Our 340 sq ft Beach Condo Remodel: Before & After

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Buying your first short-term rental investment property is exciting, yet I know firsthand how overwhelming it can feel! Today, I am going to share the BEFORE and AFTER of our first beach condo remodel, along with links and space-saving tips. At the time of updating this post, in late 2023, we have scaled up to four short-term rentals and are among the top-rated Airbnb hosts in the area!

First of all, you’ll notice that Our Little Lifestyle is a family travel and Airbnb hosting space and is not a design blog. I actually never thought that I enjoyed interior design. However, it may be the mathematician in me, but when given 340 square feet and told to figure out how to maximize the space, it was game on. And I actually loved doing it!

Since then, I have designed all our investment properties, making them all unique. Check out some of my beach condo decor ideas and furniture inspiration boards! I am also updating this post now so that I can link to all of the free Airbnb hosting resources I have published since then. I have learned a lot since this first 30A Beach condo remodel!

Our First 30A Beach Condo Remodel

In this 2023 update, I want to point out that this unit has been a rental for over three years and hosted hundreds of couples. I am proud to say that it has earned a 4.99 rating with 180 5-star reviews and just a single 4-star review. I did cry a little on that one, mainly because he left a great review. However, he was new to Airbnb and compared us to a 5-star hotel, which is different from the intention of the reviews.

And I am beyond happy with how our Seacrest Beach condo remodel turned out!

It hardly looks like the same space. Of course, the paint made a huge difference. But changing up the layout and utilizing functional furniture really helped!

So, let’s get into the details of how we made this happen. In this blog post, I will share all of our small beach condo decorating ideas!

The Space: a 340 Square Foot Beach Condo Remodel

I mentioned above that our condo is only 340 square feet. When we purchased it in 2020, it was probably the smallest and one of the cheapest pieces of property on 30A. Howver, it’s on 30A, and that’s all I need!

Literally, our street address is East County Highway 30A. As I mentioned in my previous posts, the location is everything for us, and this unit lets us be just steps from Rosemary Beach, Florida, but without the Rosemary Beach price tag. Don’t get me wrong, it was one heck of an investment. We paid almost $650/ sq foot, and when renovating it, we set out to make every inch count. What’s funny is, looking back, that was a great deal. Prices have doubled since then. However, selling it isn’t even on my radar because this unit is my top money-maker of the four. It ran a 97% occupancy rate in 2022!

Why This Unit?

I was drawn to this 30A condo for over a year. It’s crazy to look back at how long things sat on the market prior to 2020. In fact, we toured this exact unit and made an offer a year earlier, but Matt didn’t completely understand my vision. It was green and had a lot of stuff inside it. It had never been a rental before, and all of that belonged to the couple who used it as a 30A vacation home.

What I liked was the larger kitchen area. Most of the studio units in this complex have tiny hotel-type setups with a small dorm fridge and tiny sink. But what really stole my heart was the balcony. In peak season, live music is downstairs; you can hear it from the balcony. That tiny extra space could go a long way, whether used for coffee while your family sleeps inside or a glass of wine at naptime. The oversized sliding doors let in a lot of light, and I knew we could pull off something light and airy!

We just needed a 5-gallon bucket of white paint and a handyman. Luckily, we found both! While this may now be a Coastal Interior Design blog (haha), at least for this post, it is most definitely not a DIY blog.

Vacation Rental Paint: Let’s Make It White

The first step was to paint it white. We hit the walls, moldings, doors, and everything else with the same color. We used Sherman Williams Paint & Primer in One Ultra White. They did two coats on everything to ensure that green was hidden entirely.

I am still blown away at the difference the white paint makes! We also switched out all knobs to iron-rubbed bronze and installed a new Smart Lock on the main door. I love how we can set codes and monitor the lock remotely. It’s already come in handy! We had a guest check out recently, and I noticed the lock was still unlocked an hour later, so I locked it up from the app on my phone.

