AirBnb — Hammer Home Style
Yet another way in which I could care for others.
Our journey as Hosts was filled with a busy calendar and the most amazing Guests. It is so sad to say goodbye.
My husband and myself have enjoyed various AirBnb’s worldwide, including Prague, Japan, and Australia to name a few. We knew what we liked when we rented a place, which got us thinking about doing it ourselves.
Our journey as Hosts launched a couple of years ago, in May of 2019. I had no idea what we were in for, or how successful it may or may not be, but we gave it a shot. We totally renovated the bottom of our home and created an executive AirBnb suite. It included a professionally maintained private garden, an outdoor mural created by a local artist, a games room with a pool table, and of course — a hot tub. Sound idyllic? It certainly was.
See here for the listing: https://www.airbnb.ca/rooms/34578421?source_impression_id=p3_1621665536_iRwhtez6bun7W7DD
First of all, I was the best paid laundry doer ever! I never thought cleaning and doing the wash would be so rewarding. I also enjoyed spoiling my guests, commonly with wine, beer, and fresh cut flowers. Sometimes there would be other goodies too, depending on who the guest was. For example, a father/daughter from the U.S. quarantining for two weeks leading up to Christmas to visit mom/grandma for the first time in almost two years. What do they need? Presents of course!! And sweets too. It is Christmas after all.
I tried my best to make sure that every person who stayed with us felt special and seen. Even if that didn’t include actually seeing some of our guests due to circumstances or covid restrictions, which was easy since the entry to the suite had an electronic keypad. One can be “seen” in many ways, and it is amazing how much you can connect with your guests through keyboard interchanges. Very fun getting to know them.
The first few months in operation it was business as usual. People coming and going for weekend getaways, vacation time, or often travelling for business. I did get to know some guests better than others, and I definitely made some life long friends out of the deal too. Bonus!
As our first fall approached we didn’t know what to expect as it really isn’t a time when most people travel for holiday. Approaching that time we had a request for a short to medium term guest, with a dog, who was coming to the area from the U.S. for university. We settled on a bulk rate, and she became part of our family. Not just because of her length of stay, but because she got “stuck” with us when Covid broke out. Now she was officially part of our bubble. No complaints. We made more than the most out of it. So much fun. I know we helped one another stay afloat at a time when socializing suddenly became taboo.
After that guest, the next phase of our services was mostly oriented around Covid quarantines. Either people coming direct from the airport (when that was allowed at the beginning) or people who were driving across the border from the U.S. into Canada for essential travel. They would send us their grocery list ahead and we would stock the suite for them. They had to stay put for the entire two weeks and could only go outside if they didn’t leave the property! Good thing for them that we had a nice property that they could get out in for some air and exercise.
So if it was lucrative and enjoyable, why did we stop? We sold our home. Bye bye Hammer Home AirBnb. Bye bye White Rock, British Columbia, Canada. Hello to a slower life in the Kootenays. We took a leap, just like we did when we borrowed, built and started our AirBnb. I guess we are good at jumping.
I do want to formally express my gratitude to the founders of AirBnb. Their idea is brilliant, and the model is easy to use. Their customer support is also second to none, which proved very helpful when a pandemic hit! They were quick to respond with support to Hosts, and provided immediate training and guidelines for safety protocols. I felt very supported and experienced them as very responsible.
I am proud that I was able to be a part of this organization. Too bad I missed the cut off on stocks when they went public!! Not important, I already won.
Writing down and sharing this experience was important to me. It wasn’t just a business by any means. It was a heart-warming, rewarding experience with friends and memories forever. Now that is worth talking about.
Fast forward to our present unfolding adventure. We just purchased an eight acre property in Salmo, B.C. Possibly an opportunity to extend grace to guests all over again?
I think Hammer Homestead has a good ring to it, don’t you? Stay tuned, we may be back in the AirBnb hospitality soon!
