06. The practicalities & management.

Take a deep breath, this is going to be a long chapter. Step by step, I systematically take you through everything I do so you know ‘why’ I do what I do and can then apply it to how you can run your property in a way that’s right for you and your circumstances.

Let me explain…

When it comes to property management, there are a few roads you can take. One has you spending hours and hours turning over your own property, preparing cheese plates and gifts, coordinating with local businesses to sort coffee vouchers and scented candles with your fragrance, and stocking local gift baskets, and who knows what else. But when it comes down to it, is any of that going to make a difference in someone booking your property or not? Nope. It won’t make one ounce of difference, but it will turn your property into your own personal prison.

Let’s look at this list.

Welcome platters, bottles of cheap wine, magazine subscriptions, wifi speed, two free coffees at the local shop, a full pantry.

When you’re looking to book for yourself, do any of these things lead you to inquire further or actually book a property? No. You book that property that’s f**cking amazing and one you’ve been dreaming about every time you open instagram.

The bottom line…

My goal for this chapter is to teach you how to make decisions about the management of your property. Any time it’s something that involves you spending your time or money to arrange, manage, or upkeep, ask if that decision (or additional thing you’re now asking your poor housekeeper to take care of) actually makes a difference to your bottom line or bookings in a positive way. I bet most of those things will not directly benefit your business.

This is key. I want you to see your property as it is now, through the lens : a business. Your equation is as little time and effort as possible for as much return as possible.

As you can see, this chapter is all about how to think about things. You’ll end up on the other side knowing how I do it, why I do it, and you’ll have the tools to effectively make your own decisions as they pop up outside of this class.

Ready to see how? I want to start by chatting about two things very near and dear to my heart in terms of how to manage your property, then I want to break down all the components of your soon-to-be well-oiled machine. By the end, your only job should be to sit back and watch the bucks roll into your account.

But first, let’s talk about your housekeeper and the secret that’s going to change your life (and keep you in this game, effortlessly) forever.

06. To ponder.

80% of results will come from just 20% of the action.

- The Pareto Principle

06. Lesson: platform & management.

I could waste your time here with a list of all the pro’s and con’s of every management option out there but, ultimately, we (you and I) are here to do our own marketing and only really need a management tool to take the hassle out of bookings, payments, disputes, insurance, check ins and check outs. We don’t need to waste our time with things that can be automated, especially when our time should be spent growing our business. For $30 or whatever small amount it works out be, would you rather waste your time chained to your computer 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, dealing with bookings?

If your answer is a resounding no, then use Airbnb. At this point in time, I have no problem saying they are the best solution and, when or if that ever changes, I will update my platform accordingly. Currently, however, it’s the single easiest management tool for you, your housekeeper, and your guests. It’s set up in such a way that no one actually has to communicate, it’s all automated, and if there’s an issue, Airbnb sorts it out. These days, I don’t even talk to my housekeeper — I just keep any notes I have for her or things that may be out of the ordinary in the reservation and she can see everything she needs!

Now, if you want to hand over your property to a management agency, that’s also okay. However, they take a huge portion of your profit and I’d suggest waiting until you finish this masterclass before you make any decisions on that front. I think you’ll find that, if you set things up properly, a management company will be a waste of money. Besides, after class, you’ll be able to run it ten times better than they ever could.

We do have a referral, that will give you an Airbnb gift voucher when you list your property with it: www.airbnb.co.uk/r/sandrews170 — copy this to your notepad somewhere and use it when you are ready.

06. Lesson: your housekeeper.

That’s right: never, ever your cleaner. Your housekeeper is the most important person in your business, even more so than you. She (or he) steers your ship while you’re off doing whatever you want, with a bit of marketing on the side.

It’s key that you frame your housekeeper like this to yourself. They are the crux of your business and it’s important you give them the respect of (essentially) your general manager. By passing on the responsibilities of the house and business as a whole, that respect and responsibility will go a long way in lifting them up to do their job with pride.

Now, on the flip side, your housekeeper does need to respect you, so we’ll talk about that next. Really, it comes down to a handful of things: a conversation, a contract, an understanding, and an ongoing respect for one another.

So let’s tease that out…

The Conversation: Once you have found the person you’d like to work with, you need to first talk about the circumstances in which the relationship will end. I like to say, “I really only have one rule and that’s, if I can’t trust you, I can’t work with you. Regardless of what has happened or whose fault it was, as soon as trust is gone, our relationship is over. Immediately.” Framing the relationship in this light goes a long way to make sure a professional line is toed.

The Contract: The second thing you need is a contract. This is essentially your housekeeping manual, where everything is laid out — how things are done, what the expectations are, and the like. My housekeeper is responsible for the management of the entire estate. This includes ordering, wood, gardening, windows, and everything else that may possibly be involved. It’s important to remember that while she is responsible for all these things, it does not mean she does all these things. Rather, she is expected to contact the right person to take care of it when things need to be done and she takes responsibility for overseeing that it is done properly. In the last chapter you’ll get a copy of my manual and you can alter it. Here is where you would also outline payment terms. I can highly recommend you pay a set fee ‘per guest’ which covers cleaning, laundry, house care taking, any call outs (which are rare), and anything else you have outlined in your contract. Per hour arrangements are a set up for being taken advantage off. My housekeeper is paid $75 AUD per turnover, for a 45 m2 house, which covers her taking care of my entire house, business, guests and laundry.

Respect: I make sure to treat my housekeeper with the respect she deserves as the general manager of my success and very busy business. I take great care to ensure she has the best of everything she needs and am always conscious of how I can make this position the best it can possibly be for her. This goes as far as setting my guests’ ‘check in’ and ‘check out’ times around her children’s sleep and school schedules.

As a soft tip, I have found new mums are often great candidates for the role. I let my housekeeper bring her children to work and am so supportive of her schedule. I do ask that she organises and trains her own back up in case of an emergency so the reins can be easily handed over and I trust her to do so.

06. Lesson: your housekeeping manual.

I don’t feel like we need to go over this tooth and comb so I’m going to just give you a copy of mine that you can alter in our last Chapter, ‘ A Pot of Gold’. Know that this works like a contract between you both and it’s essential you keep a copy of it on site in the cleaning closet or room (I’ll explain this in a bit, hang tight). This way, if you need to replace your housekeeper immediately, someone new can walk in and take over straight away, easily picking up where things left off, with complete comprehension of what is to be done, how it is to be styled, and how to get to work.

