First time listing, constructive inputs appreciated.

[Brian3337]

Well, I think I clicked the Post at the top instead of the bottom so I lost everything, so let's try this again... 🙂    My wife Dawn and I own 30 acres a few miles north of Lake Lure (north of Rumbling Bald) and we finally built our house and moved here in January.   This is our first time listing so we'd appreciate any constructive  inputs on wording in our listing or content, etc.    We're not competing with the typical lake house or those with hot tubs, etc. We're focused on those looking for panoramic mountain views,   exploring trails and year-round streams on our property,  mountain biking / hiking and Bufallo Creek Park 1/2 mile away and leaf peeping.  We have an extended leaf peeping season because of all of the white / red oaks and they turn color about one month after the rest of the trees and the oaks often don't drop their leafs until Nov / Dec / Jan, usually when there are stronger winds.  

Veteran-owned and family-operated.  I'm semi-retired now and will be managing the listing and cleaning the house and property / trails.   We will have some cleaners for backup purposes when we have other plans.  

https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/1216793461871557325?adults=6&search_mode=regular_search&check_in=2024-0...

[Andrea6232]

Ciao @Brian3337 ,

congratulations on the beautiful house! Just a little suggestion: add your photo to your account, this way whoever books is more reassured 😉

Andrea

https://airbnb.com/h/la-casa-sul-canale-con-piscina-jacuzzi-in-giardino

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Brian3337 I agree with @Andrea6232 - You do need to have a picture of you or you and Dawn to give people confidence in who they are dealing with.

NOW for my feedback:

The listing needs a lot of detail work. For instance when viewed as a guest it specifically says there is no drier and yet there is a picture of one (unless you have two washing machines which seems unlikely). Next example it specifically says the house has no heating which is very unlikely to be correct!

You also have only 21 amenities which I don't believe. Once you have published the listing a whole host of extra amenities can be ticked so you just need to trawl through them all.

Finally have you looked at your competition to set your prices? I would target about 5-10% cheaper than them until you have a good set of reviews. Don't forget to adjust for Airbnb's commission when setting a competitive price.

And my final final point: I see the place sleeps 8 and yet the dining table only sits 6 and there are only 3 bedrooms in the pictures (I think). Its never a good idea to cram people in and certainly you need to price for 6 and the extra 2 are a bonus unless there is a proper sleeping place for them.

[Brian3337]

Thanks.  I'm not sure where it states there isn't a dryer, will look.    The AirBnB app needs a lot of work, for example, I'm finding additional options on the mobile app than with the regular web page.   For example, on the mobile app there was a question if we have an iron or not but it wasn't on the web page when I created the listing.    I wasn't happy with their web page for listing creation at all; I had to open a support case for not being able to scroll between pictures as well as not being able to upload pictures at times.   AirBnB support was responsive but not very helpful.   Turns out some of my pics are from Apple phones (HEIC format) and AirBnB won't upload those and doesn't tell you.  If you have even one of those types of pictures, it doesn't upload any of them and doesn't give you a warning, just states none selected.  Very frustrating.  I figured it out on my own eventually and converted them all to .jpg format.  

Our pricing is done via a pricing app that is integrated and based on our area and it's already set 20% lower for the first three bookings.  And, if necessary, we'd rather have a few less bookings that are a bit higher priced to kind of weed out people looking for a cheap place to party.  

Regarding the number of people it sleeps, I've read to list the max.  We discussed listing it at 6-8 to be clearer; however, I don't see an option for that so we went with the max.   Concerning dining room seating, it also states there are three high-top chairs at the kitchen counters and there's a picture of them as well.  We also have available folding chairs in a closet.    It would be nice if AirBnB had an option to provide a range of sleep totals, such as 6-8..  

Thanks again, appreciate the inputs.  We certainly have more work to do.  🙂 

[Helen3]

I . I Certainly wouldn't try and cram in 8 guests. People want to sit together to eat not have three in one area and five seated elsewhere . @Brian3337 

2 I wouldn't  list at 20% below market rate look at what your competitors are charging for similar properties .

3. don't forget to add your profile photo I wouldn't book with a new host with no photo 

4 you don't have a clear description of your accommodation ie number of bedrooms/no of bathrooms etc

[Bhumika]

@Brian3337 , I'll tag @Mike-And-Jane0 and @Guy991 to your follow up comments , so that they can notice and get back to you — in case they wished to share additional comments.

I also wanted to share a little Community Center Tip ‌💡‌ : If you'd like to tag members in your comments, for them to get a notification of your message — simply press on @ in your keyboard, and the name of the person you are trying to reach should pop up 😊 (In this case Mike or Guy). This will enable them to notice your message sooner!

