Over the past few weeks we’ve been covering nearly every part of a property in our how to furnish an Airbnb series. While those are a breakdown of what and why we chose certain items, we never talked about the cost. Well, introducing today’s post answering how much it costs to furnish an Airbnb. We’ll use our real numbers to show you exactly what we spent as well as how you can estimate your furnishing costs. Let’s get into it!
Note: As I’m creating this post I’m going to do my best to track down the exact expense per item. It is much easier to tell you how much total we spent ($6,208.90) than to track each item. The items I can’t find will be marked with an asterisk and I will put my best guess of the price.
The Background
I thought it would be a good idea to start off with a little background as to what we were going for so you can adjust pricing. Our Airbnb was a 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom detached house. Our aim for the property was to be better than a hotel room. So we planned to have all the amenities of a hotel room with extra room, entertainment, and a few extra amenities. Now knowing that, the pricing will be a little easier to understand and adapt to your situation. For example, if you have a one bedroom you maybe will spend less, whereas if you are going all out on a 4 bedroom property you can expect to pay quite a bit more.
Furniture
Couch – $629.99
Mattress (x2) – $678.96
Master bedroom dresser – $219.99
Guest bedroom dresser – $179.99
Patio furniture set – $139.99
Nightstand (x4) – $99.98
TV stand – $105.99
Coffee table – $99.99
Dinner table – $80
Dining chairs (x4) – $240
Countertop chairs (x2) – $150
Bed frame (x2)* – ~$400
Desk – $90
Desk chair – $64.99
Linens
Pillows (set of 6) – $84.97
4 Quilt sets (Queen) – $151.96
Shower curtain (guest) – $12.99
Throw blanket (set of 2) – $26.98
Extra throw blanket – $24.99
Shower curtain (master) – $12.99
8 piece towel set – 2 bath towels, 2 hand towels, 4 washcloths (x3) – $92.97
4 piece bath towel set – $34.99
Set of sheets (x4) – $131.60
Mattress protector (x4) – $67.96
Dish towels (x3) – $8.99
Decorations
Living room rug – $34.32
Master bedroom blackout curtains – $19.95
Curtain rods (x2) – $17.32
Guest blackout curtains – $9.94
Bathroom signs (set of 3) – $24.99
Bathroom signs (set of 4) – $18.99
Master bedroom rug – $46.56
Table lamp (x4) – $79.98
Wall shelves (x2) – $50
General decorations* – ~$200
Dishes, Cookware, & Appliances
8 Piece Cookware Set – $62.39
14 Piece knife set – $39.99
16 Piece dinnerware set – $60
16 piece silverware set – $40
Spice rack – $30
Cooking utensils set – $30
Keurig – $0 (previously owned) – $119
Toaster – $14.96
Toiletries & Cleaning Supplies
25 pack of basic toiletries – shampoo, conditioner, bar soap – $36.88
500 pack of makeup wipes – $54.95
150 count small trash bags – $14.99
Toilet paper – $22.98
Paper towels – $19.98
Trash bags – $17.98
Swiffer kit – $24.94
Broom – $8.23
Cleaner – $2.99
Laundry detergent – $15.94
Dryer sheets – $9.97
Miscellaneous
August Smart Lock + Keypad – $239.20
Living room TV (58”) – $258
Multi-function shower head with hose (x2) – $48.86
Kitchen anti-fatigue mat – $16.99
Ortho essential oil home defense – $15.99
Cord cover kit – $17.99
15 ft power strip – $19.67
Curtain rings with clips – $10.99
Carbon monoxide detector (x2) – $40.98
Fire extinguisher – $25.98
Paper towel holder – $15
Storage cabinet (cleaning supplies) – $199
Storage lock – $8.99
K-cups – $27.98
Board games* – ~$100
Books – $0 (previously owned) – $50
Grand Total
Adding up everything above totals out to $6,055.10, while what I can see on our credit card statements adds up to $6,208.90. As I mentioned before, there are certainly some expenses that I missed, and some that were added on later. So, for a lightly decorated 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom house, you can expect to spend around $5,000-$7,000 for furnishings. Adjust your budget for the amount of rooms, bathrooms, style (luxury properties cost more to furnish), and if you are adding in activity rooms (game room, bar, etc.).
You can of course drop the price by thrifting or using Facebook Marketplace. We did for some of the items, but it does take a little longer to accumulate items so be aware of that when planning.
One Piece To The Puzzle
As you work through this post and adapt it to your situation, one thing I want to mention is that furnishing is only one expense to think about. While we spent a good amount of money to buy the items, it was (nearly) a one-time expense. As you operate your Airbnb you’ll be responsible for paying the mortgage or rent, utilities, lawn maintenance, etc. So while this is an in-depth guide for furnishing expenses, you’ll want to keep in mind it’s not the ONLY expense. Hopefully this has helped shed some light on how much you’ll be looking at spending to furnish your very own Airbnb!