Tech gadgets are THE weak spot for many of us, and too often rather hurt our wallet than help us achieving our saving goals. Well, there is some good news as there are some awesome gadgets that do the opposite, they help you to increase the value of your short term rental, and therefore your rental return!
Let’s start with the most common problem we all face when hosting:
Whether it be the cleaners, guests arriving at very late or simply inconvenient hours or anyone who has lost or misplaced a set of our keys, would we not all love and benefit from a keyless entry? There is a reason why Nathan Blecharczyk, the co-founder of Airbnb, very early on equipped his house with a keyless entry system. It takes a lot of hassle out of managing access to your home and especially increases the comfort of your guests, allowing them totally flexibility and not limiting them to a certain number of key sets which they could easily lose.
So what are the options? There are 3 main categories:
The simple way of saying good bye to your good old house key is an electronic lock, granting access to your home by entering a 4-digit number. The Lockwood Keyless Digital Deadbolt is a good and reliable system ($249 at Bunnings).
While it does a good job, this system does have limitations on controlling the access to your property. Often you need to manually change the code to keep the number of people having access to your home limited which, over time, could be.
A step further in the evolution of keyless entry systems are so called Smart Access Systems, mainly by using our all most favourite gadget, the smart phone. The ones to have a closer look at are:
Lockitron (US $99)
August Smart Lock (my personal favourite and Editors’ choice of CNET’s April 2016 review, US$199)
The Kwikset Kevo Wireless Lock (AUS$215)
All of them are quite simple to install and enable you to unlock your door remotely with your phone or by having your registered smartphone in your pocket and simply touching the lock. For total peace of mind, you can even receive a notification if someone enters or leaves your home and manage your digital keys with an app.
Smart Control Centre
The non plus ultra is the Smart Control Centre by Igloo Home, combining keyless entry with a smart solution to manage your utilities like A/C, heaters and lights, in case your guest forgot to switch them off before leaving.
Their subscription cost is very reasonable and they are officially recommended by Airbnb. The cost Igloo Home saves by reducing your energy bill alone will finance this gadget, making it the ultimate hosting tool for tech gadget freak!
An important note is that you need to check if the keyless lock you choose complies with the fire regulations of your building and type of door!
Now, you’ve made accessing your home a great experience for your guests, why not going a step further and provide them with an awesome entertainment experience, whilst even having an opportunity to use these gadgets for yourself, too.
If you have a Smart TV, download the Netflix app, sign up for a standard membership (AUS$11.99) and create a profile for your guests. The standard package lets you watch on 2 devices simultaneously, which means you can share the access to hundreds of movies and TV series with your guests.
Another great gadget, especially for your American guests, are Apple TV (AUS$109 at Harvey Norman) and Google Chromecast (AUS$59 at JB-Hifi). Both are plugged into the TV and enable your guests to stream from their Apple or Android Device/Google Account directly to the TV. They can log-in with their own account and enjoy their music, movies, photos etc. Making it perfect for those long and cold winter nights!
And if you were looking for an excuse to buy the premium Foxtel package, well, you now have one and whilst you can share all the sports channels with your guests you can even claim the cost from your next tax return!
Last but not least, providing a travel adapter with a USB charging plug will ensure your guests will always have their own gadgets fully charged, and no excuse for not giving you your well-deserved 5-star review.
So what are you waiting for, enhance your short term rental with these amazing tech gadgets and give your guests an unforgettable experience, and your wallet a nice boost following the great reviews.
If you have any questions on how to further increase the value of your short term rental, our team at MadeComfy is always only a call away.
