All Forum Posts by: Sarah Kensinger

Wayfair has some amazing furniture for STR, especially the commercial line! Remember the cheaper they are the quicker you'll be replacing them.

I love Minoan and HostGPO also, but Minoan is free to use! They make ordering items from different companies easy, and you get discounts from each store that has partnered with them.

Quote from @John Underwood:

Wouldn't it be cheaper to order everything online and have it shipped to house? Then hire a handyman to put everything together.

Rooms to go sells whole rooms full of furniture, sometimes at zero interest.

No, it's not cheaper because you get discounts through these companies. 

Quote from @Nathan Gesner:

Quote from @Frank Straughter:

Part of the problem may be your use of MTR or medium-term rentals. Why? Because it's a made-up term that doesn't really exist in law. 

Anything rented for more than 30 days is a long-term rental (LTR) and anything 30 days or less is a short-term rental (STR). Just because you add furniture and include utilities doesn't create a new category of rental. Look for a company that manages long-term rentals.

This would never work! LTR management companies don't have the software and other resources needed to turnover a property monthly, not to mention keeping it stocked with supplies. It takes a lot more effort than finding someone once a year. Like already stated its hospitality, not "landlording", and considering the fact even Airbnb bookings are now 20% for 30 day plus stays, I would say Mid-Term Rentals are a thing that's here to stay for a while. The world is evolving, things don't stay the same much as we wish they would.

Tony and Sara Robinson have some free resources that might be of use to you.....STR Deal Analyzer How-To

My understanding is the host fee is mostly the cleaning fee. Unfortunately, many hosts tend to pad that amount to make extra revenue. We never use hotels when we travel except for rare occasions, and I make sure we find STR listings with reasonable fees and nightly rate. Also, if you look and find the right property, it'll come out about the same as a hotel. And if you plan on doing some cooking instead of eating out the whole time, it ends up becoming a bit cheaper all the way around.

Would highly suggest you figure out your goals and then plan accordingly. Sometimes just figuring out goals, gives us the answer and assurance we need!

Quote from @Lauren Kormylo:

Quote from @Sarah Kensinger:

Quote from @Lauren Kormylo:

Quote from @Sarah Kensinger:

What the world is up with hosts thinking a guest only needs ONE washcloth for the entire stay!!!! This is a huge pet peeve of ours and I get down right tired of running into it at almost every STR we stay at! I either have to wash the dirty ones or request more. Seriously does nobody shower everyday anymore??

I shower everyday, but don’t wash my washcloth or towel every day, which is  wasteful of water. A lot of people don’t use washcloths at all, they just rub soap around with their hands. In my STR I have a washer and dryer, and supply detergent, so guests can wash them if they want. If someone asked for extra washcloths, I’d supply them of course. But so far, no one has been critical of the amount of washcloths I provide. 

I like to run my washer full, so it's great that the washcloths are just small enough that a bunch of them fill up that last little bit. Maybe if we're concerned about water, we should offer each guest a bath puff instead of a washcloth?

A bath puff isn’t the answer. My point was that you use way more washcloths than the average person, and should request more when you travel. 

I use bath puffs not washcloths. Not to get graphic but my husband uses washcloths and it's rather gross to use those more than once. I didn't realize people actually did that! But we have noticed the general lack of hygiene in our society and unkemptness, so I must have been missing a few dots here.

Quote from @Lauren Kormylo:

Quote from @Sarah Kensinger:

What the world is up with hosts thinking a guest only needs ONE washcloth for the entire stay!!!! This is a huge pet peeve of ours and I get down right tired of running into it at almost every STR we stay at! I either have to wash the dirty ones or request more. Seriously does nobody shower everyday anymore??

I shower everyday, but don’t wash my washcloth or towel every day, which is  wasteful of water. A lot of people don’t use washcloths at all, they just rub soap around with their hands. In my STR I have a washer and dryer, and supply detergent, so guests can wash them if they want. If someone asked for extra washcloths, I’d supply them of course. But so far, no one has been critical of the amount of washcloths I provide. 

I like to run my washer full, so it's great that the washcloths are just small enough that a bunch of them fill up that last little bit. Maybe if we're concerned about water, we should offer each guest a bath puff instead of a washcloth?

Good chance you could find a builder that would ok with you finishing out the home. We have some here in Ohio like that. Just be sure that's what you really want to do. My parents built a house when I lived at home and we did most of the work, it's a lot especially if you have another full-time job!