In part 1 we covered the bed itself. Here we'll cover the rest of the room. When it comes to the bedroom furniture for Airbnb, less is more. It is a real detractor when there's just a walkway around the bed because the room is full of furniture that's not needed as a guest like a chest of drawers. At the same time, there are things that are great to have both functionally and that makes for a good listing picture.

We continue with the main idea that you're setting up a guest room in your place of living. There might be more or less needed if you're listing an entire place. Just keep these principals in mind while setting up the room.

Nightstands

These need to match each other but don't need to be the matching set to the bed frame. They should be in fairly decent shape but don't have to be brand new. If you already have nightstands, they will probably work. If you don't, if you can find just flat top nightstands they work really well. Drawers in nightstands won't really be used by guests, and just gives you more to clean and keep track of. Ikea has some nice basic single color flat top end tables that can work great for this.

There's one thing you need to have on the nightstand. Lamps. It doesn't seem like it, but they're one of those little things that make a big difference both on functionality and cosmetically. The lamps should match, and be in decent shape. If they're the type where the power button is on the cord like most Ikea lamps, get some sticky velcro to attach the power button to the lamp itself.

The last thing to make sure with the nightstands is that there is a power plug easily accessible for guests to plug in their phone chargers. You can also get lamps with USB ports for guests to plug their phone charger cord into. Alternatively, you can run a simple 3-in-1 extension cord like the type you'd use for Christmas lights.

Desk & Office Chair

Even if you have a smaller room, having a desk guests can work on with their laptops is a major benefit. You want it big enough to work on, but don't get something that blocks a lot of space for moving around the room. If you're buying a desk, just getting a flat-top desk without drawers will make it easier to clean and still gives the guest what they need. On the desk, run a 6-in-1 power plug strip so guests can plug in their laptop, phone, tablet, and other electronics. Since many guests won't find the Wifi password in the Airbnb App, you'll also want a Wifi Sign with that information unless you plan on messaging them that info. You can buy one or just get a frame and print one. Another nice touch is a small Desk Lamp.

Along with the desk, a comfortable chair to work from is a key component to a room that people want to stay at. This doesn't have to be new, you can often times find a used nice office chair for very little cost. Also note that if your carpet is thick, you might need a plastic chair mat.

Under the desk is a good place to put a trash can for guests as well, at least a 7.5 gallon, but 10 gallons and 13 gallons work well.

Smart TV

If you have a larger desk towards the foot of the bed in the room, you can put the TV on the desk. Otherwise, hang it at the foot of the bed on the wall. Get at least a 32" TV. If you have a basic TV you can get an Amazon FireTV stick or a Roku stick. You'll also want to have at least one streaming service set up for guests to use; Netflix (preferred currently), Hulu, Amazon Prime, and/or Disney Plus. You don't need to have a cable subscription or local channel TV.

Helpful Netflix Tip: Create an Airbnb profile, and set the picture to the house from "Fuller House".

Microwave & Minifridge

If you're renting out the entire place like an apartment or house, then these aren't worth the investment. However, if you're listing just a private room, these make for a huge bonus for guests. It also helps keep guests from going in and out of your kitchen. Leave some water bottles in the fridge, bulk Kirkland from Costco works great for this. You can place the microwave on top of the fridge, and if the fridge is really small you can get a small flattop table similar to a nightstand to put it on.

Closet and Extras

If the room has a closet, also make sure a clothes pole is installed for people to hang up their closes. If there isn't a closet built into the room, you can get a wardrobe closet or armoire. Something simple that doesn't take up a lot of space as you still want to keep the room open.

In the closet leave about a half dozen hangers for guests to use. Leave an extra blanket and some extra pillows in the closet. You'll also want a fan, and if it's a cold basement or place you may want to leave a space heater. An oil-filled radiator heater is probably the way to go, uses little energy and will warm any room really well. Both a fan and a space heater combo can work as well.

Finally, the door for the bedroom needs to be lockable. A simple key doorknob will work. Keys will be lost so be prepared to make replacements. Alternatively, you can get a keypad doorknob. This is a little more expensive upfront but gives you the ability to change the code and not worry about keys being lost. If you do go with a keypad doorknob, you will probably want to do the same for the entry door to the house.

You may also consider putting an Airbnb Logo on the door of your guestroom, and the guest bathroom if it's not connected. This makes it easier for guests to find their room and remember which one is theirs. If you have multiple rooms next to each other that you host you may also need numbers. Just don't put the logo on the exterior of your house, as many ordinances won't allow that. You should get something unique for the outside of your house to make it easy for guests to know which house to go to.

Wallart can make a big difference in people clicking on your listing. Impossible to make a recommendation because each room and area is different. Instead, check out an Amazon search for wall art. Basically something that goes with the place that catches the eye, but is also fairly inexpensive so that if it's ruined you're fine with it.

Where to buy and cost

There's nothing wrong with used things as long as it's in good shape. That's exactly what people are expecting, something that is similar to what you would have your guest room even if you're not running Airbnb. So check your local classified sites, craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, second-hand stores like Goodwill, Savers, DI, or others.

As a tip for some of the bigger things, you can rent a vehicle and/or trailer from Uhaul or some local equivalent. Most vehicles can haul a small 5' x 8' trailer, and it will work perfectly for transporting this furniture.

You can go to a discount or liquidation store, but otherwise Walmart, Target, Amazon, Costco, and other stores like that you'll be able to find what you need. Also check out our Airbnb Host Supplies Collection, which links to Amazon products in a nice organized way for hosts.

Just keep the principals outlined above in mind, and get something that works for your situation and preference, and you should be good.

These are some new cost estimates with links to our Airbnb Host Supplies links. What you find in your area may vary for used items too.

Nightstands
Lamp with USB plug
Power Strip on Desk
Wifi Sign
Desk
Desk Lamp
Office Chair
Smart TV
Fan
Trash Can
Microwave
Minifridge
Keyed Doorknob
Hangers
Wallart

Other Possibilities
Fire Stick TV
Wardrobe Armoire
Space Heater
Chair Mat
Keypad Doorknob

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