Airbnb, bookabach, Holiday Houses, getting your place ready to rent

With thousands of bach owners caught up in a property investor crackdown (Stuff.co.nz), it is a great time to think about how best to make more money out of your bach, crib or holiday home to cover those additional taxes so you don't lose out.  Great places to start advertising if you are new to the game are Airbnb, bookabach and holiday houses.

Staging Your Living Space for Holiday Rentals

To make the most out of your rental, stage it just like your would for an open home and create a space that is attractive to renters, easy to clean and a space that they would be likely to recommend to other holiday goers.  

Photographing the space

• First do a huge spring clean and schedule a big clean on a six monthly basis, be aware that everything shows up on photos, especially when taking shots on a sunny day.
• De-clutter, remove all personal items and anything that that may clutter the shot such as paperwork and excess items in kitchens and bathrooms.
• Then stage your furniture to make the best possible use of the space and to make the rooms look as large and inviting as possible.  If you are unsure, enlist the help of a professional or a friend or family member whose house you admire.
• When taking the shots, be very aware of lighting,the time of day and the position of the shot.  Avoid photos with direct sunlight behind images and play around with camera angles to properly show off the dimensions of the room.
• Take outside shots and just like the inside, clean and tidy first and make the areas look attractive to potential renters.  Include photographs of key amenities such as pools, BBQ areas and outside showers.
• Remember, the more photos the better, renters want to see the space they are going to be paying you top dollar for and the more photos you have the more they will trust you as a landlord.

Your first holiday guest is about to turn up - now what?

• Staging - do your photographs reflect your property.  You staged for your photos, now stage for your guest.
• Make sure the areas are spotlessly clean, the majority of guests will leave online reviews and you want to ensure your rental is as clean as promised.
• Does the space feel like it is theirs for the time they are there, or did you go and put everything back after staging for the photos and they are walking into someones space?  If the latter is the case, hire a STORAGE UNIT or have a locked garage set aside to store all personal and unnecessary items while your property is up for rental. Doing this also minimises damage.
• Remember the basics - clean sheets, properly made beds, fresh towels, kitchen basics and a manual of how things work, recommended eateries and cool things to do in the area.

Follow these basics and the money will flow, leaving you more time to holiday yourself!

Creating Space in a Small Bedroom without a SpaceX rocket!

Renovation costs in Auckland are rising and so are property prices so we need to be creative as we move into smaller spaces to accommodate our stuff.  Our bedrooms are often last on the list as they are the room seen least, but as the room we spend a great deal of time in, we really need to think about this space.  

My bedroom is my haven.  It is not particularly large but every inch is used to its best advantage.  When I was renovating I made sure I bought relaxing big space ideas into my little sanctuary.

Remove the Excess - Use a Storage Box 

The more you have in your small space the more cramped it is going to feel.  I made a tough decision to sell many items and the rest I put in a storage box or removed into Self Storage.  This instantly created an illusion of space and calm in my room.  

Choose the right furniture and storage

I was lucky enough to have the option to build my wardrobes in with drawers to negate the need for a dresser or amoire.  This was one less challenge to deal with.  However, what I found was space was created by choosing furniture that was slim but high and rectangular not curved.  Nightstands with space underneath also greatly increased the illusion of space.  Perhaps the biggest space was created though with a bed that had storage underneath.  Storage baskets are a godsend for small spaces.

Make your bed the focal point

In a small bedroom your bed will more than likely be the focal point.  Size your other furniture and decor to fit the size of your bed so your room is well proportioned.  A large mirror can also add an illusion of extra space and bring a romantic feel to the bedroom.

Make room for a reading chair

Not only does a reading chair and lamp make your room so much more relaxing, but it can be multifunctional in getting more use out of your small bedroom and for throwing the odd piece of clothing on when you just want to crawl into bed for the night!

Choose your colours and artwork wisely

I used light muted colours in my small space and bought the darker and brighter colours in as accents.  Not only did this give the illusion of a larger space but it utilised the natural light to its best advantage.  Artwork will have the same effect, so plan carefully to ensure your haven stays as just that - your haven.  

Your own Princess Charlotte on the way? Tips to create space for a new addition to the family.

With another baby on the way, the excitement has started to give way to the reality of creating space for another little bundle of joy.  Luckily for us it's not the first time but with a big gap between kids we are having to think creatively about storage and space.

Creating the space

The spare room is being gutted and our oldest is making the big move downstairs, it may be that like us you will need to turn the guest bedroom into a playroom or a home office or storage space into a nursery.  We have gone vertical to create extra storage space in the bedrooms after losing some space and put the rest (especially the bulky items) into storage units.  The space under beds is often ignored, but there is often great opportunity to use plastic boxes with lids or decorative baskets to store often used items in.

Starting small and thinking big

If it is your first baby or you haven't had a little one in the house for a while the list of what new babies may need can seem overwhelming.  The reality is newborn babies need very little other than a warm cosy place to sleep, a lot of kisses and cuddles, more clothes than you anticipate you will need (for those days when you just cannot keep up with the washing) and clean nappies.  

The internet is tempting with all the items you could purchase so start with a few, you can always purchase more once your baby is born.  

If you have been given more baby gifts than you know what to do with, consider using them in a decorative but functional way.  

This picture from interior designer Claudia ZinZan shows this in a really beautiful way

Create Zones

If one thing in life is certain it is that babies and toddlers may be small, but the mess they are capable of creating is not!

Ensure all the places you will change your baby, burp your baby and feed your baby are wipeable.  If you have the room, create a minimal adults only space where you can escape the chaos that only appears with little ones in the house.

Early on create an art-space to save your precious walls.  For my daughters 6th birthday I painted a huge purple butterfly on her bedroom wall with blackboard paint.  If I had only known earlier how many walls it would save from her ballpoint pens (carefully hidden by me but always found), I would have done it from the day she was old enough to hold a piece of chalk.  

Prepare to create space in your heart

More than anything else the biggest space created is the one in your heart, be prepared for more love, laughs, tears than you ever thought humanely possible and enjoy!