How to be a great AirBnb Host (from a serial AirBnb guest's perspective)

If you have reached this post without knowing our blog, you can read about our individual AirBnb stays from the previous posts.

Considering my wife and I have been using AirBnb monthly for the past 15 or so months - I believe we have earned the status of experienced guests.  We have stayed in an array of places from tiny a NYC apartment to multi-room beach houses.  Our only real limits during our searches are price and the pet policy (our dog is also along for the journey).

I don't think we would call ourselves picky, but we have definitely learned what makes life a little easier while on the road for so long.  The list isn't extensive. I'll break everything into three categories. The first of course are the "Must-haves".

This category is simple, if they don't exist it makes life potentially miserable either upon arrival or at some point during the stay.  Remember we are roadies, we don't have a home base so some of these may not matter as much to a short term-er.

• Toilet Paper - have some on the roll and some close by for backup. Sometimes we have some left over from the previous stay and pack it with us, but not always. When you come off a long haul road trip it's nice to know I don't have to completely unpack to use the restroom.
• One medium sized non-stick frying pan- There were a few places where we didn't even attempt to turn on the oven, but usually scrabbled eggs are a morning ritual and if you don't provide at least one good pan, it really puts a damper home cooking. (we actually purchased our own and pack it to every new location)
• Ok we need more than just a frying pan - provide enough kitchen stuff to let us cook most basic meals. We don't need a gourmet supply of pots, pans and utensils, but try to cook a decent breakfast and dinner in your provided kitchen before you rent it out as a test.  
• Coffee Pot - enough said. (I assume I don't have to list microwave.)
• Towels - not just one in the bathroom or hidden away in a closet, have a few and put some in the kitchen too.
• Pest control - no one wants to see bugs of any kind. We were pretty lucky to avoid any major issues thank God! (Bonnie hates to kill spiders for me)
• Wifi - I don't care if you have cable, we cut the cord long ago. I do need to work and occasionally watch Netflix or Hulu so please have at least a 3mb connection with a single throughout the house.

The next category I would call "Over the top". These are the things a host can do that are really above and beyond and sometimes - if you have been in the car for 10 hours with a dog that has occasional panic attacks can really make our day.

• A welcome package - This has been provided on many occasions, it's amazing how much it makes the guest feel comfortable in the rental.  If you want to go way over the top provide some treats or booze, enjoying some wine while I unpack the car is always a pleasure. If you aren't weird, greet the guests. We have only met a couple of hosts, but they were great experiences.
• Coded door locks - keeping track of keys is a nightmare! It is so much easier to remember a code and know you will always be able to get back in without the need to contact someone if you don't have the keys. I know it's not always possible because of property rules, but it's an awesome feature.
• An iron and board - We have a tiny travel iron which is a pain, whenever a house had these items it was a wonderful surprise. Remember on the road, everything gets wrinkled.
• Washer and dryer - when these are in the rental, it really saves the day. Everyone probably understands how fast laundry builds up, and without knowing an area it can be difficult to locate a worthy laundromat. We already have to yelp dry cleaners every month for dress clothes.
• Stuff to do - you know, tell us where the best restaurants are located, what are the must dos only the locals know about, give us some history on the property, whatever, make it an experience.

Luckily we haven't had poor hosts, it's what makes AirBnb so cool, but if there were anything we wouldn't want to happen, they would fall into this final category - "Avoid these".

• Require us to do something for you - We are nice, we will comply. Sometimes it's unavoidable, but do your best to not give us chores (see 'over the top' for ways to keep us happy if you do ask)
• Miss anything on the"Must have" list - Duh.
• Angry neighbors - Are you renting your place on AirBnb and your neighbors hate the idea? Resolve it! 
• Illegally renting your place - Are you breaking building rules, HOA rules, or local laws? Guess what, your guests don't want to be caught in the middle of some battle. Do it right or don't do it at all.

So there you have it. See we aren't high maintenance, but we do know what we like.  Feel free to ask us questions. AirBnb has been great to us and I would suggest you give it a try over a hotel next time you travel. 

Home Sweet San Antonio

Beyond ready for a steady place to stay, not that a week and half on the road wasn't fun, but it was the constant unpacking and repacking of the car during the trek that was getting pretty tiresome, you've seen the pictures, its not an easy task. We landed in San Antonio on New Years day and happier than ever to just unwind and do laundry, oh the mounds of laundry we had accumulated, and to eat a real home cooked meal, we had not had one of those since we were in Phoenix. Seriously it's the simple luxuries that we were missing the most during the period on the road.

