Home away from home

Flights were canceled. Hotel bookings were abandoned. Attractions closed their doors. And all of your extravagant travel plans came crashing to an abrupt halt last year.

There’s no doubt that the COVID-19 pandemic wreaked havoc on the travel industry in 2020. But now that restricitons are being lifted, people are itching to get out of the house, jump in the car and hit the road.

But some are still hesitant, and they’re intentionally avoiding crowded metropolitan areas. They’re looking for quiet, off-the-beaten-path destinations where they can get a breath of fresh air. (Literally. Goodbye masks!)

The perfect solution: a short-term vacation rental.

Whether it’s a cabin, tiny house, castle, yurt, treehouse, boat, lighthouse, igloo or just a spare room or couch, it’s a home away from home, and it’s one of the hottest things in the travel industry right now.

While there’s many different ways to list vacation rentals both online and locally, one of the most popular websites is Airbnb.

Since the first two hosts welcomed three guests to their San Francisco home in 2007, the company has grown to 4 million hosts who have welcomed more than 900 million guest arrivals in almost every country across the globe. Collectively, Airbnb hosts have earned over $110 billion. Who wouldn’t want to be a part of that?

A quick search of Airbnb listings revealed there are 14 homes available in the southwest Nebraska area of Wauneta, Enders, Imperial, Grant and Venango.

They are among Airbnb’s 5.6 million active listings in 100,000 cities. How do hosts make their homes stand out? A few area homeowners have learned a thing or two from their own vacation rental experiences.

Vacation home in Wauneta proves bold moves can pay off

No one quite knew how successful a vacation rental would be in a small town like Wauneta. “I can’t believe how busy it is. I am blown away,” said Landen Lawless.

Among his rental properties through SW NE Properties LLC, Lawless owns the house next to his own home in Wauneta. After working with his dad on a complete remodel and then renting it long-term for a year, Lawless began seriously thinking about trying out the short-term rental market earlier this year.

“I’ve stayed at a ton of Airbnbs, and I really like them,” he said.

Lawless put a lot of faith in his rental, and so far it’s exceeded his expectations. From Georgia turkey hunters to a robotics company, he’s hosted a wide variety of people in a town that doesn’t have any traditional hotel accommodations.

As someone who grew up in Wauneta, Lawless is passionate about the future of southwest Nebraska, and he’s excited that his listing is helping bring people to town, even if it’s only for a short stay. Who knows, maybe it will spark an interest for someone to move to Wauneta for a long-term stay!

Lawless said Airbnb was a lot easier than he thought it would be. Hosts can sign up for free with no strings attached and no membership fees. Airbnb handles the taxes, manages the booking calendar and sends payments to the hosts. Lawless said Airbnb does keep a small percentage of the rate for each night that is booked, “but it’s worth it. It’s really not that much.”

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