Our Studio Condo Project: The Kitchen

In the last photo, you got a peek at the kitchen, so let’s hit on that area first. I mentioned above that the larger kitchen was a draw for me. The previous owners had remodeled it a couple of years ago, so it offered higher-end custom cabinetry, a backsplash, granite countertops, a large sink, a ceramic cooktop, a Kitchenaid toaster oven, and the refrigerator. So, all we had to do was clean the cabinets and purchase new dishes, glasses, flatware, and a coffeemaker.

TIP: You can check out my list of kitchen and dining recommendations here.

We were even able to clean the rugs and keep them. I plan to eventually replace them with a tan, natural-texture rug, but they are subject to a lot of sand and wear and tear, so we left these for now as we see what works and what doesn’t.

However, in hindsight, I wish I had just removed the smaller kitchen rug and replaced the main rug from the start. That would have allowed them to be in the Airbnb listing photos. I have since removed the smaller rug and still have the larger one in there. I have had it cleaned numerous times but have hesitated to replace it as I want to keep my photos the same.

While the backsplash was overwhelming with the green paint, it provided the perfect amount of color and contrast to our current white paint. We purchased a Keurig Slim, which saves so much space! I noticed that the colors look different above. Their photos have a very blue tint to them. The actual Kitchenaid Convection Toaster Oven is in the color Aqua-Sky, a lovely teal that coordinates perfectly with the Rosemary Beach coffee cups.

The Bed

The bed is the most essential piece in a vacation rental, especially a studio. The previous owners had a full bed tucked back into the corner, and even at that size, it was hard to get in and out. We opted to purchase a queen bed and move it to the opposite wall to give guests space on both sides. This was a critical part of our beach condo remodel process.

After countless hours trying to find exactly what I was envisioning, I found the perfect bed at Overstock.com! And it was a fraction of the price of the other ones I looked at. The color on the listing says White, but it is actually more of a natural cream tone and ended up a literal perfect match to the table. I’ll share that later in my beach condo remodel blog post!

BED: The Gray Barn Hidden Cove Arch Cut Out Platform Bed, White

I ended up using this bed in our first two studios before it generally became out of stock. Since then, I have been using a different bed and have a Best Bed For Your Airbnb blog post with all of those details!

We know that part of owning a vacation rental is replacing the mattress occasionally, so we didn’t want to invest in something pricey.

These days, so many affordable memory foam or hybrid options come in a box, and we decided to go with a 12″ memory foam option from Wayfair Sleep. With almost 40,000 reviews, it has 4.5 stars; at under $400, we can replace it when needed. I have slept on it many nights and am pleased with it!

In the years since we have transitioned to using the Zinnus 12″ Green Tea Mattresses in all of our condos. I receive continuous praise from our guests, mentioning how comfortable our beds are!

We also realize that bedding will need to be replaced often, and we needed 4 or so sets of everything in order for the cleaners to launder and rotate them. So, we found something middle of the road with great reviews.

My Airbnb bedding recipe has proved to be top-notch over the years. I have used my tried and true favorites for years and have no plans to change. My Best Bedding For Your Airbnb blog post has links to everything and some factors I considered when choosing these!

MATTRESS: Wayfair Sleep 10″ Medium Memory Foam Mattress

DUVET COVER: Nestl Bedding Duvet Cover 3 Piece Set

SHEETS: HC Collection Bed Sheets Set

BLANKETS: Bedsure Fleece Blanket

CURTAINS: H.VERSAILTEX Linen Curtains

My Amazon Storefront has a section where I have every single piece of linen, including bedding, towels, curtains, bath mats, etc. So, check out my Best Bedding, Mattress, Beds & Towels For Airbnbs board.

Making The Most Out of A Tiny Dining / Work Space

Most of these studios do not offer a dedicated place for dining or workspace. But then again, most don’t have our mid-sized kitchenette. As a family travel blogger who works on the go, I knew I needed somewhere to set up my laptop. And being a mom, I knew the kids needed somewhere to eat at our Seacrest Beach condo.