On that note: I get a lot of questions about styling and how to make sure everything is put where you like it. That’s an easy hack and when you get to the housekeeper’s example manual, everything is there. I have photographs of every spot, so she knows just what things to put where.

06. Lesson: keys.

So, you’re going to need four sets of keys.

Yours
Your Guests
Your Housekeeper & Trades
The Secret Key

I recommend your guest keys live in a lockbox rather than an electronic key pad, especially if you’re in remote or sea salt areas. The hassle of an electronic key paid is not worth the fanciness of it —- what can I say, I am all about low tech and no fail. Who can be bothered with anything failing, as it ultimately will?

The set for you and your guests is fairly self-explanatory, but when it comes to your housekeepers and trade set, this is very important. Somewhere else on the property, away from the guest’s lockbox, you need to have a set of keys to everything. This is so whomever you want to have access to the property, to do whatever work may need to be done, can be organised and coordinated without any sort of key handover. These keys are always returned ‘ here’. Your housekeeper never takes them home, trades always return the keys, and this way anyone can be replaced instantly. Or, if your housekeeper has an emergency, someone else can step in and access your property immediately. See an example of that set up here.

Last is the secret key. This is your no-fail, back up to the back up ‘ Plan C’. If a guest gets locked out, the cleaner loses their key, whatever. Keys are always available. I’ve never used my secret key, but now I don’t lose any sleep over lock outs or lost keys either.

06. Lesson: home maintenance.

Alright, so here is how I do things: I have a guy, a girl, or a company I use for everything involved in home maintenance. This goes from plumber, to gardener, window washer, etc. Every person’s details are in my house manual, available to my housekeeper at any moment. She calls to set up any work she needs done, they bill me.

Because I don’t want to be bothered with tiny details, I have authorised everyone to just do the work they need without letting me know. As always, if trust is broken — a bill comes in too high or whatever it may be — bill is paid, but they are immediately replaced with a new contractor.

Of course this method is a more expensive way of doing things rather than managing certain aspects (like gardening), but, hell, it’s a small cost to be set completely free to do whatever you want in the world, whenever the hell you want. Makes sense to me?

06. Lesson: cleaning closet.

Here’s how you run this show: get a lovely cupboard with a discrete lock, or a room (locked), or a shed (locked) where you can stash an entire cleaner’s kit with spares and stock of everything. You’ll get my complete list in the last chapter so don’t worry.

The idea is that everything is in this closet, on site, and it exists in bulk so no ordering ever has to be done by you. I have boxes of wine glasses, stacks of light bulbs, and spares of every single item we may need so, essentially, it works self-serve and anyone (even an instant replacement) could manage the property.

If you can, I recommend setting up an account at your local store so your housekeeper can use it for things like toilet paper, kitchen towels, and bulky items they only want to buy once every couple of months. If your head’s spinning a little, don’t worry, all these lists are in the last chapter and you can just pop them in your manual, ready to go.

Your cleaning closet (or cupboard or shed or whatever) also needs to have a copy of your Housekeeping Manual. This is used as reference for your housekeeper or as a guide for a replacement.

All in all, this is a system that has never failed me.

06. Lesson: smell.

Honestly, SMELL IS KEY. It’s worth the emphasis because it is one of my all-time killer hacks. You need a room perfume, a very good and expensive one (there is nothing more foul than a cheap perfume) so you can give a fabric surface in each room one pump. Think about spritzing things like curtains, couches, or even the inside of a toilet roll. Please don’t use a room spray as it’s just watered down and dissipates in a few minutes. Room perfumes hold well.

At Captains Rest, I use a special room perfume and every second guest fawns so much about the way the smell triggers their emotions that they contact me about it. You know how much guests hate contacting hosts, it’s that impactful. Trust me and do this. Do it well and spend some money here.

A little extra treat for you is below. Amanda from Rewild Company and my botanical stylist/artist/friend Eliza Rodgers discuss home scents.

06. Lesson: room by room, let’s take a look…

In the last chapter, you’ll get a master list of everything I stock in each of my rooms so you can use it when considering your own property.

From a high level , I want you to think of whatever the room is (kitchen, bathroom, some random cupboard) in its absolute best Pinterest life. Meaning, the life where you open a cupboard and everything lives in beautiful glass, there are four cups and 4 plates and 4 bowls, no labels to bring you back to the modern world. It’s just the best of everything, no cords or tupperware in sight.

More or less, it’s just the beautiful and perfect basics and this simplicity forces such a lovely exhale that transports your guests.

Let’s look at how to do this, room by room. Click on the title of each for examples.

KITCHENS

I have a ‘no label’ policy, which means staple items are decanted into glass jars and labeled with an old school label maker. I cut tags from tea towels. Offer cracked pepper and big salt flakes. Beautifully minimal and only the best.
I genuinely hate pod coffee machines and would bet good money that at least half of your guests are turned off as soon as they see one. Go with decent ground coffee, and provide two options for brewing — a stovetop and a plunger. You’ll keep everyone happy this way.
I want you to seriously consider your pantry. In mine, I have beautiful staples and that’s it. Oil, salt, pepper, loose leaf tea (black and herbal), a jar of gorgeous biscuits, sugar cubes, decent coffee, and store it all in bulk in the cleaning cupboard so it’s zero effort come re-stock. Once you offer extras like bread, milk and fresh items, you need to tag on an extra hour of hassle for changeovers and, for me, that’s not worth it. I am upfront in my listing about what’s provided and suggest guests call into the local shop on the way. I think ‘over the top’ pantries for guests is one of the quickest ways to complicate your business and bring your housekeeper to tears.
You’ll get a complete list for this space in the last chapter. This is just an overview to get your head in the right space.
Click here for a pop up about do’s and don’ts in the kitchen!

BATHROOMS

Again, my full list is in the last chapter, but here are few bits to think on…
Don’t ever buy white towels unless you’re some kind of washing masochist. Dark grey is a great colour.
Provide some sort of makeup remover, otherwise your good towels will get used. I suggest a black face wash cloth with an embroidered “Makeup Remover” or, perhaps, some face wipes. Another option would be a bottle of remover (decanted into a beautiful bottle with a label), and a cute jar of cotton pads.
Don’t fret about shampoo, conditioner, and other toiletries. People will bring their own and it’s just one extra thing done for no reward.
Click here for a few great examples of how to organise your bathroom

BEDROOMS

My method for how to make a bed has FLOORED my students class after class, adding years to everyone’s life. Explore how to do it below, and in our final chapter, ‘A Pot of Gold’, I’ll give you the video to keep forever, pass it along to your housekeeper and the world. You are welcome.
I’d love for everyone to consider never, ever using display pillows, euros, throw rugs, or anything else similar. It’s unhygienic and they will rarely be washed. Your beds don’t need them! Watch this video about how to make a beautiful bed without!

