We had a ton of fun furnishing our Airbnb. Choosing a style, finding furniture that flows together, and setting up a space that guests would (hopefully) love. It was a great experience. We learned some things along the way, and had guest feedback to guide us further. In this post we’ll share our Airbnb furnishing checklist as well as some things to think about adding as you furnish your own!
Note: we’ve put together some room specific essentials posts that break down each area further. We’ll put them at the top of each section for reference!
Another note: I put this together off the top of my head going room by room. I’m bound to have forgotten something. Let us know if you have some additional items you suggest in the comments below and I’ll keep adding to the list as I remember more!
Before We Start: Identifying Your Main Audience
The first thing you’ll want to do is identify who you want in your home. Trying to please everyone is a really hard task, so it’s best to stick with one main group and furnish for them. This could be business travelers, families on vacation, or even bachelorette groups depending on your location.
The best way to know who’s coming to town is if you live there. You likely get a feel for what’s going on and who might be coming. For example, we live in an area where a lot of snowbirds like to spend the winter. We also have the St. Lucie Mets 10 minutes away from the property, so spring training is a big deal around here.
Identify your audience, then decorate and furnish your Airbnb accordingly.
Bedroom
Check out: The Airbnb Bedroom Essentials post for further details
- Bed and bed frame
- Lighting – ceiling fan is good, but bedside lamps offer additional comfort
- Fan – if no ceiling fan, purchase a tower fan for air movement
- Easy access to charging
- Black out curtains
- Clothing storage – dresser, closet, etc.
- Full body mirror
- General decorations – rug if hard floor, wall art, books, faux plants, etc.
- 2+ pillows
- Set of sheets (purchase an extra set per bed to save time when cleaning)
- 1 fitted sheet
- 1 top sheet
- 2+ pillowcases per bed
- 1 quilt or comforter (same thing here, purchase an extra to save time)
Things To Try
- Seating
- Plants
- TV
Bathroom
Check out: Airbnb Bathroom Essentials post for further details
- Shower pieces (if no glass door or slider)
- Bar
- Shower curtain
- Shower liner
- Shower hooks
- Toilet paper holder
- Trash bin
- Soap dispenser
- Towels
- Bath towels* – 1 per guest with 2 extras
- Washcloths* – 1 per guest with 2 extras
- Hand towel* – 1 per bathroom with 1 extra
- Shower mat
- Towel rack
- Hair dryer
- Decorations
* Similar to sheets, we purchase an extra set to make cleaning days easier. So if you have up to 5 guests in your 2 bathroom house, you’d want to purchase 12 bath towels (2 sets of 5, plus 2 extra), 12 washcloths, and 5 hand towels (2 sets of 2, plus 1 extra). Adjust according to your guest limit and amount of bathrooms!
Living Room
Check out: Airbnb Living Room Essentials post for further details
- Adequate seating (enough for the max guest limit)
- Couch
- Recliner/accent chair
- Optional: sleeper sofa
- TV
- Throw blankets
- Rug
- Alternate entertainment
- Board games
- Books
- Cards
- Decorations
Things To Try
- Video games/arcade games
- Indoor fireplace
- Sound system
Kitchen
Check out: Airbnb Kitchen Essentials post for further details
- Dinnerware – 1 for each guest plus 1 extra (i.e. 5 guests = 6 sets)
- Plates (large & small)
- Bowls
- Silverware
- Drinking glasses
- Knife set
- Wine glasses (one for every guest)
- Spice rack
- Pots & pans
- Bakeware
- Cookie sheets
- Measuring cups
- Mixing bowls
- Cutting board
- Toaster
- Coffee maker
- Coffee mugs (at least one for every guest)
- Drying towels
- Kitchen mat (at least in front of sink)
Things To Try
- Blender
- Barbecue utensils (& grill for outside)
- Air fryer/toaster oven
- Rice maker
- Children’s dinnerware
Office/Workspace
- Desk
- Lighting
- Easy access to outlets
- Optional: access to ethernet
- Decorations
- Trinkets
- Faux plants
Cleaning Supplies
This is for your guests to use. Your cleaner should come with cleaning supplies (unless otherwise discussed)
- Broom
- Swiffer or mop
- Basic cleaner – lightly scented, no bleach
- Dish soap
- Dishwasher pods
- Sponge
- Hand soap
- Plunger
- Toilet brush
Things To Try
- Laundry detergent
- Dryer sheets
Toiletries & Other Supplies
Check out: Airbnb Toiletries & Supplies post for further details
- Toilet paper
- Shampoo
- Conditioner
- Bar soap or body wash
- Makeup wipes
- Paper towels
- Welcome kit (per guest) – example below
- 4 K cups
- 2 water bottles
- Basket for welcome kit
- Pair of scissors
- First aid kit
- Fire extinguisher
- Iron
- Hangers
- Trash bags (main and bathroom)
Things To Try
- Perfume/cologne
- Nail file
- Shaving cream
- Sunscreen
- Hand sanitizer
- Single-use toiletries
The Backyard/Patio
This is one of the areas where looking back we felt we could’ve done much better with. So we’re going to put our small list of ‘essentials’, but we encourage you to pick some things out from the Things To Try section below to really make your backyard area a fun, inviting place.
- Patio furniture
- Chairs (one for each guest)
- Table
- Shade (umbrella if no trees)
- Patio rug
- Welcome mat for back door
Things To Try
- String lights (very popular on Airbnb)
- Hot tub
- Lounge chairs for tanning
- Large chess
- Large connect four
- Mini golf
- Fire pit
The Misfits
There are some items on our list that don’t really fit into a category above. So we’ll call this part of the list the Miscellaneous category.
- Storage cabinet for cleaner’s supplies
- Lock for storage
- Beach kit
- Umbrella
- Chairs
- Beach towels
- Welcome mat for front door
Going Above And Beyond
While this list will hopefully get you the essentials you need, it’s by no means an all-inclusive list. We encourage you to pick a theme that would suit your target audience and go all out to make the space something worth staying at. We also recommend checking out your competitors to see what they’re up to, then you can plan for some of these more untraditional items.
And just as a warning, it’s inevitable that you’ll have to purchase more than you thought. Once you get started with decorating you’ll realize that a space looks a little too bare or another item is better suited for the space. So just remember to have fun with it and create a space that you would enjoy staying at!