Keeping Houfy Free: Subscriptions, Verification & Other FAQs

Yes, Hosts who will be using our Free Plan for basic listings will stay FREE. However: All hosts will be required to pay a 1 time host verification fee of $5.99 on or before February 15th 2024.

The Host verification fee is PER HOST and NOT PER LISTING

Let's answer WHY Houfy has been FREE all this time.

1. Building What Hosts Want, Embracing the DIY Spirit: Houfy's commitment to being free stems from a deep-rooted desire to create a platform that truly serves the needs and wants of hosts, solving the industry's pain points. It's a symbiotic relationship: we provide the platform, and in return, hosts champion their own listings through self-marketing. This unique approach doesn't just set Houfy apart; it's a reflection of our mission to empower hosts, encouraging proactive involvement in both the growth and evolution of the platform, and aligning with the Book Direct movement. By doing so, we're not just offering a service, we're supporting a vision where hosts retain full control and autonomy.
   
2. Flexibility to Evolve and Enhance: Our free model has afforded us the flexibility to adapt, enhance, and occasionally rectify features without the immediate pressure to be flawless. Think of Houfy as a community-driven project, where patience is part of the journey, allowing us to respond thoughtfully to feedback and grow in tandem with our users. This approach is pivotal to our vision of building a platform that truly resonates with the community's needs, embracing the principles of the Book Direct movement.
   
3. Cultivating a Community Committed to the Book Direct Vision: At the heart of Houfy is the goal to cultivate a genuine sense of community. It’s about all of us coming together to contribute to something larger than ourselves. Your success in leveraging the platform and seeing tangible results is a testament to this collective effort. We acknowledge that the importance of promoting your listings, a key aspect of keeping this community and the Book Direct ethos thriving, may need clearer communication. Our priority was to first establish a robust product, shaped by your valuable feedback. Thanks to this collaborative effort, we're steadily progressing towards realizing our shared vision of a free, open, and direct marketplace.

Without all of you, Houfy would not be where it is today.

Understanding Houfy's Pricing Structure

While we continue to uphold our history of free services, it's important to acknowledge that, to date, the platform has been operating at a growing loss, which has been absorbed by the founder. This context underlines the need for a sustainable development approach and the introduction of an inclusive pricing model that caters to a diverse range of hosting needs, from basic functionalities in line with the Book Direct mission to more comprehensive features at a ridiculously minimal cost.

Introducing the Verification Fee

In our ongoing effort to enhance Houfy and support our community, we're introducing a small but significant change: starting February 15th, 2024, a one-time host verification fee of $5.99 will be implemented.

This fee applies to all hosts, whether you’ve been with us from the start or are just joining. Importantly, it's a per-host fee and NOT per listing. Think of it as your one-time ticket to joining the 'Book Direct Club', the movement that is trying to do away with OTA's and middlemen commissions. This step is our way of balancing the platform's free nature with a commitment to improved security and trust.

Why the Verification Fee?

It's not just about an additional charge; it’s about what this fee enables us to do:

1. Expanding Opportunities and Credibility: This fee is a key to unlocking new partnerships and marketing avenues. It’s about giving Houfy a stronger foundation to promote your properties more effectively and expand our reach. With these funds, we can forge strategic partnerships that open up new possibilities for all our hosts.
   
2. Enhancing Trust and Security: More than anything, this fee is an investment in trust and safety. It's about creating a more secure environment for both hosts and guests. By implementing this fee, we’re taking a proactive step towards ensuring that every interaction on Houfy is built on a foundation of trust and confidence.

Transitioning to Houfy's Subscription Plans

To uphold our mission and foster further growth, a shift in our revenue model is imperative. By introducing a freemium model, where hosts can opt for a small monthly subscription fee for additional features and benefits we are aiming at generating a steady revenue stream.

These new subscription plans are a strategic move to foster Houfy's growth and allow Houfy to capitalize on the many specialized tools and features that enhance your hosting, providing options that range from basic to advanced features, ensuring every host finds the perfect fit for their unique requirements.

1. Basic Plan: Staying True to Our Roots

Our Basic Plan stays aligned with our 'Book Direct' mission, offering essential functionalities at no additional cost. This plan is ideal for hosts who prefer a straightforward, no-frills approach to listing their properties. It includes:

• Booking fee of 0%
• Host verification badge
• Direct payments to your account, no middleman involved
• Pricelabs Integration (Requires a subscription at Pricelabs)
• Hosttools Integration (Requires a subscription at Hosttools)
• Hospitable Integration (coming soon)
• Unlimited photos
• Calendar (Ical) synchronisation with OTAs
• Multi-calendar
• Custom quotes
• Customizable rental agreement
• Text message on receiving a message on Houfy
• Scheduled & Automated messages
• Share links in the Houfy messaging
• Custom links
• Add co-hosts (requires host verification)
• Write blog posts & create collections with options to add to your listing

2. Lite Plan: A Step Up for More Visibility and Tools

For hosts looking to amplify their presence on Houfy, the Lite Plan offers additional features, including:

• Includes all Free features, plus:
• Higher position in search results
• Import Airbnb pricing & Sync Calendar (New product)
• Option to hide price comparison
• Ownerrez connection (We'll add many more in 2024)
• Show external links on your Houfy listing
• Show email/phone number on the listing page
• Hide nearby listings on the listing page

3. Premium Plan: The Ultimate Hosting Experience

The Premium Plan is our most comprehensive package, offering the full spectrum of Houfy's capabilities for hosts who seek the ultimate hosting experience. Features include:

• Includes all Free & Lite features, plus:
• Super powerful Houfy Website builder tools (To view examples: click here)
• Use of all our widgets & embed tools
• Free SSL Certificate for each domain
• Connect multiple external domains

Houfy also offers its members to create featured listings and offer last minute specials.

Featured listings or last-minute specials significantly increase your chances of being seen. You can expect to pay around $1.50 a day depending on your location.

• Your listing will be highlighted in another color that stands out.
• Your listing will be shown at the top of the search results as well as being amongst all the other properties, meaning double exposure!
• Featured listings and last-minute specials improve attention and click-throughs by 50%.
• Chances to be seen on our homepage and/or destination pages if available.

To add your listing from Airbnb use this link:

Backup & sync your listing(s) in 10 SEC into the Houfy Network | HOUFY

Houfy has created a simple tool to create a backup of your listing including pictures and reviews. You never know!

https://www.houfy.com

The Next Steps for Houfy: Marketing and Growth Initiatives

With the introduction of our subscription plans, Houfy is poised to enter an exciting phase of active marketing and growth. This new stream of revenue will enable us to invest in comprehensive marketing strategies for the first time. Our focus will be on increasing Houfy's visibility and attractiveness in the vacation rental market, aiming to drive more organic bookings and enhance brand awareness. By actively promoting our platform, we expect to attract a larger base of hosts and guests, creating a thriving marketplace.

This is a pivotal moment in Houfy's journey, marking a transition from a primarily community-driven growth model to one that combines community support with strategic marketing efforts. Our goal is to make Houfy a leading choice for direct booking enthusiasts, fostering a cycle of growth and prosperity for our community.

We are excited about the future and want to thank you for being with us on this journey. Together, we will make Houfy the best direct booking advertising platform for hosts and continue on our mission to empower everyone to book direct and save on service fees.