With summer right around the corner, you may be dreaming of flip flops, ice cream, and trips to the beach. What you may not be thinking about though is that these upcoming months can also be a great opportunity to make some extra cash too, and we’re here to explain how you can do just that from the comfort of your own home.

The summer months are prime time for travelers, and what is something that everyone needs when they travel? Somewhere to stay. This is where your home or apartment comes into play; with websites such as Airbnb, you can easily list your space out to travelers and make some easy cash!

Now, you may be saying something like:

“But what if I have a small or awkward space?” or “Where would I stay while guests are in my home?”

These are great questions; but rest assured, with a little creativity, and sometimes some elbow grease, you’d be pleasantly surprised about how easy it is to list your space!

Creative Ways to List Your Space

Let’s start with the question of where you would stay while guests were occupying your home.

  • Summer months are a great opportunity to get out and about yourself; you could consider taking your own vacation during this time! What’s better is that if you were planning on traveling already, now you can supplement some of your vacation by earning money while you’re away.
  • Consider just listing an extra room in your home. This could be a great opportunity for you to play the role of a host and potentially make some new friends at the same time.

Odd space, or no extra space? It’s time to get creative! Airbnb now offers several ‘unique home’ options that make for fun experiences.

  • Do you have a camper? Consider setting it up on your property and listing it!
  • In the same vein of thought, if you have some space in your backyard, you could set up a tent, furnish it and advertise your space as glamping.
  • You can even list your couch! Yes, some people only want a place to crash overnight without all the bells and whistles. This makes for a great opportunity to make some easy cash with minimal space.

Now that you have your space figured out, here are a few tips and tricks not only to attract guests this summer, but to help you get a 5-star rating every time!

 

How to Attract Guests

To help people find you, first, you need to figure out who you are trying to attract. Is your place great for families or more of a rendezvous for two? No matter who you are, put yourself in your ideal guest’s shoes and aim your marketing towards them. This means that everything from the title to the verbiage in your posting to the pictures should be aimed with that target guest in mind.

What to Write in Your Listing

Side by side with amazing photos, the description that you write is one of the top two most important pieces for listing your place. For any listing, you need to write short, concise paragraphs about your home’s features; but for a summer vacation listing, you need to take it a step further and list out why your city and location is attractive.

This is a great opportunity for you to tell your story about how amazing the summers are where you live; talk about the park nearby that hosts black and white movie nights, or the bagel shop with seating outside where you can watch boats leaving the harbor. Whatever is uniquely yours, feature it here!

Bonus: Consider changing the title of your listing to highlight your space as a summer vacation hotspot. Keywords your can use in your title include your city’s name, features of your location (i.e. downtown, near beach, lake town, etc.), and activities in your area (i.e. zoo, museums, festivals, etc.).

Pictures

If you’re trying to attract summertime guests, then you need to update your decor to something, well, more summertime-ish! Decorate for the warm months, open some windows to let the light in and take great pictures not only of the inside of your space, but the outside and local hotspots as well!

Consider using a free app like Canva to create a collage as your primary picture with the best shots of your home, along with local summertime hotspots like an amusement park, an ice cream shop, or museum.

5 Star Hosting Tips

What is your area known for? Do you live near a beach, in a lake town, or near a major city? You know your area best, and your guests will appreciate hearing your advice on what to take advantage of (and what to avoid) in your area.

  • Create a guidebook on summertime restaurants and activities in your area.
  • Put together a welcome basket of goodies and toiletries; don’t forget the sunscreen!
  • Bonus: Expecting a family with young children? Stop by your local dollar store and pick up a couple of summertime toys; a sand pail and shovel or some sidewalk chalk would add an extra personal touch!

We hope these tips and tricks help inspire you to get creative with listing your home out this summer, and help your guests feel welcomed! As always, we’d love to hear from you! What kind of space do you think you could list? Drop a comment below!