NATIONWIDE – Airbnb is paying 100 people, $100,000 each, from their OMG! Fund to build a quirky home. The contest, ending July 22, is shaped in part by a growing trend of flexible living that has emerged in the past two years and desire for more unexpected spaces.
According to the short-term rental platform, more than 30,000 unique listings across the world were added to Airbnb in 2021 and the OMG! Category for craziest listings.
“When the Idaho Potato Commission retired a six-ton prop potato, I took it off their hands and spent $32,000 transforming it into an Airbnb,” said Airbnb Superhost and OMG! Fund judging panelist Kristie Wolfe. “I went from making $13/hr to seeing $208,000 in earnings in less than three years, and leveraged that income to bootstrap my way through additional listings that allow me to express my creativity and connect with hundreds of people in the process.”
Other unique home designs include a boot, UFO, and train car. According to the company, nights booked at unique properties increased globally by over 49 percent from 2019 to 2021.
Applicants need to describe the wacky idea for a house and, if selected, will have a chance to share more detail, with blueprints, plans, and video.
The $10,000,000 OMG! Fund will be open for a period of 30 days, through July 22 at 11:59 pm ET. The 100 fund recipients will be selected by the panel over the next several months, with the intent of having their newly-constructed spaces complete next year.
To apply, visit airbnb.com/omgfund.
