To be or not to airbnb

When we arrived here a year ago, it was with a large dose of “we’ll see”. Fortunately, because you really can’t predict or plan a move like this. What was clear was that we wanted to be able to welcome people. We transformed our upper floor into a two-room apartment. First and foremost, of course, for friends and family. We thought it would be a shame to have a swimming pond, sauna and jacuzzi just for ourselves.

We don’t intend to make a living from tourism. But what then? In the end, we decided to register the apartment for rental: a lot of paperwork and an inspection later, we are the proud owners of one “star”. Important points for improvement: skirting boards everywhere and extra lighting on the bathroom mirror. Sauna, swimming pool, jacuzzi, outdoor kitchen: none of that matters. Well, those people have their checklist, which we are familiar with in Belgium too, of course.

Step 2: getting it rented out. Actually, we don’t want “ordinary” tourists, but people who want to escape the rat race, step back in time, connect with nature and each other, simplicity and tranquillity. Enjoying a glass of wine together at the garden table. Even those who are on the verge of burnout can spend hours here bird watching, staring into the fire, walking and cycling endlessly. But how do you find the perfect guests? In the end, we decided to put ourselves on Campspace (a really cool site), but also on Airbnb to gain some experience. Because: is it really that easy to just welcome guests? With a little trepidation: what kind of people are we going to see coming?

It turns out that it’s mainly large families who want to visit the Balaton area at the last minute. Help! Families with young children are welcome, but we’re not going to put our swimming pond behind a fence, and a sauna is not suitable for children either. Of course, Mazy is a real kid-friendly dog, and there are frogs in the pond and a big walnut tree you can climb. And space, lots and lots of space. So it’s definitely nice for kids who like to play outside.

Two families later, it’s clear: it has to click.

Family 1 left after only two hours: far too dangerous (you can fall down the stairs or drown in the pond), a spider just wandered in through the open door (photo sent to Airbnb as a complaint), and there are yucky “animals” in the pond. We let them cancel free of charge: I really didn’t want to listen to a week of complaints. And if kids aren’t allowed to get dirty, there’s really nothing to do here.

Family 2 has been here for 3 days now: in the morning, the 2 youngest (6 & 8) skip downstairs, feed the chicken, play with the dog, catch frogs and climb trees while mum and dad sleep in/have breakfast. The children of family 2 look much happier.

We did adjust our Airbnb text and photos: there is a dog running loose here, the swimming pond is deep enough to swim in, and anyone who wants to jump in naked is welcome. A few hippie-style signs and a fire pit with cheerful wooden stools (handcrafted by Stijn and Seunghee) should create the right atmosphere. Exciting!

Please note: friends and family can still book through our site at half price, but with a few paying guests and a couple of family members coming, you’ll have to look to the end of September for an available period. And of course, the holiday season will be over by then, so that calendar will probably remain empty until next spring.