Dublin Relocation Guide

The latest in our series of Relocation Guides is published!

Are you jetting off (or ferrying off) to Dublin anytime soon? Whether you're going for fun or work, there is lots to see and do.

Some of the highlights from our guide include how to get around best on Ireland's public transportation, some great greenery and parks including St. Stephen' Green, and some delicious places to pick up traditional (and otherwise) Irish fare!

Don't forget to check out our listings in Dublin for great deals on accommodation.

Any hot tips you'd like to share about the Emerald Isle? Drop us a line on Twitter @flatclubcom!

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8 Point Guide for 1st Booking

Thank you for joining FlatClub - and congratulations on your first booking! Now that you have a booking confirmed, we have a few tips that will help make it a great experience for you and your guest.

1. When You'll Be Paid
FlatClub will transfer payment to you 72 hours after your guest checks in. The booking is paid for in full and you do not need to do anything. Make sure you told us how to pay you and specified a preferred currency.

2. Communicating With Your Guest
Pro-active communication is best and it is a good idea to keep communication within FlatClub so that our customer service team may help if needed. You’ll receive an email with all of your guest’s contact details, and your guest will receive the same email with your information. All the booking info is stored on your FlatClub account.

3. Premium Services - Key Exchange. Cleaning. Valuables.
We offer some services to make preparing for your 1st booking even easier. We offer guest key exchange, pre- and post- booking cleanings, and storage for valuables. Purchase these services as a package or ad hoc on our site.

4. Confirm Key Delivery
If you did not filled out your key delivery preference while writing your flat description, message your guest as soon as possible to arrange how the keys will be exchanged. If you’re unable to deliver the key in person we suggest using our key delivery service for convenience and security.

5. Tidy Your Flat
Make sure that the flat or room your guest booked looks as presentable as it did in photos - if not better. If you’re unable to straighten up before their arrival, we suggest our cleaning service. You’re welcome to add a cleaning charge on to your posting for any costs incurred by cleaning the flat before and after guests.

6. Leave Instructions for Your Guest
It’s a good idea to leave directions on how to use some of the amenities of the flat if you will not be there to help the guest. For example, wi-fi passwords and and how to work the coffee maker are common questions, so preemptively answer them with a couple of notes.

7. Leave Some Entertainment Behind
Your guest will appreciate the gesture if you are leaving - whether that means a couple notes of good restaurants and attractions nearby, or some books and DVDs. This is a good way of setting yourself apart from other hosts and hotels - the extra personal touches.

8. Need Help Setting Things Up?
There is always our Premium Host Services. Whether you need to clean your flat, deliver your keys, or store your valuables, FlatClub can help you.

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5 Steps to Simplify Business Travel

Guest post from Daniel Abrahams, the Co-Founder and CEO of CurrencyTransfer!

As a gentle intro, my startup CurrencyTransfer has offices in London and Tel Aviv. We need to travel. A lot. At the start, I can personally vouch for the fact that my Co-Founder Stevan and I frittered thousands of unnecessary pounds, not to mention time. Today, I’ll share some of our war stories and how you can avoid some of the painful lessons we went through.

Whether you travel regularly on business or you are preparing for your first time doing business abroad, there are ways you can ensure the experience is a smooth and productive one. Here are 5 tips that will help you to arrive at your destination feeling refreshed and ready to do that deal of a lifetime with confidence.

1. Ensure You Are Ready To Do Business
Doing business well when abroad requires a lot of kit these days. You need a smartphone to keep in touch with clients (and the family back home), a laptop to keep on top of those important documents and contracts, a hands free car kit if you will be renting a vehicle and all of the chargers that go with that kit. It’s always worth having a spare charger on standby, but if you are lucky enough to own devices that use the microUSB multi-device charger, this makes things a lot easier.

