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A lot of times, you encounter travelers who are on a tight budget. When it comes to these travelers, they usually try to find the most budget-friendly travel options. And over the years, there has been an increase in the popularity of vacation rentals. Vacation rentals are now popular in different tourist destinations worldwide competing against hotels. But if it is your first time to ever try one, you might want to ask if it is really practical for a traveler to just go for a vacation rental option?

Located in Neighborhoods

Unlike hotels that are usually found near shopping centers, you usually find the vacation rental options scattered around neighborhood areas. This means that you also have to take into account the amount of money that you are going to save if you are already in the center of things. If you are staying with 10 other people and you always have to travel an extra train ride to get to the center of things, it can definitely accumulate especially if you are having a trip that lasts for around a week or so.

Limited access to public transportation

You will also have to deal with the fact that if you like to stay up late, there are some neighborhoods that don’t really have access to public transportation at certain times. And this can be very frustrating if you are the type of tourist who loves to stay late. You will have to pay for a cab.

Amenities

But of course, one of the things that you can get from a vacation rental is that you can get the amenities that are usually present in your home. You don’t have to worry that you don’t have a kitchen. And for those who love to cook and for those who are trying to save, this is a great choice. Imagine packing your lunch or your breakfast as you don’t need to eat outside anymore. You can simply have fun and enjoy activities without spending money on food. For those who travel constantly, they can agree that groceries can be much cheaper than restaurants. However, if you are a foodie, then this isn’t something that you want.

Larger Space for Less

If you are very particular about the size of the place, then renting a vacation rental is a good deal because you can actually enjoy an entire house for the price of a hotel room. Now, that is cheap. You can have other people stay with you or rent the entire place all on your own.

No help desk

Another problem for a lot of guests today is that there is no help desk that can assist them whenever they need anything. What if you can’t figure out how to use the washing machine? All you have to do is to message the owner via Airbnb or on any platform that you’ve used and communicate from there. But for a lot of people, it can be a hassle especially when the host tends to answer a few hours after you sent your query.

Vacation rentals are fast becoming a popular course of earning extra income today especially for places that are quite popular among tourists. These days, hotels have a tough competition mainly because of the number of vacation renting options out there. And the reality is that there are some vacation rental properties that can outperform the usual hotel option. Now, should you go for this type of business or should you stick to other ways to earn extra income?

First, you have to assess the time that you have. You need to understand that it takes a lot of time to become a host. You will be bothered by inquiries and by repairs that need to be fixed. If you don’t have the time to attend to these things, it is a good idea that you take a closer look at other ways to earn a living.

Next, you also want to make sure that you are also willing to spend on repairs and on renovations. Though you have the time in the world, you need to understand that it is quite tricky to do repairs and things that you don’t really have any idea of. And what it means is that you will have to spend some money on both repairs and renovations. For some, this is too much especially if they no longer have the funds. For this reason, be sure to assess your wallet as well. You want to make sure that you have some elbow room for improvements and for repairs.

Other than repairs, renovations, and the dedication to work in your vacation rental, you will also need to take a closer look at the online marketing strategy that you will apply in your property. You need to have at least a Facebook page. A Facebook page can help you keep in touch with potential guests. You also need to know how to make use of Google places. There are some people who might see your property while scrolling the area where they want to stay. All of these things can help increase the number of people staying in your property.

Also, you might want to use a platform where you can showcase the property that you want people to rent. Airbnb is a great and popular platform that has been used by a great number of countries all over the world. However, you need to understand that there are rules and regulations in different countries regarding homeowners that are hosting tourists. In some cases, you will have to be familiar with the tax details out there.

Vacation rentals can be challenging but at the same time, it can also be a great opportunity for you to earn some extra income. In fact, if you choose to make it your main source of income, this is a possibility. But what you have to understand is that there are a lot of details that you have to look into from pricing to how you plan to market the place. These are just some important things you should always remember.

Having a complaint from one of your guest from Airbnb can be a bummer. A lot of people today decided to have their property rented thinking that it is easy money. Though it is a growing market, you have to know exactly what you are getting into. In reality, it takes a lot of work. You get to encounter different types of people. And though these guests are paying half of what they are going to pay in a hotel, their expectations remain high. And for this reason, you have to know how to please them and avoid the complaints.

It is quite common today that homeowners encounter complaints from guests. Guests tend to become picky regarding the services that they get. Here are some tricks that you can implement in order to still maintain a good review.

