Location is, if you're an Airbnb (ABNB) host, obviously crucial but sometimes a particularly unique home is worth traveling for.
That has been the experience of 39-year-old superhost Kristie Wolfe. One of her most popular properties is an Idaho "hotel" that looks like a giant potato and attracts visitors from all over the country.
"If you love the fluffy feeling you get when you eat Idaho potatoes, you'll love staying in a giant potato turned cozy, grown-up getaway for two!" the listing reads.
Wolfe, who was featured in Parade's "What People Earn" feature, used to earn $13 an hour at an Idaho potato factory. She was also interested in everything having to do with building and, in 2010, bought a $5,000 plot of land and built a 97-square-foot tiny home for $3,000.
Courtesy of Parade/TheStreet
"I had three Airbnb rentals under my belt but I heard the Idaho Potato Commission was getting rid of a six-ton model potato that they'd used to tour the U.S.," Wolfe told Parade. "They ended up gifting me the potato and I spent $32,000 in construction to make it into a house and add a bathroom."
Potato Hotel And Suspended Treehouse
What started out as a passion project took off and, over the next decade, Wolfe started looking for cheap land where she could combine her creativity with her business vision — along with the potato hotel, she has a suspended treehouse nestled 15 feet above the grounds on stilts on Hawaii's Big Island and a forest cocoon in North Tenmile Lake, Washington.
Depending on the time of year and the specific listing, Wolfe's properties can go for between $200 and $450 a night. Many are also booked solid for months ahead as many seek them out specifically to stay in a hobbit house or a hanging treehouse.
Wolfe told parade that she earned $327,297 in 2021 from hosting but it was the potato hotel that truly set things off and helped Wolfe find a niche as a host known for "unique" properties.
"[The potato hotel] was a huge success and I've rolled the resulting income into additional unique builds," Wolfe told Parade.
You, Too, Can Be An Airbnb Host
While an understanding of construction is what helped Wolfe turn an idea into a reality, even a single ordinary house can become a significant source of both supplementary and primary income.
There are, according to numbers the short-term rental company released in December 2021, more than 4 million hosts and 6 million listings across the globe.
The typical Airbnb brings in an average of $9,600 a year. Competitors like VRBO and HomeAway offer those looking to earn some money on the side similar opportunities.
And then there are those who, like Wolfe, have made a career out of listing properties. This can take the form of seeking out and renting out properties that will work as short-term rentals, managing a single one in the style of a bed-and-breakfast or serving as the manager for someone's else home.
In all of these cases, a typical day is often spent communicating with potential guests, making the place ready between visits and resolving problems that could arise during a stay.
Investors also need to seek out locations likely to be popular with tourists while business owners will need to consider maintenance costs and day-to-day accounting and bookkeeping needs.
READ MORE ABOUT WOLFE AND OTHER PEOPLE MAKING MONEY IN NEW WAYS HERE.
