The Journey as a Super Host

I remodeled and hand picked every decoration in my mid-century home in mid-town Tucson. On a cul-de-sac of a tree lined community, the long drive pulls up to the front door, which is hidden front street view. While many architects like to accentuate their entrances, 1950s Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired designers highlight the architecture, not the door. As a historic neighborhood, us homeowners preserve elements that make Winterhaven unique. The most obvious of these features are the grassy front yards and giant pine trees that cool the air from the desert heat.

When I purchased my home, I wasn’t thinking bnb. I knew eventually I’d turn this family home into a long-term rental, but for the time being I wanted to put my energy and love into making this house extraordinary. I was near my grandson, and I was blessed to be able to pick him up from school multiple times a week, and enjoy the weekend sleep overs -- a grandma’s absolute dream!

But having this giant house to myself felt weird. It didn’t seem right to do all these wonderful things to a home without people truly enjoying it. So I turned it into a vacation rental with the strange goal of becoming a Super Host. In order to be a Super Host, you have to have 10 five-star reviews in a certain time frame. And you have to be attentive and responsive to messages on the rental platform.

It was fun. It was challenging. It was expensive. It was a lot of work. And when I say a lot of work, I mean a tremendous amount of laborious work as well as stress. Will these people treat my home with the same amount of love I have for it? Will the neighbors tolerate strangers coming in and out of the cul-de-sac?

I could only handle two bookings a month. In the beginning, it took nearly 10 hours each stay to do laundry. I finally took advice from an Airbnb Facebook group to buy multiple sets of sheets for an easier turnover. Still 10 loads, folding sheets, making beds, cleaning floors and toilets, oh my!! It was exhausting while also doing my remote job 8+ hours a day. I learned quickly that I can’t do everything myself.

I hired a housekeeper. I lucked out. She is amazing. She charges slightly more than I charge the guests for cleaning. Which means for a weekend stay, I make one-quarter of my mortgage minus what I pay in cleaning and utilities. On five to seven night stays, I make enough to cover the utilities too. It’s not a get-rich-quick model.

During guest stays, all of my personal belongings are locked up in the “owners closets.” During these stays I am often traveling for work which means I am not nearby if the guests need something. What I have found since I started this endeavor, it’s not a sustainable revenue model.

While it helps me off set living costs, it produces a lot of expenses. The bedding, towels, soaps, and toilet paper all add up. Plus the cost of landscaping and maintenance to keep the property looking immaculate is super expensive in the desert. Trimming palm trees cost $150 per tree. The water is $85 per month.

Next time you stay at an Airbnb, take note: you may pay $500 or $1,000 a stay, but the home costs $2,500 to operate and another $1,000 to stay looking perfect at all times. So be gentle to the homeowner. They are not doing it for the money, they are doing it to make people’s vacations wonderful.

I know personally a vacation takes a year to save up. Or if you put it on your credit card, it could take years to pay off. So there's a balance between being a landlord and a guest.

I feel fortunate each time someone selects my home out of the 600 available in Tucson. Then I feel anxious each time waiting for the review. I doubt it’s worth all the effort, but I know I’m proud of myself for trying. I am a Super Host no matter if I have badge on my profile because I’m a Super Person who cares enough to try and be the best host out there.

This month marks the end of my short-term rental experience and the beginnning of something new.