[Brian3337]

So I just logged in again and "surprise!".    The "Amenities" in the left column is now listed, it was not there yesterday after publishing our listing.  My wife and I both went through it yesterday, it was NOT there.     I'm not very impressed with AirBnB thus far, they should make all settings in one general area, perhaps with tabs, and make them available right away.    Why the heck wouldn't they guide you through all of the amenities when creating the listing or even within 24 hours after publishing it?   

[Brian3337]

I found another surprise.  AirBnB previously  reduced the title down to 32 characters when creating a listing, apparently it used to be longer, something I had seen on a video.   However, when going back through my listing after publishing it, you can edit your title and it allows more characters.    So that gave me the ability to add "(6-8)" in the title.   🙂   

[Guy991]

Hello @Brian3337 ,

After reading the strict policies, noting the number of sensors and cameras, and considering that the house is brand new, I’d like to offer one constructive idea—this is not about before the first guest arrives, but rather after the first guest leaves.

I want to prepare you mentally for the fact that when a guest stays in your shiny, brand-new house, there will inevitably be some wear and tear from usage. Luggage may leave small stains on the walls or floors, the kitchen countertop may get a few marks, a wine glass might break here and there, etc. I hope you’re ready for this, because otherwise, you may end up disappointed and, worse, feel compelled to file claims with Airbnb for reimbursement, which could detract from your enjoyment of hosting.

One more note to consider: Given the remote location of your property, a 12:00 PM checkout time might be more appropriate.

[Brian3337]

yeah, we're prepared for wear and tear.   I do almost all repairs myself so not a big deal, including drywall work.     Regarding checkout,  it's listed in there somewhere that as long as we don't have a check-in / check-out the same day (due to turnaround time with cleaning) that early / late checkout is a possibility.  We set our calendar settings to have a day around each rental so we can ensure it's fully cleaned and more time if someone doesn't show up to clean, etc.

[Bhumika]

Hi @Brian3337 , you've received many thoughtful advices from experienced fellow Hosts 🌻 Are you looking forward to make any changes and consider certain points based on the feedback from other Hosts? Are you planning to update the check out time as Guy suggested?

I noticed Mike's suggestion of comparing prices. So I also wanted to share this article, that shares about 👉How to compare the average prices of similar listings👈, in case you wanted to explore it in Airbnb app. 

Keep us posted how you get on with your hosting journey! All the best 🌻

[Joan2709 · Accepted solution]

@Brian3337 

Amazing property! Luv it 😊

Airbnb makes it relatively easy to create the listing, but guidance after you publish is a bit lacking. I provide consulting services for new hosts to help get them started and optimize their listings and can tell you the real work begins after you hit the publish button! There are alot of "gotchas" that many new Hosts are not aware of and there is not alot of guidance from Airbnb on these areas after you publish the listing. As with any new venture, there is a steep learning curve the first 6 months. Great suggestions already from other Hosts. Below are a few I noticed:

Professional Photos

I always suggest Hosts get professional photos. This is the biggest ROI you will make for the property. The cost can be deducted as a business expense and is minimal compared to the return you will achieve. This is a spectacular property and you want to showcase it! Cell phone photos are fine to get the listing up and running, but professional photos will quickly pay for themselves in increased bookings.

Cover photo

This is the most important photo for the entire listing. I suggest re-taking your current cover photo shot and take it at twilight. Market research shows twilight exterior photos do really well on Airbnb. Turn on all the interior and exterior lights. Make sure any curtains are opened inside. String lights on the deck area are a great addition. Wait until you see a soft, glow from all the lights but can still see all the details of the home. Retake this drone shot and make this your cover photo. I would also take the same shot in winter and fall with all the colors and change out the cover photo for the seasons.

Photos Of The Spectacular Views

The most unique feature of your home is the mountain views! Get some more photos of the view as if you were sitting on the deck looking out. Twilight or sunset views are great! 

Night Shots

Take some photos of the parking area and entrance at night so guests know what to expect if they arrive at night.

Fire Pit Photo

Reshoot the firepit photo at twilight with a fire going in the fire pit.

Location Card - Add Your Mountain View!

On the left side of the listing editor is the Location Card. Click that and you'll see "Scenic Views" as one of the options. Right now your listing doesn't show you have spectacular mountain views!  Once you add that, it will appear at the top of the Amenities section on the listing page. Add some info to the  "Neighborhood Description" in this section also:

Amenities

Suggest you go thru the Amenities section again as you are missing some details. When you click edit you'll see a little pencil icon to the right. Wherever you see a pencil icon, click that and add the details to that amenity. For example, your listing says you have a paid dryer? I'm sure it is free and inside the unit, but you have to add that using the pencil icon:

Add Your Wi-Fi Speed if over 50Mbps

If you have fast Wi-Fi with Starlink, you can add the actual speed to the listing by logging on to your network on a cell phone when inside the listing. Go into the app to the amenties section under WiFi. Follow the prompts. I wouldn't add the speed to the listing if it is just so-so:

Wishing you much success! Let us know how it goes 😊