies and a mix of Egyptian cotton and plain cotton (items which are only known about from our reviews). Linen needs ironing, but have invested in a ‘steam generator iron’ which has been fabulous. Only iron the top half of sheets and duvets though!
We always meet our guests and take them through the bits and bobs of the accommodation and have a blackboard with a personalise “Hello” and a contact number for any help.
We are trying to create a quirky homely, but fully kitted-out accommodation. Todate it seems to have been working really well.
Hope this helps
Best of luck.
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We did think of doing that however we are not allowed to attach anything to the outside of the building and the exit doors which lead into the foyer automatically lock at 6pm on Fridays until 7am Monday and you have to have a fob to open, this is also where our post boxes are. The apartment is in a mixed building of offices and apartments on one of the busiest intersections in Melbourne. We only airbnb weekends and as the offices are all closed makes it surprisingly quiet for the location.
I second Arlene’s recommendation for the Schlage keyless lock. Almost four years of hosting and nary a problem with the Schlage.
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Yuck yuck yuck… can you post your listing so I can ensure that I never stay with you? Did I mention yuck?
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I’m sure the ‘smart prices’ are computer mails sent out routinely. IGNORE them!! YOU know your area and the local price structure. Never sell yourself short, it’s not worth the work to reduce prices.
Whoa! Duvets and mattress and pillow protectors changed EVERY changeover! Hosting 101.
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I now have a mix of microfiber sheets and cotton sheets. We are in a warm place, too (the Caribbean with no central air conditioning), so I’m concerned about how “hot” the microfiber sheets will sleep. I should have a verdict in about six months.
I also HATE the microfiber towels. Even though they felt great when they were dry, they always seemed to just push the water around instead of absorbing it. We now use the Charisma brand from Costco. I’ve bought them on sale for as little as $5 each for the bath towel. I buy them from the US and ship them to the Caribbean.
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Smart pricing is the worst. We always ignore the suggestions and still book to our maximum. Remember the time and investment is all yours so you should get all the income you can from it. Your house your decisions!
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If no one complains it doesn’t matter, LOL.
I think the ones I got are supposed to be a blend but strangely I noticed they take longer to dry. I love the Charisma brand of towels. I like all their stuff but I can’t get a lot of it, like sheets, because I have a full size bed.
@Chrissie, my biggest mistake was being too accommodating. In the beginning I bent over backwards pandering to guests. It didn’t do anything other than make them ask for more and make me feel resentful. I’m still nice and welcoming to everyone but I don’t put myself out any more. Guests seem more comfortable, I am more comfortable, it’s all good!
So yes, don’t try too hard. Or at least don’t make it obvious that you’re trying.
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Best screen name ever! 
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We use those Charisma towels from Costco as well. We stock up every time they’re on sale. They’re GREAT towels.
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MiLocks you can buy on Groupon for $60
Also the name of my company
HostyMosty 
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Micorfiber sheets I have never had a complaint actually most say how soft they are
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Cotton towels microfiber sheets
so when you wash you can bleach also easy to match… colors fade and bleach out
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The microfiber sheets we just bought in early December were under $20 US for a set for a queen bed, and are indeed very soft. I figure if we get a year out of each set, I’ll be happy. I bought some LL Bean sheets just about 18 months ago and paid over $100 per queen set, and a couple of the sheets already have holes in them.
So I’ve landed on the strategy of buying inexpensive things that are decent while they last, and replacing them on a regular basis. (Non-stick skillets? Set of three Tramontina from Costco on sale for $22; replaced every 12-18 months)
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