06. Lesson: the washing & linen services

Here’s my formula: for each bed, you need three washing baskets, each with a set of sheets. One is for the bed, one to be washed, and one set that’s a spare. My housekeeper does all the washing and, without too much care or prescription, I pay her a bit extra to get it done. Everyone is happy and the process is kept in house.

If you have a really big house, it may be unavoidable to use a linen service. If this is the case, perhaps consider a nice linen top sheet and pillow slips your housekeeper can launder as the happy medium.

If you have the space onsite, a washer and dryer can get a load of linen laundered in the time it takes a full turn-over, so this is also an option to consider. So if you have three beds, you could have a laundry room with 3 washers, and 3 dryers.

A final word. When you are starting out, a lot of these items, linen, washers, dryers are huge investments. I try to invest 10% of my profit back into my property, so start how you can, and update things as you go. I started out with 40 dollar K-Mart (a cheap chain store here in Australia) grey flannel sheets, next I added a grey linen top sheet, and then, ultimately a few sets of good linen. What I will say is that you will spend a lot more on replacing cheap sheets often than one set of good linen which should last for years and years. Nothing has to be perfect to start, to start — you just need to start.

06. Lesson: decision making

You will be faced with hundreds of decisions for your property that lie outside the scope of how I do things and my recommendations. The truth is that every home, in every place, has a set of circumstances wholly unique to you and no matter how similar so very much of it is, there will be ways in which every property differs. No one master list will cut it for every situation under the sun so, the next thing you must learn — after how and why I do it (which is a good start) — is how to think about it for yourself.

Every time I am faced with a decision — should I have a washing machine? Do I offer board games and puzzles? Do I need a pizza cutter, NutriBullet, or toasted sandwich maker? What about shampoo and conditioner? — No matter the question, I run through a decision making formula in my head. It goes like this:

Does this item help make me money or get me more bookings?
What is the financial loss to me, in terms of lost or cancelled bookings if it breaks? In my time organising replacements and repairs?
Does this item help or hinder the feeling I am trying to create (my house story of utter perfection)?
What sort of extra time or complexity does this item add to my housekeeping and turnovers?

Let’s look more closely at a few of the above questions as applied to the big question of whether or not I need a dishwasher?

Do I Need a Dishwasher? -> Does a dishwasher help me get more bookings? No. For my property, which almost exclusively books couples, it makes zero difference to whether or not I get booked. -> What is the financial loss to me if the dishwasher breaks? Huge. I’d need to cancel guests and, because I am so remote, a replacement or repair will take weeks to get there and, more than likely, waste a lot of my time because I will probably be overseas trying to organise it. -> Does this item help my house story? No. I am a lost cabin in a faraway place. This item doesn’t fit that story. -> How does it impact my housekeeping? In a large way. Dishwashers are hard to keep sanitary and clean and, more often than not, have an odd smell no matter how hard you try. Plus, I’ll need to order and keep in stock specialised items for cleaning, adding an extra step to my housekeeper’s system. -> Result? No dishwasher.

Did that help? Let’s try another…

Should I provide shampoo and conditioner? -> Okay, does this item help me get booked? No, not in a way I can plainly see. Most people travel with their own these days. -> What is the financial loss or the cost of my time? -> Not huge, but a fair bit. I will be spending money where I don’t necessarily need to. -> Does this benefit my house story? Well, I want a minimal and relaxed feeling so the less items I have around, the calmer my space will feel. However, it may be a nice gesture for guests to feel cared for. -> Extra time or complexity? Huge. It is a lot of bother to stock and replace these items constantly. -> Result? No, I don’t think it is in my best interest to provide that.

{ E6.1 I want you to pick two items you are wondering about and write out your decision making process about whether you will or won’t provide them in your property. }

06. Lesson: troubleshooting.

I love this section and it is ABSOLUTELY how you’re going to be free of your property. Here’s the rule:

Every time:

…something goes wrong.
…you need to spend time telling a guest, or your trades, or your housekeeper something.
…you need to answer a question from a guest.
…a mistake is made.
…you spend your time repeating something.

Every time one of those things happens, fix it so it never happens again. This might mean taking out the dishwasher and popping in a cupboard if that’s a problem. Labeling a weird light, removing the wifi if it’s unreliable, etc. Whatever the situation, find a way to troubleshoot it, remove it, change your system, or put a new system in place.

Pretty soon, your job of fixing will be done, forever. It may take a few months to get the kinks out, but once it’s done, it’s pretty much done.

Believe me, no amount of super fast wifi will be worth your time on the phone, trying to tell your guest how to turn it off and on. Just take it out and they can use their own hotspot, or you can change providers. Whatever it takes, do whatever you can to stop wasting your own time.

I’ll leave you to ponder this thought:

"I failed my way to success."

-- Thomas Edison

06. Lesson: attention to detail & upgrades.

Commit to staying in your property a few times a year. When you do, you’ll spot things that need to be fixed, stuff that doesn’t quite work how you’d like it, and all the other tiny things no one but you can know.

As a rule, I like to re-invest about 5% of my profits into upgrading or repairing my property so everything always remains beautiful. This includes upgrading cookware, mattresses, linen, rugs, etc. This ensures your property, and everything in it, remains at the very highest standard.

06. Ponder this.

"Would you like me to give you a formula for success? It's quite simple, really: Double your rate of failure. You are thinking of failure as the enemy of success. But it isn't at all. You can be discouraged by failure or you can learn from it, so go ahead and make mistakes. Make all you can. Because remember that's where you will find success."

-- Thomas J. Watson

06: Your Homework for this module.

Watch the TED talk ‘How to Make Stress Your Friend’ by Kelly McGonigal.
Buy a label maker similar to this one.
Make and photograph a bed, could be yours at home or a bed in your property, post it on Instagram and tag me!

06. Q and A with Sarah Andrews.

Q. My house keeper is a good friend of mine / family member but it’s not going well, what do I do?

Okay, Step 1, is to get organised with your new manuals and systems, then have a big sit down. Explain that everything is changing because you are changing, so a big reshuffle is happening. Ask him / her if they would like to consider the NEW position, which is that of a house manager and that other people are going to be considered for that role because it’s going to be a total handover of responsibility.

