A Cost-Saving Tip for Hosts: Your BBQ Grill May Be Quietly Losing You Money!

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Did you know? Your BBQ grill may be quietly losing you money!

Many hosts still think a BBQ is an advantage, but the reality is that it has become a burden over the past two years.

Yes, in previous years, almost all the tips we shared focused on increasing income. But with the current trend, increasing income is difficult. As homeowners, we should instead begin thinking about which unnecessary expenses to eliminate first.

Think back a few years: running an Airbnb was a thriving business then.

Simply clean the home, take a few phone photos and bookings would pour in. Add a BBQ grill and you could raise the nightly rate accordingly; guests considered it a highlight.

But the past two years have been different. Competition is intense, guests are price-sensitive and the BBQ has become a trap:

First, cleaning is a hassle. Scrubbing the grill takes a cleaner 30 minutes. Charge extra for cleaning? You may well get a four-star negative review in return.

Second, guests generally feel that propane refills, delivery and similar expenses should be included in the accommodation charge. Any additional charge puts the rating at risk again.

When rates were high, owners could absorb the cost themselves. But now that Airbnb income has generally declined, these additional costs could become the last straw for a host.

What should you do? My personal advice on whether you need a BBQ grill is that:

The key is your market positioning.

👉 If your home is positioned at the high end, costs more than US$300 a night and has a lake view and large balcony, a BBQ is essential. It is part of the experience; having a grill makes sense and is necessary.

👉 But if your home costs less than US$200 a night and is simply an urban detached house or townhouse with a BBQ sitting in the yard, my advice is: remove the BBQ this year. It will not help increase income; it will only add costs and management complexity.

The main theme for short-term rentals this year may be reducing expenses and surviving rather than increasing income. In good times, we compete by adding more. In difficult times, it is even more important to know how to subtract. Cut amenities that are not helping.

If other hosts have cost-saving tips, please share them with us in the comments below.

Hosts, what do you think? You are welcome to join our WeChat group to share experiences and support one another with friends already running short-term rentals!

If you:

Hope to increase rental income through short-term rentals;

Cannot spare a great deal of time to handle the small details;

Occasionally need to use the home yourself, making it unsuitable to empty out the furniture for a long-term rental;

Then:

Snowball Rentals’ management team is your best choice.

From pre-launch vacation-rental styling, big-data analysis and online marketing to tenant screening, dynamic pricing, customer service and sales, cleaning and repairs, Snowball Rentals provides everything as one complete service for your home.

This Week’s Booking Results

Through long-standing relationships with insurers, assignment companies and technology companies, Snowball Rentals rents homes for medium- and long-term durations at short-term rates, then gives owners a rebate of 5% in management fees to maximize their income.

As we enter August, Seattle’s peak short-term rental season is drawing toward its close. How have you performed this year? Feel free to share in a private message or the comments. :)

Short-term rentals in peak season; mid-term rentals in low season.

Looking back at earlier large bookings, this strategy has achieved some results, allowing us to retain confidence even in a cold winter!

Although peak season has arrived, we still cannot let our guard down. Policies and broader conditions are full of changes and challenges. Making steady progress will remain the main theme going forward.

For the following detached home in Bellevue, Redfin shows an estimated long-term monthly rent of about US$7,320.

With the owner’s trust and support, we carefully furnished the home and immediately began short-term rental operations. Fortunately, because the home’s condition and location are both good, short- and mid-term bookings have continued to come in.

As shown in the booking screenshot below, a guest recently rented this home from August 20 to September 21, a total of 32 nights, at an average monthly rent of US$14,550.

In summary, after Snowball Rentals operated this property, monthly rental income rose from US$7,320 to US$14,550, approaching double.

For homeowners, combining short- and mid-term rentals in this way can earn more in peak season and help them get through low season smoothly. Even if the low-season rental figures look less dramatic, they still outperform long-term rentals and give homeowners a strong sense of financial security.

More importantly, the owner does not have to worry about maintenance or cleaning. When something needs to be discussed with guests, we also help with communication and oversight.

Here, we again thank the owner for placing trust in the Snowball Rentals team!

After nearly two years of Airbnb’s downturn, we at Snowball Rentals hope to help owners make steady progress in low season, navigate the challenges safely and lay a better foundation for next year’s peak season.

Once again, heartfelt thanks to our homeowners for their trust and support. Whether the market is strong or weak, Snowball Rentals will stand with you and look for ways to increase your income!

Some homeowners will surely ask the hard question: was a large booking like this just a stroke of luck? What if the home does not rent? A long-term rental is more stable—even earning less is better than earning nothing!

Our answer is: the outcome depends on what we do.

Vacation-Rental Styling

Competition on Airbnb is becoming increasingly intense. The days of piecing together secondhand furniture, taking phone photos and earning easy money on Airbnb are over. Airbnb hosts have moved toward professional operations.

Careful design and furnishing before launch, followed by professional short-term rental operations, will be the only choice for a rental that continues to generate high income.

Here is another of Snowball Rentals’ core services: vacation-rental styling!

Here is what the detached home described above looks like after our careful furnishing:

When choosing a short-term rental on Airbnb, would this home’s appearance attract you?

If you would also like to make your home more attractive and earn more rent, please contact us at any time!

This Week’s Short Videos

We regularly update short videos every week.

The content you need is all here.

👇🏻 Homeowners are welcome to follow us 👇🏻

The Channels video has been deleted.

Snowball Rentals

We also share practical vacation-rental styling plans and creative ideas to help you achieve more with less spending and keep rental income growing!

Xiao An’s Vacation-Rental Styling

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Referral Rewards

If you are already a Snowball Rentals homeowner, you receive a US$500 referral fee for each referral.

If you are not yet a Snowball Rentals homeowner, you receive a US$250 shopping voucher for each referral.

Snowball Rentals Management

1. Full service — We provide pre-launch rental design, furniture procurement, furnishing, professional photography, online marketing, copywriting, tenant service and sales, cleaning, supply purchasing and property repairs. You only need to be a hands-off owner; we handle the rest.

2. Multi-platform promotion — We promote the home on Airbnb, VRBO, HomeAway and other mainstream platforms for maximum exposure.

3. Dynamic pricing — Using big data, we adjust prices every day according to seasonal demand, holidays, last-minute vacancy offers, weekends and local activities, maximizing the owner’s income.

4. Income-improvement SOP — We follow 44 secrets for maximizing short-term rental income, optimizing each property’s online marketing, on-site operations and other aspects to work toward maximum income.

5. Flexible owner stays — Owners can flexibly choose when to stay themselves. This is especially suitable for owners with multiple residences around the world.

6. Terminate at any time — Management does not require an annual commitment. The owner can end the agreement with one month’s advance notice.

7. Corporate housing — In addition to nightly rentals, we work with insurers and assignment companies to provide executives with hotel-style managed accommodation for stays longer than 30 days.

8. Transparent fees — For rentals longer than 30 days, we charge 15% of accommodation revenue. For nightly rentals under 30 days, we charge 20% of accommodation revenue.

Author’s tip: Personal views, for reference only.