OMG! Airbnb is giving away $10 million to build the craziest property ideas

Airbnb is giving 100 people 100K to build the silliest, wackiest, and perhaps most fun homes in the world. The initiative is called the "OMG! Fund," and it's got people talking. 

"Creativity comes in all shapes and sizes. Just browse the OMG! Category and you'll find our collection of the quirkiest homes on Airbnb. If you have a jaw-dropping idea of your own, send it our way. You might just get $100K from the OMG! Fund to put toward your offbeat build," says Airbnb on their website.

Four judges and four criteria

The submitted proposals will be evaluated by four judges: Iris Apfel, a leading figure in both fashion and interior design, Kristie Wolfe who has created some of Airbnb's craziest listings, Koichi Takada, an award-winning architect based in Sydney,  and Bruce Vaughn, the VP of Experiential at Airbnb.

The designs will be judged on the following criteria:

Originality: A winning design will be more than just different. It should be surprising, one-of-a-kind, and inspire people to reimagine what a home can be.

Feasibility: Your entry should be achievable and able to pass building inspections and the like. It will also need to be completed by August 2023.

Experience: The interior should be as memorable as the exterior, striking a perfect balance between an oddball concept and a comfortable home.

Sustainability: Think green. Consider using clean energy and recycled materials. Your home should have a big impact on guests and a small one on the planet.

To inspire people, the site even features some examples like a big potato house, a yellow submarine dwelling, and a two-floor bus. The initiative is part of the firm's huge redesign launched in May.

Booking vacations according to housing

The company is aiming to have people book vacations and trips not merely according to location but also according to housing.

"We're in 100,000 cities. Very few people can think to type in more than 20 places [into a search bar]," Brian Chesky, CEO of Airbnb, told Fast Company at the time of the redesign. "So what happens? Everyone ends up going to the same places. Everyone goes to Vegas and Miami and New York and Paris and Rome and London."

But what if people were to choose a destination not for its overall criteria but because of the specific house it features? That's what the OMG fund will aim to do. Build homes that are so unique and inspiring they are worth traveling for.

If done correctly, this initiative could get Airbnb a lot of business. After all, you can book hotels for the most popular destinations from many websites, but you can only book these original homes from one website: Airbnb.

The fund will likely see an influx of customers to Airbnb and much advertising.