6 Best AirBnB and VRBO Features for San Diego Homes | ProWest Properties

6 Best AirBnB and VRBO Features for San Diego Homes

At last check, short-term rentals under companies including AirBnB and VRBO were free and clear under the law in San Diego. Of course, we recommend catching up with the latest news before listing your own rental space.

So you’ve got a San Diego property ready to be listed for rental in our fair city. It’s clean, well-kept, and near popular spots for visitors and tourists. Wonderful! Short-term rentals are a solid way to make some extra money and provide people with a safe place to stay here in town. 

If you want to take things to the next level, however, there are six features we highly recommend. As you know, most rental sites offer ranking systems for property owners — promising premium listings and recommendation options for those who get the best reviews. We want to make it to that A list, right? Here are 6 ways to do it:

The Best Airbnb and VRBO Features

Poor and/or Beach Access

Folks coming to a beach town want . . . what else . . . the beach! Even if you’re specifying the drive or the walking path to access the nearest body of water, you are telling your guests that you know what they’re looking for and you’re able to help. 

Air Conditioning

There are thousands of older homes without air conditioning in San Diego. We don’t recommend listing an apartment, condo, or home for rental without first installing heat and AC. Sites including AirBnB offer air conditioning on the drop-down amenities menu, and folks expect that it will be necessary for a city with regular heatwaves like SD.

Free Parking

Why do people select AirBnB and VRBO options over hotels? For the quiet, the kitchens and the laundry facilities, and for provided parking. Try to identify at least one free space for your visitors.

Television w/ Premium Cable

It is no longer considered adequate to have a television set up with standard cable in your rental home. Be sure to acquire Apple TV, Hulu, Netflix, or a similar program for the families staying with you.

Wi-Fi

The same concept goes for WiFi. Clearly place your WiFi name and password on introductory paperwork so that your guests feel well-connected.

Fully Stocked Kitchen

Finally, make sure the kitchen is neatly organized and offers everything required to put together a simple meal. Plates, pans, pots, utensils and a roll of paper towels are considered the basics. We also recommend a coffeemaker with tea and coffee, salt and pepper, and a snack basket.

Cross off one or two of these feature recommendations and you’re well on your way to becoming a Superhost and making good money with your rental property. In case you’re interested in reading more on this topic, there are some more tips in this article.

We can also help you to locate a good rental or investment property in any part of town. Start with our Buyer’s Tips and then head over to search listings here. Happy renting!

Top Home Features in San Diego Real Estate | ProWest Properties

Top Home Features in San Diego Real Estate

San Diego is a hot real estate market year-round, but that doesn’t mean sellers shouldn’t put in the work to make their property highly desirable. It means the opposite; you’ve got to work that much harder to make your home stand out from the crowd.

We put together a list of four of the top home features sought out by San Diego real estate buyers. They are out there hunting down these amenities — so with a little planning and foresight, you can drive up the price of your listing and give the crowds what they really want. 

These four features are also highly specific to California homes. While fireplaces would top many “home amenity” lists, that’s not something you’re going to find too often in a San Diego residence. These features are built for sun, sand, and outdoor living 365 days a year.

Indoor-Outdoor Transitions

Windows with panoramic views. Floor-to-ceiling glass walls. Living rooms that open onto sun decks. This is the kind of seamless indoor-outdoor transition San Diego buyers are absolutely obsessed with.

It invites the outside in, connecting us back to nature. Here in San Diego, that’s something you want to be able to do all year long. 

If you’re looking to add a similar feature on a budget, try retractable or motorized panels. You can also go for the optical illusion, leveling any steps between indoor and outdoor spaces to create a longer line of sight.

Privacy

San Diego is a growing city. In the next decade, our population will increase by an estimated 9 percent. We also have an unusually high percentage of young people — folks flocking to startups and to the beach in equal measure.

That is a lot of buying power. In response, entire new communities are popping up every year and quickly getting snatched up. While it’s great that the real estate market is responsive to trends, many people don’t want cookie-cutter copycats all lined up in a row. They want space, privacy, and a little originality.

Plants are the easiest way to achieve this task. Line your property with fruit trees (citrus, figs, guava, pomegranate, and loquats all grow wonderfully in this climate) and place foliage in strategic spots to make your home a private oasis.

Drought-Sensitive Features

Our final two features relate to the renewed desire for sustainable living. San Diego narrowly escaped a couple of bad droughts in the last decade, along with several large wildfires. The need to create eco-friendly and responsible spaces is never far from our minds as a result.

Drought-sensitive features include sustainably-sourced furniture, good insulation, an organic local garden, and solar panels. Our buyers are always asking about solar features to drive down overall utility prices.

Energy efficiency

Energy efficiency really goes hand in hand with drought-sensitive features. Our top recommendations:

• Switching lights to LED bulbs, which also give off a softer and more natural glow

• Using a smart thermostat to automatically adjust to changing conditions

• Low-flush toilets

• Double-paned windows

Each of these recommendations adds elegance and appeal to a home on the market (to any home, for that matter!) Which one is within your budget?

We also have many more seller tips where that came from. Click here to get ready to list your home!