Your home is an asset. Even if you don’t own it, you pay for the privilege of exclusive use. When you’re not in it – depending on how you look at things like this – you’re losing money. You’re paying for something that’s not being used.
Why not rent it out while you’re away? Depending on where you live and where you’re heading to, you could actually cover some costs of your trip.
So, you’re talking about Airbnb?
No, not really.
Airbnb is designed for self management of short lets and spare rooms – and it’s great for that – but if you’re going travelling or on an extended holiday, do you really want to worry about turning guests around? Yes, you could pay someone to take care of that for you, but if anything goes wrong, it’s on you. No matter where you are in the world.
If you’re going away for a long while, or you simply don’t want to worry about insurance, cleaning, handling enquiries from guests, you’d be much more suited to a service like UnderTheDoorMat.
Think of them as a concierge service for your house, stocking it with well-behaved guests and giving them the time of their lives. UnderTheDoorMat tailor experiences for guests in your home, helping them to get the most out of their stay in the area.
They vet guests before they arrive and confirm their identity when they turn up. No more short-let disasters involving people who booked under someone else’s name. They take care of marketing too – and that does include listing your home on Airbnb, Booking.com, Homeaway, Tripadvisor, UnderTheDoormat website (plus other booking platforms). All you need to do is hand over the keys.
Cleaning and prepping for new guests is taken care of.
So I could just go on a year’s holiday and make money from my home?
Not quite. There are rules. Especially if you rent. Although tricky to enforce, you’re really only supposed to do a maximum of a 90-day let at a time. Otherwise you’re technically supposed to ask the council’s permission. But aside from that, yes – you could earn from your home while you’re on the other side of the world.
How much will I earn?
That depends on the size of your home and where it is. Naturally homes in more expensive parts of London attract a higher rate than those further out, but it all depends on the overall appeal of your home.
Context matters too. A house in Wimbledon will suddenly become very sought after in and around the tennis. You will know how much your home can earn per night and this is always a fixed amount which means you will always know how much you’ll receive after each booking.
Cleaning and prepping for new guests is taken care of.
It’s not just the winners that can earn big during Wimbledon.
Nobody is allowed to touch my guitars though, not even my husband. How will this work?
Unlike Airbnb, UnderTheDoormat’s guests are invited to use your whole home. The benefit to them is that it for families travelling it can work out cheaper and more fun than staying in a hotel. You could lock up one of your rooms and keep all of your valuables in there, but it’s not really in the spirit of giving your guests the best possible experience, something UnderTheDoormat is committed to. Their carefully selected guests stay because they want to apprecaite and care for the home. But if you really want to remove any temptation, you can put precious items in a locked cupboard or storage, for security reasons if nothing else. As an example, Kiwi Movers provide storage in South West London from as little £10 per week for a secure container.
So if you’re heading off on the trip of a lifetime and are worries about your irreplaceables and your valuables, storage could be a smart option.
Always look for a storage unit that’s protected by CCTV and if possible, number plate recognition.
