A home away from home: Couple renovates house next door, turns it into cozy cottage Airbnb

Twelve or 13 years ago, the house next-door to Scott and Jamie Fielding’s home on Sheridan Street came up for sale.

With a shared driveway with their own home, they decided to quickly nab the house.

After doing some work on the inside and renting it out for a while, one day Jamie’s sister brought up the idea of turning the cozy two-bedroom, one-bathroom house into an Airbnb, where they could rent the home for a day or two at a time or longer.

Airbnb units are popular around the country as people are seeking to stay in places that provide more room than a traditional hotel with all of the amenities of home.

Having gone to several Airbnb properties previously in other cities, at first the Fieldings questioned the idea, but the more they thought about it, the more the idea made perfect sense.

With the home near the Freeborn County Fairgrounds, City Beach and Fountain Lake, they said it was a prime location in Albert Lea. Jamie said there is a need for Airbnb houses in the area, so they moved forward with the suggestion.

They opened the home in May, and so far have had people booking the home from places including Florida and California who are in town visiting family.

“It was nice to be able to get the home and make it our own and have other people enjoy it and enjoy Albert Lea,” Jamie said. “They can stay there and visit family. It’s cheaper than going to a hotel, and you have everything you need.”

The couple said they did everything from flooring, carpeting, and painting of all the rooms to installing new windows, furnace and central air in preparation of opening the home. They also remodeled the kitchen, including the countertops.

“We wanted it to feel warm and cozy,” Jamie said. “I wanted you to feel when you come in, ‘Gosh, I want to stay here.’”

The house is painted a mixture of soft blues and yellows inside, is fully furnished and features all the amenities a guest might need for their stay, including a kitchen with everything from plates, glasses and silverware to basic amenities such as seasonings for cooking, as well as coffee and snacks. The property also boasts an outdoor patio, a gas grill outdoors, a large backyard and a game room with a ping pong table and bistro area in the basement, as well as a washer and dryer and walk-in shower in the basement.

“It’s fun to decorate a different house,” Jamie said. “Our house is a different decor.”

The couple’s goal was to use their experience from staying at Airbnb properties in the past and provide the best of what they could to their own guests.

They also worked with an Airbnb superhost who lives on the East Coast. A superhost is a person who has several Airbnb properties of their own and who has high ratings. Scott said the superhost was a big help, answered questions and provided guidance to getting their own property up and running.

In addition, the couple works with Carly Solland of Miles Away Properties, who is also a superhost and who manages bookings locally.

They even tested out the house for a few months when the bathroom in their own house was getting remodeled.

“It was very very comfortable,” Scott said. “We were happy.”

Each guest who stays in the home receives a gift basket, featuring wine from Three Oak Winery, Godiva chocolate and other snacks.

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