All Forum Posts by: Jon Martin

I see some hosts doing an "I forgot" box and adding that to their listing photos. I am sure that people who do forget their toothbrush are appreciative. 

That said, I don't think you are getting new bookings because of it. IMO you are better off not doing that. If your cleaner forgets to leave one out for the next guest then they could leave a bad review because they were expecting it. 

Stick to the basics. 

There is a different but IMO Costco is plenty good, I use it in my personal residence as well. 

Plus the way these larger parties go through TP . . . . Yeah, not trying to splurge there 

Agreed with Costco. Name brand is overrated, I get almost all of my consumables from Costco. 

Exception would be body soap, I order 15 packs of Greenwich Bay on Amazon because they come in 1.9 oz bars, smell nice and have a high end look in package. The typical bars of soap are too big for 2-3 night stays, but 1 oz and smaller tends to only last a day. The 1.9 oz bars are the goldilocks for your typical stay 

Agreed. . . . Occupancy can be off the charts in places like this because there is so much activity or reasons for people to visit during what would be slow days of the week and off season months. 

Plus the bar tends to be much lower, so it is much easier to stand out. With a lower entry point you can really push some spicy numbers, especially with 5+ bedrooms. 

Cold calling has its place, don't get me wrong, I just don't think it's the only way to find viable properties. 

Best way to find cohosting gigs is to look for properties that should be performing well based on their location and quality of furnishings or amenities but cannot seem to get good reviews. This points to poor management and/or marketing. 

Somewhat of a catch 22 if you aren't already a host, but maybe you can find another cohost and ask if they need help. A host with a lot of properties always needs people on call to put out fires, deliver random items etc so maybe you can help with that. 

All great advice above, especially in regards to cohosting > arbitrage. Cold calling sounds like a drag . . . Don't let that part get you down, most (or at least many) hosts don't get their properties that way. 

Maybe look to purchase a property instead of cold calling for arbitrage? A good starting point would be a 10% 2nd home loan or an owner occupied 5% loan where you can convert a basement or studio into a simple 1 bedroom unit and basically let your guests pay your mortgage. 

If you don't have the cash, start saving now, and if you can pick up a cohost client or 2 you will save it quicker than you think. Good luck

Beautiful machine! Not sure if I would want one in an STR though with so many parts, not knowing how to use it, potential for mess etc

I have an automatic machine that grinds the coffee, packs and dispenses. Makes an amazing shot of espresso, and pretty much idiot proof so long as you have your cleaner stay on top of the cleaning and maintenance. Even then I'm not sure I would ever put one in an STR.

I don't. I supply 2.5 oz shrink wrapped packages of ground coffee instead. As long as you have some kind of coffee I think most people are happy. 

If you purchase online, find a retailer that has the delivery window at the point of purchase. Then you should be able to narrow it down to a closer date afterwards. You should only have to do this with the largest items- mainly couches/chairs and dining sets. With everything else, Amazon can give you a fairly exact delivery date. 

Once you have those dates nailed down, have your setup team at the house opening the rest of the boxes and setting things up, that way you have someone to receive the delivery who is not just getting paid to wait around. 

ABNB and VRBO absolutely, but never felt the need to go with Booking. I have heard that it is great for European guests but that's not my target market. I have heard they are even worse than the aforementioned when it comes to caving into guests and refunds, although I can't speak to that from experience. 

As a consumer I always found the Booking platform to be especially clunky and outdated.