Increase Bookings with "Spruce-up" Design
This past July, a good friend of mine, and fellow business owner reached out to see if I could help him with something. He had a short-term rental listing for a property in Exeter that he has been managing, and was looking for an opportunity to increase bookings. It is a single-family home and does well compared to a long-term rental, but he knew there was a chance to do more. We collaborated and requested from the owner to be able to "spruce up" the unit with a small budget of $500 for accessories. She gladly agreed and then the fun began!
I visited the home to see how it felt in person. It was a beautiful antique cottage in the woods with lots of interior charm and a spacious backyard. There were (2) areas I felt needed a bit more "love".
The first room was the living room, which was the first room that you step into. It felt comfortable but the furnishings felt somewhat haphazardly placed together. There was one random red barrel chair that stuck out in the photos and needed to be pulled into the room. There were also dark blue curtains and light blue accents, so the blues needed to be joined somehow as well. We created a design concept to present to the owner, and she loved it!
We brought in throw pillow covers to tie in the red accent on the chair and door, and blue nautical covers to pull in the curtains and add to the beach theme that was already present within the space. We added a throw blanket and a few faux plants to bring greenery and warmth, and the space instantly felt 10x more inviting! Most items were purchased locally (which saves a great deal of money), and Blue Lotus completed the shopping and installation. See below for before and after, and continue down the page to see the next room...
The accessory budget was $200.
The second room was begging to be the center of attention! It linked the kitchen to the backyard, boasting gorgeous views of the foliage around the home, but it had been lacking color and a purpose for the space. We played up on the summertime vibes in the space by adding soft yellow pillows and throw blankets, a lemonade pitcher and glasses, plastic plates and bowls for outdoor entertaining, and additional pouf ottomans for extra seating for game nights. We also re-worked the owner's furnishings and brought in accessories and furniture she already owned, including a rocking chair that was overcrowding another room. Last, but not least, we staged the bookcases within the space, highlighting some wonderful reading options and a variety of games.”
The accessory budget was $200.
The additional $100 in our budget went towards some items for other parts of the home, including a gorgeous lamp from Facebook Marketplace for only $15! One of our favorite things to do is to stretch a budget! Here is a snapshot of all of the items acquired for the home for a total of $522.
Last, but not least, we had the space re-photographed (included with every re-design), and the photos for the listing were changed (especially the "Hero" image, which is the first one someone sees on AirBnB). Within 2 weeks of the new changes, the property has received nearly 4X as many bookings as the 2 weeks previous to the change!** We launched the changes on July 22nd, 2022, so we will be sure to continue tracking the data on how this performs. Already, the investment has MORE than paid for itself!
** The 2 weeks prior to the change had received 3 bookings, totaling 8 nights. In the 2 weeks since the transformation has received 7 bookings, for a total of 29 nights! At $200 per night, that's an average of a $4,200 return in just 2 weeks.
Ready for your AirBnB "spruce up"? Contact us today!