Step 2. Choose someone new or move forward with a new understanding between the two of you until it stops working out.

Q. Hi Sarah. LOVED this chapter - all the nuts and bolts of it. At one point in this chapter you say you reinvest 10% back into the property. At the end you say 5% - is this an additional 5% for mattresses etc, or is just somewhere between 5-10% in total? I'm totally rethinking a dishwasher and just have it be something that could be added later if we sell and someone wants to use it as a full-time thing. And coffee vouchers and fresh croissants are also off the list! Cheers!

Good pick up! I knew there would be an error in here somewhere. It’s between 5% and 10%, depending on your situation. As you go along in the years, you’ll find it’s about 5% but early on, while you are trying to gain traction and further yourself, it’s about 10%.

I just ADORE that you have re-thought the dishwasher. I get really excited when I start seeing students use their smarts to improve their business off their own backs. Very, very, very smart decisions.

Q. HI Sarah. Just read your response re cleaning and your housekeeper - I love all the details. So, your cleaning charge on Airbnb is $75. Does that go up to $150 if it's two people, as you are paying her $150 if 2 people have stayed (which I'm assuming is your usual booking. Thanks!

Nope! That is her flat rate, no matter how many people stay, or what she needs to do during her clean. Sometimes it’s easy and other times she might be coordinating window washers or tradies etc. So always, $75. XX.

Q. Hi Sarah, A bit of a random question - what colour towels do you use at Captains Rest? I'm so over using white towels?

Golly, please have some more self love for your housekeeping team than white towels and white sheets. I use dark grey towels (always in the XXL size, otherwise people feel like they are wrapped in a tea towel). Dark navy also works well.

Q. Hi Sarah, I loved this chapter! Very thought provoking, and challenged so many ideas I had about what to offer etc. The first thing I wrote on my notes page was 'Yikes!!!' I love the concept of re-thinking what will actually bring business vs how much extra work it will be and for how much actual profit. Just wondering if you advertised for a housekeeper or used an agency of some kind? Now I understand it's more of a house manager position, I'm re-thinking contacting cleaners from cleaning companies. And I want to find someone who loves the role and is on the same page as me etc. So do you have any suggestions for finding such a person? How did you find yours? Also I have a two story house with 4 bedrooms, so unsure how to come up with a good amount to pay someone - especially if I'm adding it as a fee on Airbnb as I'm worried if it's too big a fee, it might turn some potential guests away? Thank you!

This is also my favorite chapter. It’s the crux of how I can just live stress-free and even at times forget I have an Airbnb while money just pours into my account. It’s the dream we all start out with but it gets lost along the way. I love that you are all back on track now. Anyway, a couple of questions in this one, so the answers to match are below!

How to find a housekeeper? Wow, this is going to be SO different for everyone, but here is how I find/found mine — I am in a tiny town. I advertised on Facebook for a Housekeeper. “Flexible and well-paid role for the right person, no experience needed for the right candidate.” I would personally for my own situation stay away from an agency, there's a loss of control here — I prefer working with just one person, but if you are city-based perhaps this is a good approach?

Lastly, yes, large houses are a little tricker. I guess that’s why I’m passionate about everyone taking my class before they buy property, but you can make anything work if you are smart about it. Firstly I would recommend locking or thinking about a way you can make the house/bedrooms smaller to match the number of guests. Perhaps cleaning could be set rates, so XX for the house plus one bedroom clean/laundry, XX+X for two bedrooms clean/laundry and so on. You might have to build in a portion of that into the nightly rate so it’s not massive. I know here in Australia, most guests are fine to pay cleaning up to about $90 AUD then they balk at it. Hope that helps everyone.

Q. We had guests stay at our Airbnb over the weekend. There were 2 of them. A female booked by request and I asked her who she was travelling with. She didn’t answer and I just accepted the request and asked them to use the master bedroom. (We have 2 bedrooms). The cleaners have gone in this morning and discovered that they have used both bedrooms/bedding/bathrooms. It turns out that they were 2 singles staying there.

Leading forward, how would you suggest we deal with this? Can we charge a singles supplement for the 2nd bedroom? To cover the cost of additional cleaning/laundering of bedding etc??

In this scenario, I would suggest locks on the rooms that are not paid for. This way they could only access the master room/bathroom etc. Cleaning is then in accordance with what they have paid for.

When I stayed at a property in Queensland recently, I paid for the whole property ( 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms) and it was just me. Every other room was locked - bathroom included. The property owner said this had worked well for her as it was exactly your scenario. People will use whatever is available.

This is a clean cut way of addressing the issue as opposed to a singles supplement. You can’t go back and charge her now, just move on and have a fresh system moving forward. Hope this helps.

Q. Hi Sarah, we currently have our property's permanently rented as our long term goal is to Airbnb. My Hubby is worried about the work load of this style of letting while we are working full time in our business and in another state. How can I convince him ? after doing the course im desperate to start!! Are you saying that the Airbnb site allows you to automate your information like arrival instructions ect. Please help me convince him.

Correct, Airbnb if set up properly takes most of that side of things away from you with automation, which is the reason I use it as my booking platform. The other side of the work load, managing your house, can be really dialed in to be simple with the learnings from this class, and some hard work setting it up and trouble shooting in the beginning. As for your Husband, from watching a lot of students, it appears to be a lot easier if one partner takes sole responsibility for the property project, preferably the one who has taken this class!

Q. Do you run ‘Captains Rest’ as a real business or just a personal investment? Given I want income to grow, and seriously consider investment in marketing and staff (if this goes my way), I wonder if I have set this up incorrectly and should have done this all as a business? I appreciate you are not my accountant, but have you any topline pros/cons, or approaches for a business versus personal investment property? Also, do you have any Public Liability (as I worry about the scary consequences of someone hurting themselves etc on our acreage or river), or rely solely on airbnb insurance or another and hope those worst case situations don't occur (as i know they rarely do).

Hello, okay this is a question I really can’t answer. It would all depend on your own financial set up, your family situation etc. Also tax law changes yearly which is annoying, but what I will say is it is worth talking about in depth with your accountant. I personally run what I do as a Company.

And yes, I have every insurance imaginable, including Public Liability as well as the insurance Airbnb provides. Small change I think for security. Someone told me once, if you can’t afford to lose it, you can’t afford not to insure it. It’s great advice! Over insure everything!