With all of this technology at your disposal, it makes sense to take advantage of the latest travel and business apps. You’ll need a good scheduling app, Skype or a similar communications app, an app for checking out local restaurants for all that client schmoozing and a good currency conversion app. Don’t be tempted to download every travel app going. Think about what you will really need and use whilst you are on your business trip.

As a top tip, please, please, please download a mobile phone data usage app. Your cellular network probably has one. I got back from SXSW with an astronomical bill. Why? I thought I was using Wifi but the reality was somewhat different. Check in almost daily to ensure you minimise the impact of unbilled costs.

2. Pack Smart
If you have an important business meeting arranged the last thing you want to worry about is uncomfortable clothing or not bringing the right items of clothing. You also don’t want to be stressed about wrinkled clothing - business suits do not travel well in a suitcase! Investing in a good quality suit carrier will ensure your suits stay looking immaculate and that they are ready when you are. You may also want to invest in some wrinkle releaser. Simply unroll your clothes and spray them when you arrive at your hotel. And if you keep your clothes in the same colour family you’ll only need to worry about one pair of shoes.

3. Keep Your Receipts Somewhere Safe
One of the worst things about business travel is that you either have to foot the bill for expenses yourself (if you work for yourself) or go through the claim back procedure (which can take weeks) to get your money back. Instead of keeping a pocketful of receipts that could be easily lost, download a smartphone app that lets you take a photograph of each receipt and save it as a mobile receipt. This is also a great way to get organised for tax season as you’ll have all of your paperwork to hand on your phone.

4. Choose A Trusted Currency Provider
If your company is not already using a corporate currency provider for both international payments and holiday money, there are many non-bank foreign exchange companies offering excellent exchange rates and currency exchange services. It pays to shop around.

The difference between using your own bank and an FCA authorised and regulated foreign exchange company could be quite significant in terms of fees and the rate of exchange you are given and your company will also love you for checking out the best deals as it reduces their travel expenses too.

5. Embrace Those Travel Opportunities
Okay, so catching the red eye first thing in the morning might not be your idea of fun, but it can be beneficial if you look at it a different way. Catching up on emails, taking a nap or simply getting some ‘me’ time by reading the newspapers or watching a movie are all good ways to make the most of your time in the air.

Travelling is also a great way to network. Take plenty of business cards, be ready to share your LinkedIn details and take advantage of making lots of new contacts that could be good for your own business or the business you work for. Networking in this way can often lead to new ideas, mutually beneficial partnerships and lots of new leads to follow up when you get back to the office.

Good luck – the world is your oyster!

About the author: Daniel Abrahams is the Co-Founder and CEO of www.CurrencyTransfer.com, the world’s first online marketplace matching businesses with the most competitive international payment quotes. It’s sister brand, MyTravelMoney is the UK’s leading holiday money aggregator. Recently, the company was voted Wired startup of the week.

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14 Point Guide to Hosting on FlatClub

Whether you are renting a spare room, your entire home or looking for the right guest to stay while you're away - FlatClub is here to help you get it done. Check out our new compilation guide with all the tips, tricks and basics of hosting to get you started on the right foot, primed for success.

1. Make a Great Profile
A great profile does wonders to the right attention from the right guests. Think of it as your shop window. We highly recommend adding a photo of yourself & a short personal intro. When booking online, guests want to know who you are and be reassured that it's the right fit for both of you.

2. Sign Up for Best Price Guarantee
When you opt-in for Best Price Guarantee, you’re reassuring potential guests that they will not find your room or flat at a better price anywhere else. Best Price Guarantee just makes it that much easier for a guest to go ahead to send you a request. For more information, read our blog and sign up.

3. Take Advantage of our Free Services
We offer 2 free services at FlatClub: copywriting & photography. Our free photography service is available in many cities and will help your flat present at its best. These services are available to anyone who’s posted a flat. Request photography here, and copywriting here.

