We made it through our first summer hosting on Airbnb, welcoming 23 different families over the past three months — and more importantly, the duplex survived it all. Our first rental season came with plenty of hiccups, a few high-anxiety moments, and a surprising number of quick lessons. This week we’re pulling back the curtain on a busy summer of learning hospitality basics while juggling guests, turnovers, and yes, a very full jug of laundry detergent. Sherry also wraps up a long-running personal renovation, and a small change in our routine led us to rethink how we approach dinner prep.
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What’s New
- Sherry’s Invisalign journey has been mentioned in many episodes. The story actually starts back in October 2016 on Episode #20 if you want the origin of the saga.
- We also dug up an old GIF from Episode #64 that shows the variety of dental hardware she’s worked through. Invisalign for complicated mouths often involves more than clear trays — there are attachments and elastics involved, and that’s been part of her experience.
Our First Rental Season
- One memorable moment: the infamous bulk laundry detergent bottle that split open all over the floor during a Saturday turnover. It was completely full when it fell. The photo shrinks the scale a bit, but that bottle is nearly as large as our kitchen sink.
- We shared a tour of the duplex closets and the sleeping nooks earlier in the season, which shows what we provide for guests and how we arranged storage in the owners’ closet. Those posts include wallpapered sleeping nooks and practical packing tips for guests.
- Before renters arrived, we filmed a full video tour of both sides of the duplex. You’ll spot small breakable items — like marble coasters — that we later removed after realizing they weren’t guest-proof. We originally posted the video and a walkthrough of design choices for each unit.
Note: If you’re reading in a feed reader you may need to click through to see embedded video content.
- We’ll be sharing a follow-up detailing what it actually takes to prepare each side of the duplex for new guests every Saturday. Even with outside cleaning help, the turnover process surprised us. We’ve already made an operational change to make next summer faster and less stressful.
- We’re also planning a transparent post about the financial side of running an Airbnb — the unexpected recurring costs like taxes, insurance, and consumables. The first 90 days taught us a lot, and we’ll be sharing those lessons across a few posts and podcast episodes.
We’re Digging
- This summer we both read Simple Happy Parenting and found it a helpful reminder about simplicity and intentional routines. It inspired us to refocus on minimalism ideas we’ve been practicing.
- Simplicity Parenting is a book Sherry returns to often. It inspired one of our big parenting changes a few years ago: getting rid of half the toys. That shift made a noticeable difference in our household.
- For the beach house we bought inexpensive nylon kids’ knives so the children could safely help with dinner prep. We also picked up a similar set to keep at home so the kids can stay involved in cooking without needing close, constant supervision.
- If you caught the “Deep and not so dump” bit in the intro, that was a playful reference to a mixed-up Instagram story where I might have said “I have to take the dog out.” Watching the whole clip explains the mix-up and we shared a laugh about it.
If you’re trying to find a topic we covered in a past episode but can’t remember which show notes to open, we’ve compiled a master list of segments and recommendations. We also keep a Book Club page with every book we’ve mentioned.
A quick thank you to Agility Bed for sponsoring this episode. They offered a seasonal discount when we first returned to podcasting and provide a trial and free shipping for new customers.
Thanks for listening and reading. We learned a ton this summer and are excited to share the practical takeaways — from guest-ready checklists to cost breakdowns — in upcoming posts and episodes.
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