Q. Hi Sarah. I'm absolutely loving the masterclass (I gifted it to myself for Christmas).... I have a question about housekeeping. The property that I will be setting up is a very separate 'wing' of the house 2 bedrooms/2 bathrooms living and kitchen, large garden etc. I will be onsite and so will cat and dog. I will initially be doing all the housekeeping as I am now retired preschool teacher .(insert .... oh joy, oh bliss!!) Do you see the fact that I will be managing and be onsite an issue .. apart from that it ties me to the property... in time as bookings grow and money flows I would hope to have housekeeper/manager. and spend more time away. Any tips for me on how this can work so that I'm not working at bnb stuff all the time? Any suggestions for how I can maintain boundaries from guests in relation to not being friendly and helpful but 'totally available" to them 24/7 as well as ensuring their required level of privacy ... any thoughts will be very helpful as I wrestle through this aspect of the set up. Many Thanks!

How exciting for you! Sounds like you are moving into a phase of life with a bit more freedom! Wonderful!

Two questions here I think. The first, is what to do if you are doing the housekeeping yourself. Well, I guess pretend you are doing all the set up for someone else to be doing this one day, because you will! Write all your manuals, and have processes and timelines for everything. Make sure your cleaners’ cupboard is in your guest wing and you start to develop a strict way you do things so you can palm it off to someone else one day. Think of it like a testing phase to perfect how it’s done.

Secondly, boundaries with guests. It does make it a little tougher, but here is what I suggest.

With everything in life, you teach people how to treat you. If you are overly personal and have a lot of contact with you guest leading up to their stay, they will think that is okay whilst they are in your home. Instead have well written “canned” responses that you use for a new booking, and a final list of instructions a week or two out from their stay, including how to contact you for any other enquiries or how to find out more information (the house manual).
I would be VERY vague about the your own situation. Instead of writing “I live next door full time and you can come and hang out with me any time” (okay thats a bit extreme but you get my point) write, “Next door is sometimes occupied by me, other guests or friends and family” — This draws a bit of an imaginary line. Can you see where I am going about setting up expectations and how to behave before a guest arrives?
Secondly, I think having a private entrance is important and the ability to check in without meeting you. The best stays I have had that have been part of peoples homes is when they have found a way to properly divide it off and create a studio in a sense that it is my own space in every way. I know that this isn’t possible in every home, but I know personally I feel most comfortable when I don’t have to interact with an owner.
Thirdly, I would be going out of my way to NOT greet guests. This goes back to the first point I made about setting up the relationship and boundaries.
I would have clear guidelines on how to contact you during the stay. And that would be via the Airbnb app during office hours. I would not be providing your mobile number.
Lastly, if any of these steps are STILL creating an environment that doesn’t work for you, consider hiring a management company and remove yourself from the picture entirely.

Q. Hi Sarah, I’m loving your course and learning so much! The idea of a dedicated housekeeper is wonderful but not feasible for my particular set up. A cleaning company will handle the cleaning side of things but cleaning AND laundry is only available through management companies (which I am avoiding). With regard to linen, my property will be high end but linen services here only offer a pick up and delivery for large orders ( hotels etc). Local laundries are expensive but more importantly don’t offer the level of quality finish that I want to provide for my guests (in line with that of a 5 star hotel.....which is the luxury feel that I want to provide) Do you have suggestions on the laundry options for city AirbBnbs?.

Ahh that is tricky. If you can’t use a linen service (but also I understand why), and you don’t have a dedicated housekeeper who can manage the laundry, I have one final option you could explore.

Let’s say you have two beds and the towels. I would set up a laundry, shed, spare room etc, with 3 banks of Washing Machines / Dryers. That way the cleaning team can come in, pop each bed’s worth of laundry into wash, and the towels in as well (short wash cycle), and then also pop them into the dryer once that cycle is finished, they should still be there. Short cycles are between 30 - 45 mins.

You will need to have a good process worked out so its bulletproof, with lots of spares in case of error, but that way no laundry is being taken home. You will need a large turn around window so the dryers are not going when the next guest checks in, but I think this is the last option you could explore before you are going to have to make some compromises. Hope that helps!

Q. Any suggestions on how to make sure a guest leaves a good review, - any review even! I struggle with this.

So, I do a variation on this message to every guests upon them checking out.

“ Hi (Guest Name),

It was a true pleasure hosting you! We will certainly be leaving you a beautiful review, and if you come back, please let us know, we would dearly love to host you again.

If you ever have any suggestions for how we could have improved your stay, please do not hesitate to let us know — a divine stay is why we are here. Enjoy the rest of your travels!”

This seems to do the trick!

Q. Hi Sarah, What an amazing experience this course is, I was dearly looking forward to attending your live session in Hobart, but things have a way of working out for the best and love that I can do the course over many weeks and action all the homework and study in real time on my property as we go. thank you! I have ordered my Dymo! And will put my stash of jars to use straight away. However, what are your thoughts around hygiene and COVID?. How would you avoid people putting fingers into salt jars, maybe little scoops or tongs etc? Have guests commented recently on the jar system since COVID? thank you.

Hello! Oh I am so glad this is such a good experience for you, it's a good experience for me too, so I dearly thank you.

Covid is a TRICKY one. Where do you start, and where do you stop? Washing walls between guests? waiting a full 7 days? What I have personally done, is implemented all the recommendations such as cleaning and sanitising. I have also made sure guests have safety information with them and our number to call if they get sick in the days following their stay, so we can shut immediately pending their Covid tests. Perhaps (for during this time), you could use a small sectioned tray that has single portions on it, or a creative solution like that? Personally, being in Tasmania we are very safe, however if that changes I do plan to shut because I have no way of implementing or guaranteeing full safety.

I know that’s not the clearest answer, but my advice, which I’m trying to follow, is to do what I can, until I can’t — and then trying to be zen and calm about that also. I hope that helps!

Q. My bnb is on the same property as my home, all that stands between the house and the cottage is an old tin garage and a driveway. Do you think that the cottage space needs to have its own fence or some form of privacy from the main house?

Do you think that it’s a problem if the driveway and garage is right next to the cottage when some mornings we are up early and need to leave for work? Would you make it a shared driveway or get them to park on the street or do we need to park on the street? Thank you in advance! x

I think this is a situation a lot of you are going to have! Without being there and experiencing it, my advice to everyone would be, to try and visually seperate it — including a separate access (it could just be park on the street and their own little path and sign?). And if that is totally impossible, I would embrace it, and be open that it is separate building on your property, but make the guest feel special, with a personal signed parking spot and a little sign for directions. 99% of your guests will just want to enjoy the experience without you! (in the nicest possible way).

