Airbnb has revolutionized the hospitality industry in that anyone can offer their home, a granny flat/in-law unit or even just a home in their house out to guests. For travelers, this means a larger variety of places and price points they can stay at, while for owners, this means a way to generate more income from your home or rental!
One common question that we’ve heard is, “are murphy beds a good investment for my Airbnb?” There are several factors to consider with this, but in general, we say yes!!
Why Add a Murphy Bed to Your Airbnb?
Many people are converting their backyard in-law unit or even bedrooms in their house to an Airbnb rental for additional income, or even just to meet new people. A murphy bed helps maximize the space of these rentals, but especially rentals of smaller foot space.
Another common comment on Airbnb feedback is the comfort of the bed. Adding a sofa sleeper or futon is a cheap way to add sleeping space to a bed, but it is not a comfortable one. Our murphy beds can hold a full sized standard mattress so your guests are sleeping on a real bed. We joke that are wallbeds so comfortable that you’ll have trouble kicking your guests out of the house!!!
Below is one comment on an Airbnb thread:
Another point that Airbnb even makes, is to focus on function and ease of use for your Airbnb furniture. Our Murphy beds are both safe and extremely simple to use, with either hand holds or a fold out foot that works as a handle to pull the bed down. The mechanisms ensure that the bed will never fall on anyone and are safe around kids, and easy to push back up, even for more mature guests. The other benefit is that our beds can be put away with the sheets on them, so they are instantly ready for use at night.
Murphy Bed Price Point
Our Murphy beds come in a variety of price points and when you are shopping for a murphy bed that will be used for income rather than for personal use, you may have different price point considerations. We understand that you want to be maximizing income and costs and may be looking for a smaller price point. We love all of our beds and there are some great murphy bed options available for under $2,500
How to Use a Murphy Bed to Add Income
Through Airbnb, you can rent out as much or as little of your home as you want. However, adding additional space and even living area for your guests to use during the day is always a bonus. After a long day of exploring, guests want to have the space to relax without feeling cramped. Especially if you are in a large city or area with space is a commodity and your studio or apartment is in a central location but on the smaller side.
Several of our customers and even employees have added a murphy bed to their in-law unit and during the summer months, rent out their main house and live in their in-law unit to maximize profits during peak travel season. You can guarantee that they would only do this if they knew that it would be a comfortable night’s sleep and a practical way for them to live!
Another great way to rent out space is to traveling nurses, EMTs and other healthcare workers who have several month contracts and want a comfortable place to stay (or maybe just rest their head between shifts!)
As you can see, there are endless ways to maximize your home and plan for an Airbnb. Here are a few listings we found of Superhosts (an elite top ranking in Airbnb) that also feature murphy beds or wallbeds.
San Francisco https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/3994686
Seattle https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/18918233
Our previous article also covers some ways that Murphy Beds Allow More Space and Visitors to an Airbnb
