When you’re a busy mom with little ones, your career may have been put on the back-burner. I mean, what is more important than being with your little ones? But the fact of the matter is, that sometimes some extra cash can come in handy. Life doesn’t become less expensive when you have children, that is for sure.
Working out of the home is often a good idea, but then when the costs of childcare are weighed up, it doesn’t always work out to be the best option. Which is why so many moms are deciding to work for themselves so that they can set their own hours, work from home, and earn money but still be there for their babies. Of course, that can be easier said than done.
One good way to earn some extra cash, without having to do a whole lot, can be to rent out a room in your home or build a tiny home in the garden space. In fact, you could rent out the whole property if you have people like your parents that you can stay with temporarily. There are many sites online that you can list with, from Spare Room to Airbnb. But in order to be the one that can actually make money from doing this, then you do need to follow some rules, so that you can maximize the amount you can charge, and you’ll get good reviews and people coming back. So if this sounds like a good side hustle for you as you can manage it from home, then here are some of the tips and rules to think about.
Have Professional Photos
Your listing is going to look much more reliable, attractive, and trustworthy, if the photos are decent and not some grainy looking photos from your old iPhone. The layouts of many of the sites that you can advertise on is very visual. So you’ll get more interest if people can see the room, or whole home, in its best light. If you have a decent camera of your own, that that can be a quick fix, as long as they are edited well. If not, you could as a friend to help, or even look for Airbnb’s free photographers that are available in some cities.
Comfort
At the end of the day, if someone is going to book to stay with you, rate you well, or re-book, then they are going to look how comfortable the space will be. A large comfortable bed is going to be a must, right? One way to maximize how much you can charge could be to get something like zip and link beds. The reason being, these can be either one big bed or two single beds, so they can be separated when and if you need them to be. So it means you can have two people in the room, one person, friends, or a couple. So things like that can be a good idea to help you to create a comfortable space.
Offer Extra Services
The basic thing to do is to offer a room and a bathroom for them to book and use. But if you want to make a little more, then how about charging for some extras? Think about picking up from the airport, or arranging other transport for people. Could you provide them with breakfast or other meals if required? It means you can charge a little extra, and make a little extra while you’re at it.
Personal Touches
In the room, it helps for it to be comfortable for them. But it also helps if you can make it a little more personal. Could you leave a bottle of wine in the room or a little hamper of goodies for them? How about a little package with local information for them? If you are renting out the whole property because you are away or can stay elsewhere, then having some things for them to use in the kitchen, for example, can be a good way to add some personal touches. If you can only do one thing, though, make sure that you have WIFI available for them and perhaps a little note written out with the password.
See It As a Business
You do need to make sure that if you want to do this, that you see it as a business. It will mean you are committed to it, and that you will put in effort towards it. The good thing is that you can choose when you take bookings, so it doesn’t need to be each week if it is becoming too much.
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