We rented this really cute furnished home via Airbnb (https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/1026427), just north of downtown San Antonio with oodles of space and its adorable factor just tops it off! Downfall, it wasn't up to the standard of "Bonnie clean," and by God, if I am going to live her for a month, the place is going to be douched! I know that some might call me a little neurotic or OCD when it comes to what I view the standard of clean, but clean baseboards, window sills, blinds and not having dust bunnies under the bed should be the standard, right? I totally could've handled a day or two in the state it was, I just couldn't handle a month without a deep clean, so the owners got one, whether or not they wanted it! In fact I spent an entire day, from top to bottom, cleaning and disinfecting the place and now I feel much better! This place is clean, "Bonnie Clean" and I could eat off the floor now if I so chose to do so!

On the positive notes, the house is really close, and by close, I mean within half a mile or less of a ton of great restaurants, boutique shops and the market, so I can virtually walk everywhere. There is even a park a little less than a mile away that makes for a fun run and the super cute Yoga studio that I found just down the road so I can still get my fitness on and get out of the house while Tom is off supporting my lady of leisure status!

The back yard is fully fenced and Miss Ethel has adapted surprisingly well to her new surroundings. In fact there are a couple of neighborhood cats and a ton of squirrels in and out of the backyard on a regular basis, so you can imagine how excited she is to go sniff out a new trail every time she goes outside; she can easily spend thirty minutes out there and not even realize I've just left her to her own devices by going inside without her. We have yet to leave her here by herself, but it's officially been a week now, I am pretty sure she will be able to cope; it is just a matter of deciding to leave her outside or let her have free rein of the house while we are out. I'll keep you posted on her survival for the first go it alone adventure for her!

The three of us are off for a weekend adventure tomorrow and will be Austin bound, so any tips and recommendations, ones that are dog friendly in Austin would be greatly appreciated. We love any help and/or tips you all are willing to send our way, we love hearing from you our friends, family and readers.

And We're Off!

Holy shit, we are crammed in this gorgeous beast, and let me tell you, it was like playing real life Tetris getting it all in there. Needless to say it was a very strategic process but we managed to get almost everything that needed to go with us in the car and only had to leave behind the non-essentials! Woo hoo!!! And damn, doesn't the Flex look sexy with that Thule on top!

We officially took to the road on Monday afternoon and headed directly to Kanab for a quit pit stop to catch up with an old friend before heading off to Phoenix. And catch up we did, I saw 2am in the morning, I can't remember the last time I was up that late! So thanks Ladd for the laughs and fun; it was a perfect start to our epic adventure!

Road Warrior

You're looking at our new home! We picked this beast up last weekend and have really been enjoying breaking her in.  This baby is far cry from a Mini Cooper and our X3 and I am still getting used to the size of her. In fact, I've already managed to scratch one of the rims on a curb, yes a non moving curb; mock me if you must.  

This bad girl is really comfortable and offers pretty much any amenity you could think of and then some. We ran a test pack yesterday and it looks like she is going to provide us with plenty of space for everything that we are taking with us, except for the golf clubs, we may need a roof rack just for them..

On another note, the POD is ordered and "Operation Pack Up the House" is in full force, so if you stop by for a visit, you'll have to navigate through the trail of boxes. Also, we will be taking off a little quicker than we had originally planned and with a minor detour due to the house selling faster than we had anticipated. Official launch date is looking like December 13th with a quick stop to Mexico for some R&R and then off for a Phoenix Christmas, let the countdown begin!

Test Drive

Is it possible to hot rod in a mini-van? We took to the challenge yesterday when we went hunting for our new travel vehicle; that's right mini-vans, you read correctly!

We scoped out the Honda Odyssey, Chrysler Town & Country, Toyota Sienna and the Ford Flex (not a mini-van, but way cool). The goal, to weigh the pros and cons of each of these lovely vehicles over the next few weeks and decide which is going to work best for our needs.

We need a vehicle to provide as a home base, a place to put everything we will be taking on this journey across North America over the next two years, and comfort is key for those long drives! Cargo capacity is a huge element, hence the mini van route; I know, we are still coming to grips with the idea of driving, let alone, owning a mini van!

So if anyone has personal experience with any of these gems and wants to chime in on the good, the bad and the ugly of each; we would greatly appreciate the feedback.

On another note the house goes up for sale on the 16th of October and pretty much all furniture will be up for sale, so if anyone wants dibs, speak now or forever hold your peace.