I found the perfect table for our beach condo remodel via Ashley Furniture. It is over 6 feet long and fits that wall perfectly. At 18″ deep, it provides ample depth without feeling bulky. This was my favorite find of this whole process! When updating this post, I was very surprised to find it on sale for under $350!

TABLE: Ashley Furniture Skempton Counter Height Dining Room Table and Bar Stools

And, as I mentioned above, it is perfect with the bed. I think the universe threw me a bone here. The finishes are almost exact, and they both have the same tapered legs.

Above the table, you will find vintage pictures from the Florida panhandle. I found these on FloridaMemory.com, which is such a fun resource to look through if you love Florida as much as I do!

Airbnb Studio Condo Living Space

We are now using the area where the bed used to be as the living space. Here is the tricky part. So far, the condo sleeps 2, and we are a family of 4. I set out to find the perfect piece for that area. Again, I wanted to maximize the use of that open wall during this beach condo remodel.

The thing is that I hate sofa beds. They are almost never comfortable or bulky, and once you open them, they take up so much space. I ended up finding a great convertible sectional for this area that is perfect for 1-2 young children.

CONVERTIBLE SECTIONAL: Whitby 85″ Reversible Sofa & Chaise

The longer end opens and is where we store pillows and bedding for that bed. Most of our rental guests have been couples or couples with a baby, so our family is probably the largest group that would use a condo like ours. That said, we have been very comfortable there. The kids love being able to lounge around over there. It was one of my favorite finds for our Seacrest Beach condo remodel.

I found a great little wooden table at TJ MAXX that makes the perfect “coffee table.” When guests need to use the sofa bed, it fits nicely at the foot of the queen bed, as seen in the above photo. We topped it with The Magnolia Story and a wonderful book of short poems by Morgan Harper Nicols for some easy reading. I can’t find the bench/table online, but this one from IKEA is similar.

I found a great deal on this television! It’s a TCL Roku Smart TV that I purchased at Walmart for $278! These are great because you can put them into Guest Mode, allowing the guests to log into their own apps while visiting. They can also set the checkout date and automatically be logged out at the end of their stay.

These TVs have become a favorite of time and are the only ones I use in all of my units. The ability to activate guest mode is fantastic!

Bathroom

I wish I could have updated the bathroom a little more than we did, but at this point, the expense would have been pretty high. And I am torn on the tub because couples with toddlers probably want the option to have a tub. We did, however, replace the mirror, shower curtains, and accessories. I also added a lot of hooks both on the door, in the shower, and along the wall.

MIRROR: MCS 24×36 Inch Chevron, 30×42 Overall Size, Marble Mirror, 30 x 42 Inch

SHOWER CURTAIN: mDesign Hotel Quality Polyester/Cotton Blend Fabric Shower Curtain with Waffle Weave

HOOKS: Double Prong Robe Hooks

We actually have a set of white hooks on every door in the condo. We have already gotten feedback on how helpful they are! In addition, you can find all of my vacation rental bathroom favorites linked here.

Balcony

My favorite part! They left us this white Polywood chair which we love, so that had to stay. So, we had to find a narrow dining set, and Kirkland’s delivered.

PATIO SET: 3-pc. Bistro Cafe Set

Lights & Flooring

We didn’t have to change a thing. The previous owners upgraded the floors, and they were exactly what we wanted. Eventually, I would love to do tile or wood in the bathroom during a future Seacrest Beach condo remodel.

We kept all of the lights they had. The black chandelier above the bed was a big point of contention. Matt hates it. I don’t mind it; it kind of types with the kitchen and doorknobs well. And I know this may sound silly, but I knew how much the previous couple loved this place. I just felt like it had to stay. Oh my goodness, I am getting teary-eyed. I don’t know why I get so sentimental.

Anyway, I hope that you enjoyed this 30A Seacrest Beach condo remodel post! This was such a fun project, and I am already wanting to take on another one.

SPOILER ALERT: I did! And then even more! Choosing to purchase investment properties and self-manage our listings on Airbnb has been life-changing for my family.

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