New Host Onboarding Hub - Other Considerations to Take During Conversion

Other Considerations to Take During Conversion

What amenities should I offer?

We have found that extra amenities don’t necessarily lead to longer stays or garner higher weekly rates. Each property and location is unique so we recommend using your best judgment and focusing on product/market fit when adding amenities.

Instead, focus on providing adequate amenities for the amount of rooms in the home. If your house has seven or more bedrooms, we recommend adding a second refrigerator and second outdoor trash can.

What about the home’s exterior?

Members in your home will often make a decision about whether they want to continue living there within the first couple of minutes at the house. Neighbors are also very sensitive to the exterior looks and condition of your property. Improving curb appeal can make the difference to Members (and to neighbors). Make sure the yard is well-kept and the exterior of the home looks like someone cares about it. As a general rule, your property should blend into and look equal to or better than the other houses in the neighborhood.

Optimize for cleaning

Optimize for ease of cleaning and operational efficiency. Hard surfaces that withstand cleaning chemicals are best. Granite countertops, while more expensive up front, are far more durable than laminate.

More generally, avoid soft surfaces on flooring and furnishings. Common storage areas such as bookshelves should also be eliminated. There is no accountability for their cleanliness.

How should I label the rooms?

Organize the property with a proper floor plan. Many photographers can provide this service very inexpensively while taking photographs, and several smartphone apps do an admirable job. When it comes time to list your property, and assign the right photo to the right room, the process is easier with an accurate floor plan.

Members will need a way of knowing which room is theirs. We don’t recommend using numbers but there are other ways such as using colors, names, etc.

Put yourself in the shoes of a PadSplit Member. He or she just paid their hard-earned money to move into your property. Maybe they get off work late, maybe it’s dark. They’ve never been to the property and maybe they’re even new to the city. They need a smooth move-in experience that allows them to easily find their place to sleep so they can get up and go to work the next day.

PadSplit room, with the door clearly labeled

Last minute additions

Budget a few hundred dollars for last-minute staging items at the end of the renovation. A few minor additions make a big difference to Members and photographs. Add items like wall decals, affordable art, artificial plants, vases, front entry floor mats and some starter cleaning supplies and toilet paper for Members.

Label space in the refrigerator and cabinets for each room. This will help coordinate space sharing and allow you to see which items need to be removed when a Member vacates the property.