Q. I love linen and have had a linen Doona cover, blanket and pillow slips for years. I have found when I have used them sometimes linen sheets too be hot. Do you feel it is ok to have cotton for summer and linen for winter? Also I have extra blankets and have used good quality waffle blankets as they are allergy free! What are your thoughts on having these available? Also if you are a beach location should you provide beach towels? Loving the course so far! Cate

Completely! I love cotton, and I really actually love flannel and bamboo as well. Eiderdown is gorgeous (but expensive) … there is such a beautiful array of material and fillings out there to explore and celebrate in the right seasons, my only recommendation is try to stick to natural fabrics and avoid any polyester blends.

Extra blankets is a must, I just have mine stacked neatly in the cupboard but I find they are rarely used, and yes - a beach towel per guests is great otherwise they will use your bath towels. The large linen or Turkish beach towels are handy because they are so thin, and don’t add much to the washing list.

Q. Hello lovely Sarah, firstly, thank you for creating this inspiring space to learn and grow, both personally and our businesses. My question is this, if I have a house keeper and a manager, what would you consider the individual jobs to be for each role? I understand that you have suggested that our House Keepers Essentially manage our houses for us, but if we have both, how would you instruct them? x

What a great question. A house manager would: Manage the house keeper, manage guests both on site and in the back end, manage any major work on your property if you are comfortable with that, and also oversee quality, so perhaps pop in from time to time to check the property for upgrades, repairs, cleanliness etc. Essentially, do what you would be doing!

Q. Hi Sarah, this chapter is incredible, sharing all your tricks of the trade to help us all make our business's run smoother .... such a fabulous gift! Thank you. I am curious, do you have a washing machine for guests at Captains Rest? If we choose to market to couples only should we need to supply one? I was wondering if it’s possible to get away with it but have one downstairs (in my case) for the Housekeeper to use? Also, I too love flannel sheets and wondered if you can recommend any good quality brands?

My pleasure! I have a washer and dryer but it’s locked away for my housekeeping team to use and I suggest for ease of running your business, and not running into too many guest pitfalls you do the same!! Have a look in my supplier directory, I list all my favorite bits and bobs in there!

Q. I have such a large house so I use a linen service and I’m happy with that, do I really need to change it?

Forget it then. I’m all about easy. Just find a nice linen top sheet or a simple cushion set which brings a little bit of love in without the hassle. Don’t over think it.

Q. Which room perfume to you use?

Well, I change all the time, but you really need to choose your own. The one I use fits my house story and styling, but wouldn’t work for most other people in most locations. ‘Le Labo’ and ‘Aesop’ do lovely ones.

Q. Love this whole thing on bed making. Thank you. I’m just starting to think through the logistics of having someone do all this and it seems the best option for them to take it all home. May I ask what kind of linen blankets you would recommend? Love the ones you show in this vid. They seem to look like they would be so soft to have on a bed. A lot of the linen blankets I look for online seem like they may be quite harsh feeling. Thank you xx

Isn’t it life changing! So, if you hang out for week 4 in class, you’ll be able to access my suppliers page, where I list where I like to get things. Always keep an eye on my Instagram (turn notifications on if it doesn’t drive you crazy!). I’m having a linen expert in soon to do a QnA! X

Q. Hi Sarah! I was wondering about how you came up with the amount you pay the housekeeper, is it a % of what you charge nightly for the house? you pay her $75 per person, does your rental charge go up with each person as well? and you said that you pay her extra to do the laundry... how would you calculate how much extra to pay for laundry? and lastly, you charge a cleaning fee, are you deciding the rate you'll pay the housekeeper based on the cleaning fee? Thank you again! this course has been very eyeopening, informative and inspiring!

Okay, how I came up with my rate for my housekeeper. I sort of found out what the going rate in my area was for a clean of a house my size (45m2). It was $30 so I made it a bit bigger so it was a gig that she wouldn’t want to leave! That made it $50. Then I added a small linen charge, $10 — so that made it all up $60. Then, over time, I have increased it because she is a bloody gem. So now I am at $75. My cleaning fee on my listing is $75 — so she basically costs me nothing. If I put up her rate, I’ll also put up my cleaning charge on Airbnb.

Q. Hi Sarah, Thank you so much for sharing all your insight with us I am finding it so valuable and feel like I'm working so much smarter not harder now! The pantry looks unreal now and so does my own one haha! With your housekeeper ..does she have complete access to your airbnb app? Seeing all requests and details of your bookings and responding for you?

That is so wonderful! I recently stayed at this incredible place, award winning architecture etc. And it was so so so lovely. I opened the pantry and there was half jars of tahini, half empty paper packets of sugar, instant coffee still in the supermarket tins … it was a real turn off. There is a lesson in simplicity and perfection in that.

Back to your Q. Yes, absolutely. I have complete transparency with her. If you trust, trust also is returned. It’s not too hard to go onto my listing, see my nightly rate and work out what I am making anyway, why hide it! I am proud of how hard and smart both her and I have worked to get to this point, and when there are problems or feedback, this helps us improve what we are doing so we share that as well.

Q. Hi Sarah! Thank you for everything once again! this class has been invaluable to me while redo-ing my existing rental and creating a new one. My existing rental is run by a management co. and my sister is going to be the housekeeper for my new place. She won't be able to do the cleaning all of the time and we're thinking to start with, she'll get the linens started on one bed and take the other bed linens with her and I'll pay cleaners to do the rest. My sister will be handling all other operations, like booking the cleaners, interacting with guests, hiring handy people to fix things, etc. I'm trying to wrap my brain around how much to pay her. Should I raise the cleaning fee on Airbnb to help cover her time or should I figure a % for her? I currently pay the management co. 25% of booking fees but I feel like that's sort of a crazy high % (I'm hoping to transition to a housekeeper but I don't have anyone yet for that spot)... do you have thoughts on this? Thank You!

Hello! You are so welcome, it gives me endless joy to absolutely deliver on what you guys are all here for, then watch as you all go on to massive success — it’s such a wonderful thing to be a part off. So, how I would look at this is she’s essentially going to be managing your property, so I would give her a clear percentage, 20% is the going rate. Perhaps start out with this arrangement if it’s already in place, with a clear plan that everyone is aware of, that you will be looking for one person to take care of the lot long term.

