The Giving House Before & After
An Airbnb that Gives Back
“I don’t really care about the money,” the owner of the Giving House told me in our first conversation. He had purchased the home to use when in town for work, but when he found another more affordable housing situation for himself, he turned the home over to an inexperienced co-host to manage as an Airbnb. The co-host furnished the home with free and nearly free hand-me-down furniture and it’s probably no surprise that not much came in the way of bookings.
So when the owner called us, he was looking for a professional short-term rental business whom he could trust to reach the home’s maximum potential.
Just as he said, he really wasn’t interested in the money. Sure, he wanted to pay the bills and management fees, but raising funds for an international humanitarian aid organization he loves was the heartbeat of renting this home.
By naming it “the Giving House,” it allowed guests to know they could make a difference with their reservation. We created a brochure with pictures and some more information about the organization and work that is taking place across the world with this money.
Because we knew we’d be able to use most of the bedroom furniture, we decided to splurge in the living room. The furniture was too large for the space and it was already very worn. The fake fireplace didn’t work, so we opted to create a cool focal wall behind a new green velvet couch. (pops of bold color can help listings to stand out online!) By painting the room white, it made the room instantly feel fresh, clean, and spacious. The TV moved to the opposite side of the room and we added 2 gray swivel chairs so guests can either turn towards the TV or towards conversation.
The primary bedroom was looking tired itself, so we freshened it up with new bedding, lamps, & curtains. It’s been proven that white bedding communicates cleanliness to guests, and you can see how it made a huge impact on the room in the before and after below.
The upstairs bedrooms already had good quality furniture pieces, so it didn’t sink the budget to update to lighter colored bedding, add blackout curtains, and include a few additional accessories.
Notice how the end tables don’t match exactly in the bedroom below. To start, we only had one end table but found another used one for under $20 for the other side. Because they’re similar in wood color and height, they don’t bother the eye, especially with two matching lamps on top of each.
The fourth bedroom (also downstairs with the primary bedroom) was the perfect place to turn into an office/2nd living area w/ TV. By choosing a futon instead of a couch, it gave the room versatility to also sleep an additional guest. We store additional bed linens inside the repurposed trunk/coffee table.
Under our staging and management, the Giving House income has almost tripled its monthly revenue. It’s not only been a delight to welcome guests here, but we love the added benefit of making an impact on people’s lives across the globe.