4. Descriptive & Informative Title
Your title should quickly inform guests of the most important pieces of info - location, room vs an entire flat, number of bedrooms, and anything else notable. If your flat is near a campus, workplace or a city landmark, it’s a good idea to mention that as well.

5. Compare Prices on Similar Flats
It’s best if new hosts price their flat a bit lower than more established hosts, as it is a way to get interest & reviews in your flat early on. Find flats in the same area as yours & around the same size, then price it just a bit lower than the comparable flats.

6. Consider Our Premium Services
We coordinate support services to make your booking process even easier. We offer guest key exchange, cleaning and valuable storage. Purchase these services as a package, or ad hoc as needed.

7. Decide on Key Delivery
When you’re writing the description of your flat, there is an option to explain how your keys will be delivered to your guest. These instructions are automatically sent to the guest when a booking is confirmed. Our suggestion is that if you’re unable to hand over the keys in person, you leave them with a trusted person or use our key delivery service.

8. Understand the Search Ranking
Our algorithm informs where and how your flat appears in the results presented to guests. There are a number of actions you can take to improve your ranking. Check them out here and do all that you can!

9. Join A Club
Joining a club verifies your membership to a university or workplace network. FlatClub has partnerships with numerous universities, companies and organizations and verified club membership provides a unique layer of trust in the FlatClub host & guest community. Search for your club, and if you don't find it request one to add to the platform!

10. Sync Your Calendar
One of the easiest ways to boost your search ranking and be a better host is to routinely update your availability. If you are already listing elsewhere on the web, the easiest way is to sync another calendar that you use with your calendar on FlatClub.

11. The Booking Process - How it Works
When a guest is interested in your flat they will do one of two things: send you a message, or just send a booking request straight away. A message means they are interested. A booking request means they are ready to pay. Responding promptly to both messages and requests are crucial to booking.

12. Communicate Proactively
Answering questions promptly and thoroughly is the most powerful way to increase the likelihood of booking your place. It reassures guests that you are reliable and responsive and gives you the opportunity to explain why your place is a perfect fit for them.

13. Accepting a Booking Request
When you accept a booking request, you will receive an email containing your guest’s phone number & email address. We recommend keeping communication within the FlatClub platform for easy organisation. It also makes it easier for our team to assist if need be.

14. Getting Paid - The Best Part!
FlatClub takes payment upfront from the guest and pays you 72 hours after your guest has checked-in. This policy is designed to ensure everything goes smoothly at check-in. You are always protected by the terms of your selected cancellation policy. Make sure that you’ve entered your preferred payment details. (‘settings’ and ‘payment info’).

Did this guide help you understand all the important parts to hosting on FlatClub? If you're ready to start - click here to post your flat. If you know someone who may want to host - we'd love it if you referred them our way.

If you'd like to get more information on any of the points above please write to info@flat-club.com.

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What is LiveDemand?

LiveDemand is a reverse marketplace, allowing hosts to browse freshly submitted guest requests and send them an offer. Best of all, it is free and a great tool for filling gaps or keeping an eye out for the perfect guest match to your flats. 

Why should I use it?


Be proactive about finding guests! If you are primarily concerned with renting your place quickly - offering a deal on your listed price is a great way to get your guests attention. 


How can I start using LiveDemand?


LiveDemand requires two simple steps to get started -- Become a Verified Host and publish at least one flat! There are several ways to get verified and our team can assist. Publishing a flat takes about 5 minutes. It's simple and intuitive and we have a short video to help.  

How can I send a guest offer?  

Go to LiveDemand on FlatClub. If it's your first time -- take the tour! Next, filter to requests in your city and browse guest requests. Clicking ‘Show Details’ on the right will display their reasons for travel & other profile information.



Once you’ve found the right guest for you select ‘Make Offer’. Choose the flat you want to offer, input your offer price per night & and your message to the guest. Click ‘Send Offer’ and look out for the guest to respond.

Having trouble submitting an offer? 

Get in touch with our team at hosts@flat-club.com. 

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