The other way you could look at it is the structure I have just last week moved to. Amanda who works with me is now running Captains Rest. She’s doing the job I used to do, a managers role, because I have plans to go and sail around the world again, pretty soon, so im trying to organise things so I don’t have a position that’s critical day to day. She’s on an hourly rate for that and just bills me her hours once a month. Perhaps you could contain all the cleaning and linen to the cleaners, and she works just doing the top level stuff? Two avenues to think about?

Q. My house keeper is great. I feel I could increase her pay in line with some more responsibilities to be a tad more managerial. I trust her and she goes above for us. I don't mind giving transparency to our airbnb app, so she can check and prepare for bookings. However, she is not experienced or very great at customer service, a bit abrupt and simply passionate about the properties state but not the people side. Therefore if I feel I still need to handle conversations, when i get bookings and get questions. So, if I am still fielding Q&A's, how hands off can I truly be? Is your house keeper also fielding questions or calls from guests? Which bit are you involved with to ensure it still has your personal touch?

Well done on the great housekeeper, that is most of the job! I agree with you, increase her house maintenance responsibilities and pay and you should have a trusted team member for a long time to come. Another way to retain housekeepers is adjust your check in and check out times around their schedules. With mums this is particularly attractive with kids sleep times and school etc. I ask mine what hours best suit her and her kids. Right now thats check in at 2 and check out at 12. Guests love the late check out!

I’m also on your page. In terms of the guest side of things, Jess my housekeeper only really deals with them face to face if there is a call out. More towels needed or extra fire wood. This really only happens once a year. I used to handle the guests side of things. I had all my responses, welcomes, thankyou’s etc all set up in Airbnb, the booking platform I choose to use, so it was basically just automatic, or took a few seconds. Whenever a guest asked a question, of course I answered it, but also, I built the response into my guest manual, listing or guidebook, which they have access too … It got to the point where I really only answer a few questions a year. Likewise, if there were any questions about the house while they were there, I had to make that thing ‘idiot proof’ or removed or replaced so I wasn’t asked again, and probably more importantly, no other guest had to. I wanted to know if at some point the questions would stop, and they did. I think this is pretty great for me, but also pretty awesome for a guests to have a totally straight forward, no contact, seamless experience. This got me down to about 5 minutes a week or less in the end? In the past few months I’ve handed my role doing that to beautiful Amanda who works with me, because I hope to try and sail around the world again some time soon and the internet isn’t so good out there! But, I do love to go and visit, and I always find things I want upgraded, fixed, replaced, improved etc… so I guess that’s my new role!

Q. Hi Sarah What do you do if friends privately text you to book especially in the Christmas holidays or peak periods??

Hello! Well I think the first thing you should do is decide what your boundaries are with your property and friends/family. Lots of people do a ‘mates rate’, book 2 nights stay 3 or just gift if they are in position to do that.

Secondly, if you want a polite way to say no — what I do is respond with something short and polite, like. “Hi (insert name here), oh I’m so sorry — I can only take bookings via Airbnb for insurance and management reasons — but take a look at my calendar here, still a few nights left around the time you are travelling” … see how you go with that! X

Q. Hi Sarah, Thank you! So loving every aspect of your course and learning so much! I am aiming high end and I want a stay at my property to feel as luxurious as a 5 star hotel. If I supply real linen sheets do they need to be ironed? Or can I just have the local laundry wash them, fold them and then the cleaners will make up the beds. My concern is that the rumpled linen look won’t work for a high end city property. What do you think? (I also think that white perfectly crisp sheets and fluffy white towels i.e. linen service might be the level I need to offer) Also Sarah, when you mention linen do you mean 100% linen or linen blend or all sorts of sheets including cotton etc. Thanks again for all your wonderful help!

It is my absolute pleasure! So to clarify for everyone, when I say “linen” I just mean the sheets, bedding etc.

I think it’s important for everyone to really consider their linen/sheet/bed set ups. It’s really a surprisingly major part of the day to day operations, and it’s the part of things that gets the most damage, logistical attention, replacement etc.

I would encourage everyone to start with their house story, and see what fits. For me, a rustic cabin by the sea, real linen is a good fit, and I have my housekeeper launder it herself, and throw it in basket unfolded once it is dry so it can keep a crumbled look on the bed, rather than folds, or need to be ironed. It fits with my house story.

An inner city hotel vibe I imagine might go in a completely different direction, cotton even … and in your case, of course, ironed. For everyone reading this, start with what fits with your story, then brainstorm out the logistics of how you can mange this, laundry service, your house keeper etc. Between your story, and your logistical possibilities you’ll find a match, and be open to trialing it, and changing things if need be.

The last thing I want to note, is that for us all there are always compromises. You might need to go with a standard linen company (most offer ranges in quality at different price points), perhaps some may need to start with big box store sheets in a plain colour with a linen throw (I started this way) — it was a good way to learn what was working without throwing $1000’s of dollars worth of linen away — or maybe its not quite the right fit for you story but housekeeper laundered crumpled linen in white is the best story/logistical fit. The key is to be open to the process as part of experimenting for yourself!

Where I’ve ended up, is bulletproof linen, in a configuration that my housekeepers can nail, launder easily, and that looks good enough. Sure, it’s not what I would do if I was personally making my beds daily — but at the end of the day longevity in this game is important to me, as well as not having to spend time daily sorting out linen and bedding issues, trust me that gets old!

Q. Hello Sarah, I am absolutely loving your online course, thank you! I've binge-studied half of it in just over one week, and plan on repeating the course a couple of times before the 15 weeks is up! I'm learning so much, and its filling me with confidence to begin airbnb-ing our purpose built studio.

I've ordered the label maker, thanks for the tip! May I please ask, where did you purchase your amber reusable bathroom product bottles?

I really love hearing this! The team and I put SO MUCH LOVE in to this, actually every waking moment. It is a life times work and then some and it’s hard to get that across in the sea of “dime-a-dozen, quick dollar” classes around. So I do treasure the love back.

I want to keep this class global, so use the search term in google - “reusable amber bottles” then browse the shopping tab. You’ll find a plethora! See how you go with glass as well, if you find it being broken, there is no shame in amber plastic.

Q. Hello! I love your course... it is really helpful and inspiring. Regarding the doona, I'm wondering if you have one that you recommend that works for varying temperatures - or if you have spare available for guests if they're too hot/cold? Would it be wool? I thinks some people are allergic to wool too!

