DENVER, Colo. – Airbnb has become a great way for people to make extra money. But, one woman has taken short-term rentals to another level by creating a business that allows guests to buy anything in their Airbnbs.
Nicole Delmage has been renting her home on Airbnb for five years.
"I have a goal how this house can support me as I mature in my business and as I move towards retirement," said Delmage.
Her place used to rent for $90 a night, but that was before it was spruced up with the help of Lauren Richardson’s business, Sursy.
Richardson says that if your design aesthetic draws people in, you will make more money. But, not a lot of people know how to execute that.
That's where Richardson steps in. She teams up with local artists who lend her their handmade items. She gets to use them to decorate Airbnb homes.
She’s got chairs, pillows, linens, art, mugs and coffee table books. Everything is for sale. In return, the artisans make money when guests choose to buy their items while staying in the home.
There are bar codes all around the house next to items that are for sale. When guests want to buy something, they simply snap a photo of the bar code. It then takes you to the website to purchase that item right there. Guests can take their item home with them. For other items like linens or towels, new ones get shipped to the guest’s home.
Richardson says these items become a souvenir for guests to take back home with them once their stay is done.
As for Delmage, not only did her home get redesigned for next to nothing, she has nearly double her nightly rate. Her house rents for $160.
"What Airbnb does is covers the base of the house, so mortgage and utilities," said Delmage.
Right now, this shoppable Airbnb experience is not in every city. But Nicole hopes one day, it will be.
