Are we done with Airbnb? We’ve lived full-time in Airbnb’s going on 2 years now. During this time we’ve had our share of amazing experiences combined with what we will just call downright failures! After all of our experiences, is Airbnb still what we will choose for accommodation going forward?
We break down the best strategies to use and the importance of defining your travel preferences and needs. You can narrow the search and find the perfect fit by considering factors such as location, budget, size, amenities, and any specific requirements. Next, we delve into the art of reading reviews and evaluating ratings. We provide guidance on how to interpret and filter through guest reviews effectively, looking for patterns and common themes. We will also explore the significance of scrutinizing the listing’s photos, what to look for, and how to look that the space is listed accurately.
After walking you through some of the best strategies we’ve found using the Airbnb site, we hope you feel more confident in searching for a home for your next vacation!
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As usual and now as expected. Quality content and explanation of your process for finding the places you have stayed. Out of the 25 you have stayed in some stellar spots. Carrie has done very well with her choices. The really good news was your one poor selection was granted the refund. Being out $20 is nothing. Thanks for fulfilling the request to hear this story. I look forward to seeing your next place.
Okay– so now I know why you left your AIRBNB in Penang– but why did you give up on Penang after just two days? It's really a great place to visit and I bet to live as well! Looking forward to your next travels!
great tips! thanks for that!
We just spent four nights in Barcelona and the bed was a sofa bed – very uncomfortable! But love Airbnb all the same.
All Airbnb, hotel, rooms, and even real estate listings like in Zillow should be mandated to show an accurate floor plan in my opinion
Thanks guys… some great tips
Thank you for the good work that you continue to do by sharing your experiencesto help people like me who have no travel experience outside Africa. Having recently just retired the wife and I aspire to do what you guys are doing. Take the plunge to see the beautiful world out there.
I think visiting places in low season, though not ideal due mostly to the weather, will be a good start to get the travel experience.
Enjoy your travels and each other 🙏
Great video! We also do long-term stays seeking at least a month. You mentioned the great Airbnb discounts for long-term stays. Do you ever contact the host to negotiate a lower rate? If so, how does it work for you?
Great video. Our experiences are similar to yours over the past two years of traveling the world. We have stayed in 27 Airbnbs (most for at least a month) and we would choose to only skip two of the properties in the future. I think you generally get a good stay if you are willing to invest a bit of time before reserving a property. For example, I can almost always find the specific location for a property by using a street view map program within the location perimeter that Airbnb provides. If I can’t, we don’t reserve the property.
Strongly agree with contacting the host before reserving. We do this to confirm the property facilities that are important to us (fast WiFi, washer, quality of air conditioning, etc) and to establish a relationship. Messaging the host and having them confirm their facilities within the Airbnb message app reduces the chances of problems later and leaves a text trail if there are issues later. If you don’t get a quick and detailed response, skip the property. Look for many overwhelmingly positive Airbnb reviews, especially from visitors from you own country (their standards may be more similar to your own).
Hi (from NZ), Brian and Carrie – not sure if this has been asked by others – do the accommodations you stay in have enough cooking equipment and what do you do about cooking basics (like oil, salt and pepper, seasonings, coffee etc) Do you just know to include this in your first grocery shop when you are staying for a month at a time (and then throw out at the end of your time there)? Thanks for this video, its very informative.
Thanks! I've been waiting for this one. I always read reviews before I book hotels. There's always someone who complains about nothing. But if I see more than a few bad reviews, I believe them. We went to Seaside, OR and I booked something and then read the reviews and they were pretty bad. I canceled and booked the hotel next door. And, was I happy. The first hotel looks bad even from outside. We went to Seaside in March and over Memorial weekend and will go for the big beach volleyball tournament in a few months. So happy with the second place. Kathleen from the Oregon coast.
That's Good, Keep Going! Question: What are your strategies for asking for a low price? Will you share the details?
Another Great Video! Been traveling for 7 months, staying a month at each city/country. Some offer half (or less) payment due, with balance owed much later prior to arrival. Is there an option for this feature on the AirBnB platform?
Another impressive video, Brian and Carrie! Here are a few more ideas and experiences. Some AirBnB's in Europe say that you get the "whole place" and show the photo of a house, yet we once only had the first floor of a house in Iceland while the noisy Airbnb owner's family with kids lived upstairs. We heard their dryer tumbling and kids playing for two nights until 1 am. When you see places that have zero reviews, sometimes it is not a new listing. It is a recycled listing that had so many negative reviews that they had to start over again to try to get positive reviews. Readers also might find some managed properties on Google reviews in some countries which provide additional insights. Have you also seen house rules asking you to do their cleaning chores by pulling sheets, piling dirty towels, running the washing machine, and taking out the trash on the last day? And they also charge an outrageous cleaning fee! We also once had to leave an expensive AirBnB one day early due to a major typhoon and evacuation, and the owner refused to give us even a partial refund. Airbnb gave us a tiny coupon refund and we had to unfortunately state this issue in our balanced review. We noticed that the owner had friends write fake reviews after we left to try to increase his rating and push our review lower so it is a good idea to review more than a couple of recent reviews. Cheers and keep traveling!
I wish we had crossed paths in the Balkans last year. I did go to Africa…..
I love you guys! Thank God you are still going to use Airbnb.
Great information, thank you for sharing your experience 🙌
Thank you! This was so helpful.
You may still be learning, but your advice in this video is solid. Safe travels guys.
Loved the video, as always. 😉. I really appreciate y’all doing such an informative video on how to do your best to pick a good Airbnb. I have booked almost all our airbnbs for our 180 days in Mexico, so we’ll see how I did. 🤷🏼♀️. I will definitely be using some of your tips for the rest of our world travel adventures.
Hope y’all enjoy your total home with family and friends. Hoping someday our paths will cross and we can celebrate 2:thirsty together. 😁
Excellent explanation of the selection process with a lot of good tips. Thanks for your usual great job. One suggestion to add – although the location map in each listing is approximate, as you said, it is close enough to enable you to scope out the area using Google maps street view. If the photos offer an external view of your accommodation/building you may even be able to zero in on the exact location.
They (airbnb) never update the photos. Also feedback from tourists (there are noisy tenants partying all night). No policies on house rules. Some airbnb owners do not provide towels regularly or bottled water or toilet tissues.
Do you ever select the Superhost option and if yes, have you found the super host’s place met all your requirements and possibly more?