Provide a Good First Impression

It is important to always start with a good first impression. Here, you will be able to keep the interest of your guests. Also, there are instances when even if you made a mistake somewhere along the way, they will be more forgiving on your part. They will be able to just let some small things slide because they saw you made an effort to make a good impression from them.

Establish Good Communication

You also want to make sure that you are going to have a good communication with your guests. You want to be able to talk to them. Be sure that you are going to know what are the things that they need. This is especially true if they are staying for a couple of days. Do they need extra towels? Perhaps, they need someone to clean the space? These are just some of the most basic things that you can cover for your guests.

Always ensure that you provide something extra

You also want to make sure that you are going to show them that they are really welcome. The best way to do this is to always do something extra. For instance, why not provide them with the best snack that the place is known for? This will keep the place warm. Also, you can even have a personally written note and remind them to feel at home.

Cleanliness

Next, the most common complaint that guests will have is the cleanliness of the place. If you are going to have your property rented. always make sure that it is clean. If you can’t do the cleaning all on your own, it is a good idea that you hire professionals. By hiring professionals, you can actually guarantee that everything is going to be well-maintained.

If you are going to have a problem with your rental, it is also a good idea that you know exactly why you are having such bad reviews. Is this something that you can fix? Or maybe, is it something that you can improve on? By knowing the problem, you become aware of what to fix. You can address it and even tell your future guests that these issues have been addressed already.

If you are going to have an Airbnb rented, it is crucial that you know exactly what has to be done in order to maximize profits from your property. A lot of hosts tend to increase the asking price per night, only to realize that it becomes impractical considering the competition in the area. Now, the good news is that you can have more people to stay in your property without spending so much money on your property. You can increase the occupancy without a problem. Here are some strategies that you can go for.

Maintain the cleanliness of your place

The first thing that you have to be sensitive about is the cleanliness and the order of your property. In fact, instead of placing different things to improve the aesthetics of your home, what you can do instead is to simply apply a minimalist approach to your property. Here, you don’t have to clean a lot of things inside the house in order to stay organized.

Improve your social media marketing

You also want to make sure that you go beyond using Airbnb. You want to make sure that you create social media worthy moments within the property in order to increase the number of people booking in your property. As rule of thumb, there are interior design tricks that don’t require expensive additions to your home.

Take Good Photos

Photos can convince people to book your place. Instead of just using your phone, what you can do instead is to make sure that you get a professional camera. Now, if you don’t have access to a professional camera or a photographer, a good tip is to always shoot from the corner of the room. This makes the room look bigger. In addition to this, you can also just use natural light in order to highlight places in the house.

You can take a closer look at other Airbnb places and see which areas are usually highlighted. What you want is to highlight things that you offer different from the rest of the other properties out there. Maybe, you have a bike that people can use? Or perhaps, you have a bathroom that is spacious for the guests? These are things that can easily get you more people to book.

Be Active in Answering Inquiries

You also need to answer inquiries from people who are asking questions about your property. The last thing that you want is for people to choose other properties because you are not answering their questions. Better yet, you want to provide all the necessary information in your profile. This way, they will know which station is near the property. Or maybe, what are the things that they can find from the property.

Having an Airbnb property can be a good business for you. You can even use your spare room and turn it into a passive source of income. This means that anybody that owns a property no matter how big or how small can take advantage of this opportunity.

A lot of people today are still smoking despite the high cost of cigarettes and governments campaigning against this habit, it is true that there is still a long way to go. Drinking alcohol is also a common problem among individuals. Not only does it trigger illnesses, you are also wasting your money with these kinds of vices. How exactly can you quit smoking and drinking and live a healthier life?

Decide when you want to stop

The very first thing that you want to do is to decide exactly when you want to stop smoking and drinking. You want to make sure that you can keep your promise to stop on the said date. You can put reminders on the walls and on your phone in order for you to be reminded when this day is.

Eat healthily

You have to understand that your body will most likely be craving for nicotine and for alcohol on the first few days. One of the best ways, in order to stop the body from reacting this way, is by taking antioxidants. Antioxidants can make a huge difference in the long run.

‘By taking antioxidants, your body can flush toxins faster. And this ultimately means that your body can reset faster as well. However, this isn’t a sure way to do it, You have to consider the reality that it can help reduce the cravings, though it won’t necessarily get remove it by 100%.

Throw away your cigarettes and beer

You have to make sure that you are also going to get rid of everything that is related to your vice. You need to stay away from things that remind you of your habit. In fact, there are some people who also collect shirts with their favorite beer printed in it. Sometimes, you may even have to get rid of it in order to make sure that you really don’t get reminded of these things.

