Dublin host funds home improvements with Homestay

When Mairead first joined Homestay, she had no experience of hosting guests in her beautiful home in the Ranelagh area of Dublin. Nine months on, she doesn't know what she'd do without it! Mairead sat down with me, to share her hosting story so far and to tell me how it's impacted on her family in the most tremendous way.

1. Why did you sign up with Homestay.com?

I first signed up as a homestay host last March with a goal of earning enough money to pay for my attic conversion. We set up a dedicated savings account for the attic project and all the money made from hosting guests has gone into it. But now, having guests stay with us has become much more than just the financial benefit. We couldn't do without it!

Our whole family gets so much out of hosting guests from all over the world. Our current guest, Julien returns to Germany in two weeks and I know we'll all be extremely sad to see him go after 4 months with us.

2. Tell us about hosting: what is it you like about the experience?

I work from home so it's quite nice to have the extra company. All our guests have been extremely helpful around the house as well, they really integrate into the family. There have been so many benefits for us since we became a host family. Our children attend a Gaelscoil where lessons are taught through Irish. As such, they've never really had a chance to know other diverse cultures.

The children are constantly absorbing the cultures of our guests and they adapt really well as they now understand how difficult it can be to move to a new country where you might not speak the language fluently. Even at the last birthday we had for one of the children, we sang Happy Birthday in English, Irish, German and Russian as our German and Russian guests taught us how.

3. Describe your home

Our home is very open, there's always lots of people passing through from the kids' friends to my clients dropping off files or our neighbours. We've a great community around us and consider ourselves close to our neighbours. We've even been given spare keys to 14 of the neighbours' homes for emergencies!

4. How do you find hosting with Homestay differs from other companies?

What I love about Homestay was that I'm able to interact with the guests lots before committing to the booking, there's a very personal touch to it. As we have four children, I like to make sure the guest is the right fit for our family. I can ask lots of questions via email or video chat. There's no commitment to cooking all the guests' meals and there's a set time for the stay period.

I feel in control with Homestay. I set the price, I can give a discount and I know what to expect from the guest's stay. Being a homestay host is like a third job for my husband and me.

5. What are your interests and hobbies?

I love Zumba and take a class twice a week. I also go for a run with my running buddy every weekend. There's a great network of Mums at my children's school so I meet them for a coffee regularly to catch up.

6. What is something that every guest should see or do in Dublin?

The first thing I recommend to my guests is to take the Hop on Hop off bus tour. It's really useful for guests who are new to the city and helps them get their bearings. It helps them understand the size of the city and become familiar with the landmarks in Dublin.

I also encourage guests to see other parts of Ireland during their stay. Ireland is so accessible that they can visit the Titanic Museum in Belfast or Galway or Cork cities without spending too much money.

7. Tell us a bit about your area, what do you like most about where you live?

Ranelagh has a busy atmosphere with about 7 cafes and 14 fantastic restaurants. I always bring my guests for a coffee and some chocolate cake in the village when they first arrive so I can show them around and get to know them.

One of the best things is how close to the city centre we are, the Luas (tram) is a short walk from our home and the journey on only takes about 7 minutes. University College Dublin is a 20-minute walk from our home as well. Ranelagh is a very safe neighbourhood and we live in a quiet cul de sac so I think guests like that about staying with us.

8. What's something great about Dublin that only a local would know?

Definitely the warmth of the people in Dublin. When my guest Sarah was staying with us she used Google Maps to help navigate everywhere she went. But, she never really got to use it! Sarah told me she'd just get her phone out before a Dublin local would approach her and ask, "Can I help you pet?" or "Where are you trying to get to love?". At first she had doubts, thinking they were trying to steal her phone but she soon realised it's simply in the nature of Dubliners to try and help someone who looks a little lost!

9. What would you say to anyone thinking of signing up as a host?

I'd say do it in a shot, don't hesitate! There's no lack of privacy, you can meet incredible people and you're earning good money to put towards something for your family. The running cost of having a guest is very small and although I thought I'd have to cook for everyone, I've found most prefer to cook for themselves really. If you're new to hosting perhaps try hosting someone more local as it's easier for you both to adjust if you've the same customs. But we've had guests from all over now and it's been brilliant. We've loved hosting so far and would simply say, give it a go, you won't be disappointed.

Mairead's beautiful attic conversion

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