I’ll always be honest, I am yet to find the perfect Doona and Pillow. Everyone likes something different, so I have personally settled on buying a summer and a winter one each year (and throwing or giving away it every 6 months) for hygiene purposes.

I also keep a spare doona AND 2 very thick linen blankets in my cupboard to cover most situations. I find with this set up I am not getting any extra requests for bedding or bad feedback on guest comfort.

Q. I have recently completed your Hosting Masterclass and learnt so much. Thank-you. However I was hoping for some advice on what type of mattress to purchase as it's a minefield out there... do you have any recommendations or starting points please.

I do! I have a few options, and have also had my eye on what is working for other people, and I have had the most success with guest reviews and feedback on mattresses that are plush or super plush. I would start there and buy the best you can for your budget, you do get what you pay for …..

Q. Hi Sarah, a few of us ex-grads (revisiting the course as I launch which has been invaluable - thank you!) have a burning question re the guest manual... Do you ask for emails and send the PDF before a stay? or copy paste the text of the whole manual into the ‘Air BnB guest Manual’ section? Is there a different, more automated way to do it? We feel that what we're doing is clunky and time consuming and are sure you'll have a much better suggestion!

Hi! Good to have you back again. Our online school is so big and valuable and continues to grow with all your amazing questions, I do feel like it’s the better way to teach now rather than our 2 day classes. But if you want to come and drink wine with me for 2 days, fine!

Great questions, I am so sorry you have been doing this for every guest. You are correct, I copy and paste the whole thing into my ‘Airbnb guest manual’ section.

In addition to this, because we are so busy, I have started using Airbnb scheduled messages - which automates my guest send outs a week before they are due to arrive. I have the service automatically send out a little bit of text saying:

How excited we are they are coming to stay and I hope they have a safe journey,
A reminder that everything they need to know is in the ‘trips’ section of their Airbnb booking
A reminder of the check in times, the entry instructions and the address
A reminder of the house rules, and lastly
The house manual posted at the bottom.

It is a long message, but the response we get back is that all the information ahead of time is greatly appreciated! I hope that helps! You can see the scripts I use personally in your downloads in Chapter 10. For most of you who are very very very busy now like me I can thoroughly recommend ‘Airbnb scheduled messages’, or ‘Smartbnb’ to automate all the the communication a guest will need during their experience with you.

Q. Hi Sarah, Nearly half way through and my head is exploding with excitement and what lies ahead with my AirBnB launching at the end of the year. So glad I'm doing this now so I'm really prepped and prepared for the opening. My scenario is that I will be living with my partner and 3 children in the house for 3 weeks and then renting it for 3 weeks so will have to be SUPER organised. We are locking the kids rooms and only renting out the main bedroom and bathroom (marketing to couples x) Any hints on how this can be done with ease? We'll also be locking the kitchen cupboards except for one large one for the guests, not sure how to do this without ugly locks) and lastly, - We have a Super King bed so should I use a King Doona and a Super King Sheet for bed making? Thank you x

You have the answers already! Locks! You can get very tasteful cupboard and door locks that are flush with doors, but they will probably need to be installed by professionals. The other option I think about a lot is, if half the house could easily be locked away by installing a door, for example, if all the bedrooms run off one corridor, one door installed at the right place will do the job! And correct too about your bed and sheet system, although super king sheets are hard to find, and you may have to use a traditional set up, but with one bed, the extra handling time won’t be too bad. Please let me know how it goes, 3 weeks on and 3 weeks off is a unique set up and I would love to see how that works for you so we can all learn something!

Q. Hi Sarah! I finished and am so excited to become a THM-Grad and take my learnings into the real world :) I've jumped back to this Chapter because the bed making is a GAME CHANGER (I'm going to implement it at home too!)... my question:-

Has this approach with bed making worked for guests staying longer where they need to make the bed themselves? Or in this instance would you put a doona cover on as well? xS

YAY! I am so happy I could make your life just a tiny bit easier, even at home! That is such a nice idea and so kind of you to consider your longer guests. For me, I need to keep everything the same, otherwise it gets too complicated with my team and we have so much going on AND very little storage space. BUT if you are closer to your property and happy to do these types of things, I would say it would be a very considerate touch.

Q. Hi Sarah, I just wanted some clarity around payment of your house keeper. So it's a flat rate of $75 per stay/booking (rather than per guest)? And this means it might take them 2 hours to turn over plus washing time at home and that's all within the amount? Essentially in the end she is working for approx $35ish and hour? If it takes her two hours to do. Does this also include guest management?

Correct. I pay $75 per turnover. And that means EVERYTHING that is involved, including the washing they take home, any call outs (which are rare, because we have troubleshooted), meeting any trades on site, etc. Sometimes this might take them 1.5 hours for my property, sometimes it might take 3! The idea of a flat rate is not to have someone dragging their heels and charging you for that!

Q. Hi Sarah, as with many others, my heading is spinning, but in a good way! A quick question regarding bedding, do you recommend electric blankets for cold climate areas/times? I have wool blankets that can be inserted between top sheet and doona. Many thanks!

Spinning in a good way is good! I do and I don’t. If you have a very ordinary mattress then sure, go for it .. however, if you have a nice quality one, it ruins the mechanics of the bed making for an ordinary night’s sleep. They are also hazardous — so instead I would recommend 2 hot water bottles per bed with a lovely cover, embroidered with your property name even!

Q. Hi Sarah, Loving the course and finding doing a few chapters as a block every few weeks is working best for me. Just a quick question about your housekeeper, - are you setup as a company that employs her and therefore you need to pay tax and superannuation? Interested in your setup as you have the simplest least labor intensive solution for such things, so just wondering how you have set this up?

I’m so glad to hear that! It’s a joy to answer your questions and know that you’re working through with gusto! So, for your own terms — please talk to your accountants and financial advisers what will work best in your own circumstances. For me, because I only have one property, my team subcontract to me — and I pay their invoices monthly which are based on the number of turnovers and call outs they have done that month. That way they take care of their own tax, holidays, superannuation etc. If I had more than one property, or a larger operation I might consider a different model for myself personally.

06. Community.

I know myself and everyone out there is very much looking forward to seeing your kitchen ‘shelvies’ and all the beautiful beds you are going to be making! For this chapter, use our school hashtag ‘#thehostingmasterclass’ as well as ‘#thm06’ to post up a few snaps of what you’ve been up to in your pursuit of organisational nirvana!