Hey fam! Happy August! It’s time for #strsharesunday and today we are sharing Sprucewood Cottage!

This is truly the perfect cozy cottage, located in Evergreen, Colorado (so on brand!).

We love that on their instagram they have their logo and they let you know that you can book on AirBnb OR book direct on their website. On their website, they have the phone number right on the front page, we don't see very often! Having their phone number readily available for potential guests if they have any questions is very reassuring.

We love how they are driving traffic to their website, so make sure you check it out for some inspo!

Sprucewood Cottage on Instagram

Sprucewood Cottage on AirBnB

Sprucewoodcottage.com

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We would love to feature YOU, so don’t forget to use the #STRShareSunday to get your chance!

Some people like to dip their toes into the short-term rental world. Others, like today’s guest, go all in from the beginning, despite having no background in the market.

Callie Witcher is a Superhost from Fredericksburg, TX in the beautiful Texas Hill Country, where she has been hosting for one and a half years with her husband, Dan. Building three short-term rentals from the ground up has allowed them (and their two littles) to shift to a lifestyle with more flexibility. She loves getting to share the cabins they’ve created with guests and help them make the most of the local area.

She shares why short-term rentals were right for her family, why they decided on Fredericksburg as the place to host, and how she manages to find balance and handle the stress of it all.

Resources:

• aframeranch.com
• Instagram: @aframeranch
• Visit thanksforvisiting.me/workshop to watch our Hosting Business Mastery Method workshop!
• #STRShareSunday: @sprucewoodcottage

It’s time for #strsharesunday and today we are sharing The Cove Cabin!

We know we say this a lot, but... we really want to go here. Like right now. First of all: location, location, location!

Located on Lake Santeetlah in North Carolina, this teeny tiny cabin (560 SF) was built in 1962 has one heck of a view. Their instagram bio has all the information you need to get an accurate picture and telling a story. By telling you right away what to expect, you're getting full transparency and you know that this tiny cabin is maybe not the right choice for a full-on bachelorette weekend with 10+ friends.

They let you know about the steep and slippery terrain and that it's a dry county, so you need to plan ahead and bring any 21+ beverages you might want with you.

Don't assume that your guests know anything about your property or area, or that they will research it on their own! Transparency is important.

This small but mighty cabin is packed with a punch and they are totally crushin'...

One of the questions we get asked most often is: how do you hire a team that has the same ethos and attention to detail as you?

Taylor Arbaugh is a property coordinator at The Cliffs Hocking Hills and a team member of Sarah's. She helps to host the property. She is a mom and local in the area where The Cliffs is located, in Hocking Hills, Ohio. She doesn’t come from a property management background, but she has been a great addition to the team. If you’re not in the industry yourself, that doesn’t mean you can’t learn what it takes to make a great project manager.

Finding the Right Fit

One thing that made Taylor a good fit for this role was her tendency to be a people pleaser. While she often thought of this trait as a negative, it really enabled her to shine as a property manager. Renters are paying for a service, and they expect a certain level of quality work. When you are the face of that property, you have to deliver to that expectation....

It’s time for #strsharesunday and today we are sharing Aqua Luxe!

Talk about luxe! This place is located in Miramar Beach, Florida.

Something we've really been noticing and love is that every single one of their bedrooms has an ensuite bathroom. If you're building a space with the intent to make it a short-term rental or vacation rental, consider making every bedroom a suite with a bathroom if you can make it happen! This place has 5 king beds with 5 ensuite bathrooms! WOAH!

We haven't really talked about this before, but there is a difference between short-term rentals and vacation rentals in terms of what they provide as far as amenities go, but we LOVE that AquaLuxe specifically mentions in their AirBnb listing that the guest will have to bring some of their own supplies. The listing includes a description of a "starter pack" that lets you know with extreme clarity what is included, and what the guest will need to bring (toilet paper, laundry pods, etc.)

Also... the game room...

When it comes to safety, it always feels like an accident will never happen – until it does.

Justin Ford, our Safety Captain, is professionally trained by the coastguard, volunteers as a firefighter, and previously ran a 600-property vacation rental company. He has personally experienced tragedy at one of his own properties, so he speaks from a high level of experience.

This time, we’re talking about deck safety. There is an epidemic of deck collapses in the United States, and we need to get it under control. Here are a couple of easy ways to address the problem.

First, you need to understand how many people can safely fit on your deck. A deck should be built to hold 50 pounds per square foot as a minimum – but expect to see them hold more than that at a short-term rental. There are so many unknowns at a rental – you never know who is using the deck, how much they weigh, or what they’ll be doing on it.

How do you determine what capacity your deck can...

It’s time for #strsharesunday and today we are sharing Loose Creek Cabins! These beautiful spaces are located in Broken Bow, Oklahoma (which we hear is all the rage). Grab your notebook and take notes because here's what we love about them:

Their LinkTree has their facebook page. If you don't have a facebook page for your property, go make one today!

They put their availability in their highlights so people can see it.

We both fell in love with a new property they're getting ready to list where they BUILT their coffee bar in a nook in the stairwell. They had this little space which could have been wasted, but they had this idea to really create an EXPERIENCE with the space they had and so they made this nook.

These are the kinds of things and creativity you can bring to your rental!

Loose Creek Cabins on Instagram

Book Loose Creek Cabins

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We would love to feature YOU, so don’t forget to use the #STRShareSunday to get your chance!

There are so many things to clean within your short-term rental, so it’s worryingly easy to overlook something. We’re exploring the top five things that could save you a trip to your rental thanks to some smart, preventative cleaning.

1. Shower and Sink Drains

We’ve all had to rely on some Drano once in a while, but that really isn’t necessary if you can keep up the routine maintenance. Using a cheap, disposable plumbing snake, you can make sure those drains never backup in the first place.

2. Garbage Disposal

You have to keep your garbage disposal clean and clear. You can use a magnetic rod to detect things like metal bottle caps that have fallen in. You can also remove the splash guard from the disposal and use something like Bar Keepers Friend to clean around the drain.

3. Washing Machine

As counter-intuitive as it sounds, the washing machines often need a good washing of their own! Clean up any drips of detergent around the input...

It’s time for #strsharesunday and today we are sharing Magnolia WV!

 This is historic farmhouse (circa 1805) is hosted by Leigh and Corey, and it's an absolute showstopper! We want you to go check them out and be inspired. In this space, every corner, every detail, every room, interior and exterior is perfectly designed. Every inch of this property has been designed with the guest in mind, and that is a HARD thing to do with an older property.

They have NAILED it and have truly fused old and new in the most perfect way. The pictures are gorgeous and draw you in, almost as if you were already there. Add it to your travel wishlist, because we sure are!

Magnolia WV on Instagram

Magnolia WV on AirBnB

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We would love to feature YOU, so don’t forget to use the #STRShareSunday to get your chance!

When you’re running a business, keeping track of your expenses is just as important as tracking income. But there are some costs that you’d never think of. We’re going to cover one hidden expense that’s going to give you a real gut check – and that’s your time.

Most expenses are pretty straightforward: how much are linens, how much is WiFi? But when it comes to the cost of time, there’s far more involved. There’s a lot of emotion tied up in how we view our time and, as most of us know, hosting does not have a strict start or end. You’re on call all the time. It’s hard to nail down exactly how many hours you’ll be working.

Tracking Your Time

We start by calculating the amount of time it takes to communicate from pre-booking to checkout. From answering questions, sending check-in instructions, responding to requests or problems, and asking for reviews and follow-up visits, there is a lot of communication day to...