I have a great friend who can turn the most simple objects into something of beauty. Leslie is an Airbnb Super Host who knows how to furnish and decorate a place that welcomes guests. I am excited to have Leslie share an ongoing series of tips out of her wealth of knowledge and experience.

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Buying EVERYTHING to fill a house

When we decided to turn my in-law’s house into an Airbnb back in 2017, I immediately started thinking of ALL THE THINGS I needed to find to fill the empty house. This may sound like a daunting task for some, but for me….it was a thrill I couldn’t wait to start!

Most people slowly compile items to fill a house over time.  But for us, we had literally a few months to get this house ready to be listed on Airbnb in order to have bookings for the upcoming summer months.  Luckily I’m a furniture hoarder! That’s right, I freely admit it!  When I’m out and about stopping at yard sales and I find an item I think might have potential, I usually buy it for a “future” purpose.  Now my husband hasn’t always been happy with that trait of mine, but this time, it proved to be such a money saver!

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But what about the “soft” items needed?  The couch, chairs, mattresses, linens, etc.  Insert IKEA!  We are very lucky to have an IKEA within reach.  I knew I wanted comfy couches and chairs but it also had to be very practical.  This is a vacation rental, so hundreds of people (and a lot of small children) will be flowing through the house over time, and keeping things clean and fresh looking was very important.

Look no further than the Ektorp couch.  This line has different slipcovers, that are super easy to remove, wash, and easily put back on.  !  The fantastic part is, they literally don’t have to be washed that often, even with all the people coming through.  I can literally wipe off most “stains” with a wet washcloth.  But when we do freshen up the covers, which we like to do every few months, it’s a dream to accomplish.

Now, what about other items, like mattresses?  IKEA.  Yes, that’s right!  We bought ourselves an IKEA mattress a few years ago and it was so comfortable, we knew it was the right (and affordable) choice!  Plus, they are all rolled up in a vacuum package with nice straps to carry!  No truck needed!

The little things

So what about dishes and glassware?  I did say EVERYTHING!  Did you realize you can find great dishes, mugs, and glasses from your local Dollar Tree?!  They actually have really nice things.  You can even buy in bulk online if you want to make sure you have enough that all match.  Dollar Tree will even ship for free to your local store for pick up!  I buy all my flower vases from Dollar Tree too.

I also bought bigger items, like lamps, pots/pans, etc from Amazon.  Amazon, my friends,  saves you a lot of time (and gas money by not driving all over town looking for the best deals! Check out this grill set.  It’s perfect for our gas grill, comes with everything our guests could need!  We also bought our steak knives and this cool little pizza cutter wheel from Amazon.  It’s compact for storage.

The fun didn’t stop with this house!  Now that I’m a seasoned Airbnb Superhost, I know all the things needed for the new Modern Farmhouse!  And so the buying began again!  We just finished the new house and listed it this month on Airbnb.  Be sure to follow along with my blogs as I show you room by room how we furnished it and where we bought “all the things”!   It’s been a fun journey for me being able to design and decorate these houses.  It truly releases my creative mind!  If you have any questions, please ask away.  I love to share my ideas!