How a frequent traveller prepped his Annex house for Airbnb—and how much he’s making

Tullio Bugada

Waste management company founder
Airbnbing since: 2017 Rate: $300 to $500 per night Yearly home-share earnings: $25,000 Location: The Annex

Last spring, Tullio bought a three-­bedroom, 19th-­century row house to use as his bachelor pad. He travels a lot—he regularly visits family in Italy, and likes to go on hunting and fishing adventures—so he renovated with ­Airbnbing in mind. To him, that meant making the place look stylish, but not investing in super-expensive furnishings and art, in case of unruly visitors. To charm guests, he gave the bedrooms themes. There’s a 1980s room, with pop-art posters and geo­metric decor, and an underwater room, with blue ­furnishings and a trio of aquatic-themed sculptures hanging on the wall.

After a few months and $120,000 in upgrades, including a full basement renovation and the installation of some new tile flooring, Tullio was ready to rent. Because he lives by himself, he doesn’t have to do much decluttering before guests arrive.

He keeps the freezer stocked with pizzas for guests to eat in a pinch. He’ll also sometimes leave some moose meat for them to sample.

There are Bose speakers on all three floors, and a fireplace in the living room:

Here’s the dining area:

The loft is his bedroom, and it’s where he keeps personal belongings, like his clothes and artwork his daughter made:

The 1980s room is Tullio’s favourite. It has a trundle bed: