The Best Carpets For A Short Term Rental
A lot of Airbnb owners only do the bare minimum to furnish their property for their guests a leave out carpets. As a result, most Airbnb rooms feel like they were meant only for renting out exclusively to guests. The resultant rooms just don’t feel homely and inviting enough.
There are many tricks that you can implement to make your property feel more like a home for your guests. One of those is adding a carpet to the room. A carpet can really elevate the whole look and feel of a room. There also many things you can do wrong when buying one. Let us show you the right way to go about it with our experience.
What to look for in a carpet?
Picking a carpet depends on the purpose of the room. The higher the footfall and moving around in a room, the tougher and denser the carpet you want. In a room where movement is sparse, you can put in a softer pile that will feel relaxing and luxurious.
You can tell the density and resilience of the carpet by pushing your thumb down on it. If it springs back and recovers quickly, it is denser and more resilient. That kind of carpet would be perfect for a common area or room where there is a lot of activity. Also, a denser carpet, with less area between the tufts will last longer. If there are large gaps it means the carpet will lose its resilience quickly.
While picking a color, pick something dark for a common area and something lighter for the bedroom. Darker carpets will be more resilient to discoloration. So you should put them in high footfall areas. Lighter carpets make the bedroom feel more relaxing. That is just our preference but should work for most rooms.
Your options for carpet material are wool, wool with a synthetic mix, polypropylene, nylon or polyester. Wool and natural materials make for higher quality carpets and are more expensive. Other materials are easier to maintain and you won’t feel the pinch when it eventually gets stained.
You can either go for a woven carpet or tufted carpet. There are a lot of choices for the texture for each one. It is best to visit a local store to get a feel for what you want and then order them online. Woven carpets require some labor so are more expensive. Tufted carpets are usually manufactured by machines but are more popular because they are cost-effective.
Get an underlay for the carpet. You can have either a rubber or foam underlay. It acts as a shock absorber and makes the carpet feel fuller under the feet. It also reduces noise if you are renting out a top floor in a duplex. A heavy-duty underlay can increase the life of your carpet and can be reused even if the carpet wears out.
Recommendations for Amazon:
Lochas Ultra Soft Indoor Modern Area Rug: This one has a velvety surface, sponge interlayer and non-slip plastic spots on the bottom. The velvety fur has a super soft feeling. This one is very versatile, easy to clean and inexpensive. It comes in 12 colors.
PAGISOFE Soft Kids Rug Nursery Decor Bedroom Living Room Carpet: If you are running a family-oriented Airbnb then you can pick this one for the kid’s room or for a general area where kids will play around in. It comes at 5.3 feet long and 4 feet wide and is available in many patterns and colors. This one also has a velvet surface that will be more kind to the children’s knees.
YJ.GWL Super Soft Faux Sheepskin Fur Area Rugs for Bedroom Floor: This one is a super soft faux fur rug that is perfect for the bedside. It will be perfect to wake up to in the morning for your guests. It is also inexpensive while feeling like a treat to walk on. It is machine washable so it should be easy to maintain. It is also hypoallergenic and skin-friendly.
Hihome Round Area Rugs Retro Floral Shag: If you want to go for something fancy and oriental then this one feels straight out a high-end decor. It is also not very expensive. It is anti-slip and has a woven texture. It is easy to clean, being a stain, fade, and wear-resistant carpet. It is very fashionable and is perfect for the kitchen, bathroom, bedroom, living room, door entrances or patio entryways.
Precautions to take:
Before actually buying a carpet, measure out the dimensions of the room. You don’t want to get something that is too large or too small. Leave about a foot of area from the wall. Don’t have a small carpet in the middle of a room where it can look like an afterthought and out of place.
Regardless of whether you are getting a new carpet or if you are repurposing an old one, it is very important to take good care of your carpet. Have carpet cleaning solutions to prevent stains. Clean spills and stains immediately to prevent loss of color. Do not rub or soak the carpet in water. Remove solid residue by gently scraping it. For liquid spills, blot up with a paper towel and then use the carpet stain remover. Vacuum it thoroughly, at least once a week, to prevent the buildup of dust and gunk. For long term maintenance, have it deep cleaned at least once a year.
If you are on a budget we suggest getting a softer carpet for the bedroom rather than get a denser carpet for a general area. The denser carpet will have to take a lot of foot traffic and will be subject to spills and stains. Eventually, you’ll have to replace it. If you want to save money, rather than getting a one which is going to be mostly ignored in the general area, get a soft one for the bedroom where there is an expectation of comfort. Nobody expects a common area floor to be covered but a bare floor in a bedroom feels empty and lacking.
Love,
Scooch and Steve