Get the support of other people quitting

Next, you need to find people who are also quitting the bad habit. You can share and verbalize the difficulties that you have experienced. And the next thing you know, you might even be picking up tips on how to stay on track. Knowing that people are undergoing the same thing as you makes it easier to stay on track.

Get the help of friends and family

You have to understand that dealing with withdrawal can be quite tricky. You have to make sure that your friends and family are on the same page. That means that they should never be smoking in front of you or opening a bottle or can of alcohol. Keep in mind that you need to stay away from scenarios wherein you go back towards your bad habit.

Incentivize yourself

If you weren’t drinking or smoking for a couple of days, you want to make sure that you are going to incentivize yourself. If you have maintained a clean lifestyle in the last few weeks, you can give yourself a prize. This reminds yourself that you are making progress.

If you plan on having a vacation, then perhaps, staying in an Airbnb may have crossed your mind. A lot of people today are using this option over a hotel. In May 2017, Airbnb has generated around 31 billion US dollars worldwide. It is operating in over 65,000 cities making it a popular option for many travelers.

In reality, it is a good thing to consider this option. Hotels can be quite expensive and may even add different charges depending on the season you opted to stay. If you plan on going for an Airbnb, then you really have to also consider the pros and the cons.

Pros

The very first thing that you may like about Airbnb is the fact that it is quite affordable. It is the perfect option for those who are traveling with a short budget. Could you imagine staying in a room for under $25? Heck, you could even be the only person using the entire house during off-peak seasons. That means you just paid $25 for an entire house.

Another thing that you will like about going for an Airbnb rental is the fact that you can select different options. You can check the things that seem important to you when it comes to a room. For instance, you can stay in a place with a kitchen or multiple bathrooms for the entire family.

And of course, you can also have an authentic experience if you decide to stay in one of these homes for rent. You will get to experience what it is like for a person to live in their city. You can have a first-hand experience of staying in a beautiful home or even sharing the experience with the host inside the house.
This means that you are also helping the local economy. You can provide extra income for those individuals who are simply taking advantage of the thriving shared economy.

Cons

But of course, you have to understand that there should also be some things that you should look into. One, you will never know who you get to share the place with. Now, there are instances when you have no other choice. You will have to settle in a place shared with other people. And at times, there are guests that can be disruptive to your sleep. There are instances wherein you won’t have a good stay primarily because of people that you share the place with.

Also, you have to consider the fact that there are homes wherein you will also have to share with the family. Though it works for some people, there are some travelers who prefer to have some privacy.

If you are going to stay in an Airbnb, it is a good idea that you are going to take a closer look at these details. You have to understand that many Airbnb can be a good place to stay in. However, there are still instances when it can become a disaster. You will have to consider these things that we have mentioned if you really want a great experience.

Traveling can be fun. However, let’s admit that it can also be stressful on your part especially if you don’t have an idea on how to be organized. Keep in mind that the last thing that you want is to encounter problems while you are on vacation or when you are thousands of miles away from your home. If you are somewhat new to traveling, unfortunately, stress comes within the territory. What you want is to follow these simple tips.

Buy Flights 4 Months Ahead

The very first thing that you want is to plan things ahead. Part of which is buying your tickets early. You can get a discount doing this. You can also compare the different airlines and see which one works best for you.

Do a lot of research

You want to know many things about the place that you are going to visit. You have to understand the culture and the different etiquettes that you will have to follow. In addition to this, you also want to know the different places that you can explore.

You may want to read different blogs that tell you about the place. This way, you will know what to expect. You will also have an idea about the things that you should be avoiding and the things that are considered taboo.

Know the public transport options

Though it can be convenient to just get a cab, this isn’t exactly the best option for a foreigner most of the time. You will have to understand that there are cities that are not tourist-friendly. You will commonly encounter scams from cabs as well. And for this reason, you want to know how to take the bus and even take the train.

Plan where you want to visit

Having an itinerary of where to go can help save a lot of money. This way, you are not going back and forth wasting so much money on your commute. What you want is to plot where you want to visit and explore the area.

Know which apps to have

You may also want to make use of apps in order to make things a bit easy on your part. You may need Google maps, and even a bit of Google translate. This way, it becomes easier to explore particular locations especially if you are traveling to places that don’t usually speak English.

