I came recently across the Swimply app and was struck by how brilliant the concept was. Similar to the Airbnb platform, this online marketplace was started by Bunim Laskin. Laskin created the app, which launched in the summer of 2018, to help homeowners list their pools to make extra cash at Swimply, while non–pool owners can browse through the 25,000+ listings on the online platform in all 50 US states to find a pool to rent. While I am not in the marketplace for a pool rental often, what caught my attention was how the app is evolving. As has always been the case, people have things that other people want, and sometimes those things are not things, they are spaces.
Differing from the Airbnb model, Swimply is primarily a short-term rental app. People book the pools by the hour, with the price ranging from $20 to more than $100, but averaging about $40. Through Swimply, guests are charged upfront through a secure payment system. Payout is directly deposited after each booking, minus our 15% service fee (as of time of this printing). Property/space owners often ask if they can be home during the rental time and Swimply notes that many owners do stay home during the reservation, first to great guests and go over ground rules, then to be available should any questions arise, but being at home is not required. In terms of pricing your space, ultimately, that choice is yours, but once you list, the Swimply Host Care Team is readily available to help assist with pricing. They note that you can always start a bit lower and once you see what people are willing to pay, then raise your rate.
Swimply also offers insurance protections to all listings (at no additional cost to the listing owner). All US-based Swimply hosts are automatically covered by up to $2,000,000 protection guarantee and $10,000 in property damage protection. You can learn more about listing and terms and conditions on swimply.com.
Expanding Beyond Pools
Fast forward 5 years since its launch, Swimply has branched out far beyond the pool gig and is now connecting community members with high-end kitchens, home theaters, big backyards, tennis and pickleball courts, horses and stables, and you guessed it, home music and art studios. I love the idea of people renting their underused spaces to people who either may not have the money to build their own spaces, or may not have the long-term need for such a space.
“We believe that every passion needs a space and we started with pools, but we’re working on expanding that way beyond pools,” Laskin says on Forbes.com. “We really have this utopian view of the world where we really want to democratize luxury and let everyone have access to things that only few have access to today. So things like tennis and sports and art and cooking—pretty much every passion we want to be able to give people access to the things that they want most.”
Studio Rentals
The idea of renting out one’s home art studio to recover some of the costs of building it or to be able to rent a well-equipped space to complete a project could be very attractive within the ceramics community. I recall years ago after packing up my graduate-school studio space and wondering when the next time I would be able work, to unpack everything and get messy again. Knowing a space was out there to rent, even for a few hours a month, would have been exciting to try. Few people have the luxury of a well-equipped space that allows them to wedge clay, wheel throw multiple pieces, handbuild with a slab roller, and generally sprawl out and be a maker.
Now I have a small space in the basement of my home. It has a medium-sized table, shelving, storage, and I can leave things set out as I choose without anyone bothering it. But, I don’t have a wheel and sometimes I have ideas for objects I want to throw. It would be nice to rent space for a few hours and throw several pieces, pack up those items, bring them back to my studio, and alter them there with handles and carving at my own pace. I can also see someone renting a space to complete a tile project, make enough pieces to fill an Etsy site, or simply rent the space for a creative afternoon with friends.
The alternative of course is that if you have invested time and money into building and equipping a great studio space but don’t always have the time to be in it, maybe you could recoup a few dollars, or generate income from filling a space that is sitting idle. Setting up the parameters of what is allowed, such as how many people can be in the space, what equipment can be used, proper clean up, etc., can all be determined in advance and be part of your listing.
Swimply has already opened up listing spaces beyond pools in the Los Angeles area and plans to expand rentals throughout the US in 2023. Now is your time to consider what it is that you need, or what you have to offer. Ceramics is not cheap and not everyone has access to enjoy this creative field. Hopefully, this new expansion to the ever-growing gig economy has a bright future in the ceramics community.
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Differing from the Airbnb model, Swimply is primarily a short-term rental app. People book the pools by the hour, with the price ranging from $20 to more than $100, but averaging about $40. Through Swimply, guests are charged upfront through a secure payment system. Payout is directly deposited after each booking, minus our 15% service fee (as of time of this printing). Property/space owners often ask if they can be home during the rental time and Swimply notes that many owners do stay home during the reservation, first to great guests and go over ground rules, then to be available should any questions arise, but being at home is not required. In terms of pricing your space, ultimately, that choice is yours, but once you list, the Swimply Host Care Team is readily available to help assist with pricing. They note that you can always start a bit lower and once you see what people are willing to pay, then raise your rate.
Swimply also offers insurance protections to all listings (at no additional cost to the listing owner). All US-based Swimply hosts are automatically covered by up to $2,000,000 protection guarantee and $10,000 in property damage protection. You can learn more about listing and terms and conditions on swimply.com.
Expanding Beyond Pools
Fast forward 5 years since its launch, Swimply has branched out far beyond the pool gig and is now connecting community members with high-end kitchens, home theaters, big backyards, tennis and pickleball courts, horses and stables, and you guessed it, home music and art studios. I love the idea of people renting their underused spaces to people who either may not have the money to build their own spaces, or may not have the long-term need for such a space.
“We believe that every passion needs a space and we started with pools, but we’re working on expanding that way beyond pools,” Laskin says on Forbes.com. “We really have this utopian view of the world where we really want to democratize luxury and let everyone have access to things that only few have access to today. So things like tennis and sports and art and cooking—pretty much every passion we want to be able to give people access to the things that they want most.”
Studio Rentals
The idea of renting out one’s home art studio to recover some of the costs of building it or to be able to rent a well-equipped space to complete a project could be very attractive within the ceramics community. I recall years ago after packing up my graduate-school studio space and wondering when the next time I would be able work, to unpack everything and get messy again. Knowing a space was out there to rent, even for a few hours a month, would have been exciting to try. Few people have the luxury of a well-equipped space that allows them to wedge clay, wheel throw multiple pieces, handbuild with a slab roller, and generally sprawl out and be a maker.
Now I have a small space in the basement of my home. It has a medium-sized table, shelving, storage, and I can leave things set out as I choose without anyone bothering it. But, I don’t have a wheel and sometimes I have ideas for objects I want to throw. It would be nice to rent space for a few hours and throw several pieces, pack up those items, bring them back to my studio, and alter them there with handles and carving at my own pace. I can also see someone renting a space to complete a tile project, make enough pieces to fill an Etsy site, or simply rent the space for a creative afternoon with friends.
The alternative of course is that if you have invested time and money into building and equipping a great studio space but don’t always have the time to be in it, maybe you could recoup a few dollars, or generate income from filling a space that is sitting idle. Setting up the parameters of what is allowed, such as how many people can be in the space, what equipment can be used, proper clean up, etc., can all be determined in advance and be part of your listing.
Swimply has already opened up listing spaces beyond pools in the Los Angeles area and plans to expand rentals throughout the US in 2023. Now is your time to consider what it is that you need, or what you have to offer. Ceramics is not cheap and not everyone has access to enjoy this creative field. Hopefully, this new expansion to the ever-growing gig economy has a bright future in the ceramics community.
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