We’re the reinventing landladies!
‘Our guests want to see a different side of London’
Kerry Cowmey, 42, is an Airbnb host and lives in Crystal Palace, London, with her husband, Simon, 45, and their children, Sadie, 16, and Louis, 14.
‘When I received my first booking through Airbnb last May, I couldn’t resist saying “I told you so” to my husband, Simon. He was sceptical that anyone would want to stay in our converted summerhouse in the suburbs, a 35-minute train journey from central London. Now that we’re fully booked for most of the year, it’s safe to say I was right!
We bought our five-bedroom home in 2014, and with it came an unfinished summerhouse and a converted garage on the side of the house. I planned to use the spaces as a granny flat for my mother-in-law during her visits. But in January 2016, I quit my job as a deputy head teacher. I knew I wanted a break from teaching, but I still needed to have an income. Seeing those spaces sit empty, I began to formulate a plan.
After doing some research into
Airbnb – a website that matches holidaymakers with accommodation
– I could see there was a huge demand for cheap and comfortable rooms, and a trend for experiencing destinations like a local. I spoke to as many people as I could about their own experience of booking through the site, and looked at what was already available in our area. I was convinced that this could be a great way of generating some extra income, providing I could keep my costs down.
I spent around £5,000 – using money from savings and from selling old children’s toys and clothes on ebay
– on renovating the two spaces to turn them into functional, comfortable studios. In each one, I had a small kitchen fitted and created a separate bathroom by sectioning off part of the room. I bought two daybeds and convertible armchairs on ebay, so each studio could sleep up to three people.
It took around six weeks to get the summerhouse, which we called Little Venice, ready to be advertised in May 2016. The second space – The Snug – was finished in the September.
To become an Airbnb host, you have to first register with the site and then upload photos and information about your property. I paid a photographer friend £50 to take some estate agentstyle photos and I wrote a detailed description – down to the square footage – so guests knew exactly what to expect.
MEET AND GREET
At first, I charged £35 a night for each studio, but that’s since risen to £42 a night, and it’s always the same price, whether it’s one person staying or three. Guests pay via the website, which deducts a 3-5% commission from the nightly rate before the money is transferred to my account.
Within days of my first studio being on the site, I had a booking. I always include a welcome pack of essentials and I also offer to pick guests up from the station. Both spaces have a private entrance at the side of the house, so guests can come and go as they please. After they leave, I do the cleaning myself, unless I’m working as a supply teacher, in which case I hire a cleaner for a few hours.
Now, 15 months since I started using the site, we have an occupancy rate of 80-90% and an annual turnover of around £22,000. I love meeting our guests who hail from all over the world – from backpackers in their twenties to pensioners who want to see a different side of London, that’s off the tourist trail.’ • airbnb.co.uk/rooms/13619311