Choose Airbnb

You also want to choose Airbnb rather than take a hotel. Hotels can be expensive. And most of the time, you end up just sleeping in your hotel room. What you can do is to go for an Airbnb instead. Not only can you save a significant amount of money, you can even cook or even clean your clothes.
Traveling can be fun but you also have to remember that there are a few things that can stress you out. By following these tips, you can prevent a stressful travel experience. You can just focus on getting new experiences. And also, you will be surprised by how much money you could actually save.

If you are already in your 40s, it becomes even more difficult to actually lose weight. And this is something true. The reality is that a lot of people today tend to gain weight after their metabolic rate has slumped because of age. Should you be worried when you reach 40 and you start gaining weight? If you are not going to do anything about it, then it should be a concern.

Keep in mind that you are already at greater risk for developing diabetes and hypertension. You also have to recognize the reality that your metabolic rate isn’t actually as fast compared to 20 years ago. So how do you lose weight if you are in your 40s?

Ideal Diet

There really is no secret to it. You have to make sure that you are going to count calories and eat the right food. You will have to consider getting the food that is actually going to build your muscle mass. You also have to consider how you prepare your food in order to stay away from foods that are unhealthy.

Next, you also want to assess the micro-nutrients. You have to ensure that you take a lot of vegetables and fruits in order to get the right nutrients.

Supplementation

Supplementation is also a necessity mainly because it is true that you can’t get everything from food. You have to recognize that a lot of nutrients are lost during the preparation of food. And for this reason, you have to take a closer look at the vitamins that you could take. Also, aside from vitamins, you will also have to consider protein supplements as well. If you are not getting enough protein, then it is a good idea that you also turn into protein supplementation. Protein supplements are usually made of whey or of soy. But the bottom line is that it can be absorbed better.

Rest

Rest is something that a lot of people forget to do. What you should know is that you burn more calories as you sleep. You will need to have at least eight to nine hours of sleep in order to see a big difference. Not only does it allow your cells to repair itself, you also get the necessary hormones that can help take out toxins in your system.

Exercise

Exercise is a crucial part of losing weight. In fact, what you have to do though is that you will need to be smart about it especially when you are already in your forties. You will have to address the reality that it isn’t actually wise to just run in order to lose weight. Typically, you have to consider the fact that damage to your joints isn’t the thing that you want to happen at age forty. And therefore, you want to find an alternative workout that can burn enough calories but without the damage to your joints and your body.

In order to stay healthy at age 40, you will have no other choice but to be smart about it. You will need to ensure that you are not just doing things for the sake of doing it. These tips can help you lose weight even if you are already in your 40s.

A lot of people travel all over the world. The thing is that many travel to different places in different styles. And for this reason, a travel consultancy business can actually prosper. Unfortunately, it is a tough market. What you have to understand as a travel consultant is how to actually reach more people with your business. Here are some proven tips on how you can make it and how you can have a wider audience.

Be Good With What You Do

Nothing beats word of mouth advertising. Before you think of doing advertisements and doing other promotional ideas, you have to be good at what you actually do. Be sure that your customer is going to be your means of primary advertisement.

Keep in mind that once you have a happy customer, they can easily give you a good rating online and even recommend your company to their friends. And with this, you can already reach more people.

Improve your branding

Branding can make so much difference how you run your business. In fact, a lot of people today make the travel consultants make the mistake of not branding their company the way that it should be. What you want to do is to prioritize your branding. You have to stand out from the competition. This is something that not a lot of companies do. They simply settle for a brand that is bland and generic in nature.

Get the help of constant travelers

You also want to boost your presence online by sponsoring a traveler that has a vlog or a YouTube channel. This way, you can even get more customers from his or her audience.

Focus on the internet

You have to also realize that you will need to focus on the internet. If you need to hire someone to fix your online marketing, this can be a good idea. You also want to check social media. How exactly is social media helpful in bringing you more customers? How social media works now is that you can pay for your post in order to be featured and target specific demographic even within your area. And by doing so, you will be able to increase the visibility on your page. You can even get them to visit your website depending on how you handle your social media.

 Use SEO  

SEO is an effective strategy for giving your site the visibility that it needs. But of course, you also have to consider the reality that SEO is changing. You have to focus on content and by providing a user-friendly experience to your potential customers.

But of course, you have to follow up on everything. You need to address the fact that SEO is something that you just don’t leave. You will have to plan your content and even check your website every now and then.

If you are looking for a good way to promote yourself as a travel consultant, always be sure to rely online. But of course, stick to the tricks that really work. You may also want to evaluate everything once you have implemented your online marketing strategies. This can help you see which works and which doesn’t actually work.