Your house is interesting and beautiful. The two low trees in front and the stones beneath them are a huge plus. Short term renters aren't concerned with architectural details, just the big picture, and your place looks great.

Do only what's necessary to paint/stain/repair the stairs to make them safe and attractive. If you can afford it, paint the house a bit darker, so the stairs and house and landscaping blend together.

My wife and I are retired. Three years ago, we built an addition, converted our house into a duplex and rented the apartment through Airbnb. It was the best investment we've ever made, but we're one mile from downtown Nashville and your area might not be as profitable.

The best advice I can give you is keep your place clean, clean, clean. Spotless sheets and towels. No dirt, no dust, no nothing.

Keep your rate low at first to get as many good reviews as you can as quickly as possible.

If you do the cleaning, lawn care and so forth, you'll save a bundle. Cleaning services and management companies are expensive.

Thank you so much! You are very kind about the look of the house, as in-person it really does not look very put-together. We ARE in a prime location in Seattle, frankly, so know there will be a good income from this remodel. Your suggestion to make sure the house blends with the landscape is well-taken. Currently I have the weed-blocker black fabric laid out so that I can follow with hard-scape that blends a bit with the overall theme: bone, white and black with accents depending on the season. We just replaced the lower stairs as they had major earthquake damage from decades past. Should we paint all stairs the same...black steps with bone-colored risers?

Great advice about pricing low and getting quick, top-notch reviews. I am considering making it available up front for two days at a time so that I can have plenty of time to clean and reflect on what's working.

Yes! Clean, clean, clean! My business partner / friend (male) doesn't realize how critical are new towels, linens, etc. so I am just taking over and hiding any used materials! :)

You ARE in quite a terrific location. Wow! Way to go! I "retired" 2 years ago and am doing what I love in order to bring in this somewhat passive income. I'm happy to clean, however, do want to enjoy turning over responsibilities when I travel.

Thanks again! ...and would love to get a link to your Airbnb so I get to view your own success story as well as maybe visit Nashville one day! :)

I agree that Air BnB people are not going to focus on any kind of exterior except that it shouldn't look like the Addams Family - the front steps should be neat and accessible - make sure hand rail is sturdy.

The interior is what is going to make or break you. A good mattress; nice linens; comfortable furniture; Wifi; wide screen television in living and bedroom; nice bathroom amenities - towels; linen; pillows; bedding; microwave; Keurig type of coffee maker (don't stock with LOTS of pods or they will be stolen :-). Help with recommendations for making the most of a visit seems to elicit good reviews - i.e. people rave about hosts who help them get acclimated. Are you planning to be there to let people in personally or are you going to have some kind of lockbox set up?

Cleanliness is mandatory. You would probably want to have a professional clean clean after every visit. If you look at listings, you will see that many of them charge a cleaning fee in addition to the nightly rate.

Adams Family! Yes...that is what it looked like before I gutted the yard! :) I intend to greet and acclimate, as I want to get a real feel for what works and how I feel about it all. Next week I will ask neighbors to come over to provide feedback before I open the doors. I need to figure out what kind of TV access to provide, as we do not subscribe to cable. Any ideas? I do have 2 Smart T.V.s.

Here is one section across from the dining room. I snatched every piece in the photo from Goodwill. $5 chairs, $50 buffet (for $40 w/senior discount), ostrich feather hat @ $15, print @ $22, handmade leather wine holder @ $10. Now...wonder what kind of runner to replace this gritty one!

I would also like to try out renting individual rooms as well as the entire 2 bdrm. unit. I just have to figure out how to manage the logistics. Any other sites you recommend? We are looking at Visiting Nurses as well.

Thanks for all your input. :)

Posting a link to our Airbnb listing would be advertising and, I assumed, against Houzz rules. Oddly enough, though, I spent quite a bit of time today looking on the Houzz website and didn't find any rules about anything. I guess it would be OK if I pointed in the general direction. Do a google search on "The Launch Pad Nashville."

Helen, it sounds like you're an experienced and successful hostess.

Kate, you're on the right track. Squeeze every dollar, take advantage of every tax break and deduction. Goodwills and thrift shops can be great for furniture and accessories, but don't go cheap when it counts - spend what it takes for mattresses and linens. All you need are smart TVs and wifi - guests can sign into their own Hulu or Netflix or whatever. Cosmetic stains were a huge and unexpected expense. We now place a dish of white wash cloths in the bathrooms with a label saying, "To prevent damage to towels and sheets, please use these to remove make up." Buy good, thick, high quality towels, because they last way longer than thin cheap ones. Buy light colored microfiber sheets, because they last and don't stain easily.