As we prepare to pack up and leave for what will hopefully be our last stay during this year long journey, I thought I'd share what we've learned about Airbnb and VRBO now that we're "super guests." All in all, we have had very good experiences, except for that Jacksonville stay when we arrived to a unit that hadn't been cleaned and the people who were subsequently called to tidy it up at 5 p.m. on a beautiful Saturday stole our groceries. However, that was not an Airbnb or VRBO rental - it was a local outfit that was recommended by an acquaintance. Lesson learned.
Anyway, we've amassed a lot of first-hand experience and have a pretty good handle on what to look for - and what to avoid - so here it goes.
Stick with Airbnb or VRBO: Due to our Jacksonville experience, we would not recommend using other booking businesses. I'm sure there are others that are reputable, but we've found both of these companies to be reliable and easy to work with.
The longer you stay, the more you save: This really worked to our advantage as we intentionally booked and stayed in most places for 30 days or longer. I always googled Airbnb long-term rentals (rather than just searching on the app) to make sure I was getting those 30+ day deals.
Working remotely? Give yourself some space: Our first rental in Sarasota was super cute - until we realized Paul would have to work from the top of the kitchen stove and I would be working on the floor in the bedroom with my laptop on a bench. Let's just say we found out the hard way being loud talkers with competing conference calls that two bedrooms is better than one. One person can use the extra bedroom as an office (or as an escape when snoring is an issue - lol). Two bathrooms are also better that one which has absolutely nothing to do with working remotely - just a helpful side note. We found having extra space while working on the road invaluable.
Pay attention to extra fees and cancellation/refund policies: They are different from place to place. Some fees are ridiculously high, others are reasonable. Some won't reimburse you if you cancel after 48 hours, others will give you a full refund up to two weeks before arrival. Just be sure you know what you are getting yourself into.
Look for Superhosts: We only rented from highly rated hosts (4.5 - 5). This was a good strategy as we did not have a single poor experience with a host. They were all great - especially Andre who owned our Oak Island rental. He actually left us a bottle of Argentinian Malbec and an apple pie to greet us upon our arrival. He also arranged to have his home professionally cleaned in the middle of our stay ON HIS DIME! Not only that, he treated us to a $200 gift card at his favorite restaurant on the island for our last meal before we departed "because we were such great guests." And he mailed us the gloves we left behind and refused to accept reimbursement for postage. Note: THIS IS NOT THE NORM! lol
It's all about location: When you are staying in a new city or town, it's hard to know if you are choosing a rental in a decent area. Do your homework. Ask around for recommendations. Conduct some online research. And don't only be swayed by photos of a nicely decorated unit or home. Make sure there are exterior photos. It could be great on the inside, but a real eyesore on the outside. Or, as in our case in VA Beach, it could be right next door to a recently demolished structure, so your only view is a giant heap of construction trash! Not our best selection...
Read every review but don't trust them completely: I will admit, younger folks seem to be impressed much more easily that those of us who have been around the block a few times. I actually read reviews and look at pics of the reviewers to get a sense of their age. For example, we reserved a place in Sarasota that had 30 reviews - all were glowing except for one. Most reviewers looked like they were in their 20s/30s and said the location was great, accommodations were comfortable, etc. But that one review from let's just say a more "seasoned" guest said the place was poorly maintained, in a scary location, and noisy people hung outside of the home at all hours of the night. Fortunately for us, we were in Sarasota two months ahead of that stay and drove by the place only to discover it was in a horrible location. I immediately complained and we were fully reimbursed. It's also important to note that some reviews are glowing because that's the way the host wants them. Paul gave one place 4 out of 5 stars and the host asked that we change it to 5 so he could better compete with the other rentals in his area (and there were very few). When we didn't, our review mysteriously disappeared.
If you need something, say something: We have not been shy about reaching out when things weren't quite right. We've encountered ants, a broken washer, poorly equipped kitchens, an uncomfortable bed, a malfunctioning TV, filthy porch furniture - you name it. And every time our hosts have been eager to please. They've sent many items to us via Amazon no questions asked - a cookie sheet, casserole dish, sheets, potholders, even a mattress topper! They've also promptly sent repairmen and exterminators.
Receiving mail can be an issue: We set up a digital mail-forwarding service at the beginning of this adventure where we can view our mail online and determine if its junk or needs to be sent to us. This has worked great for the most part. But we've stayed in a few places where we could not receive mail. This became problematic when we were being sent things like medications, credit cards, or other physical things like birthday gifts, items ordered online, etc. One work-around is to arrange for the local USPS office to hold mail sent to you at your rental address - they will do this. Another is to ask your host what to do, and if he's like Andre of Oak Island, he'll install a mailbox (literally drove two hours to drive a post in the ground and affix a mailbox from Lowes)!
I hope these tips are helpful. Mind you, we have not been staying in fancy places, just nice ones that can comfortably accommodate two people working remotely. When we initially embarked on this journey, I was a bit nervous about selecting rentals and getting them all wrong. But, over time, we've learned what to look for and what to steer clear of... Fingers crossed that we close on our new home in Bluffton before March 25 when our last reservation ends. But if we must, we know where to Airbnb.
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