HONEST REVIEW ON MY SPACE

[Shamsi2]

Share any thoughts, review or comments about our space!

Listing link:  Home in Dar es Salaam · ★New · 2 bedrooms · 2 beds · 2 baths

[Listing link added by OCM]

[Tara0]

Hi @Shamsi2 It looks very well presented, - but I would remove the photo of the kitchen bin and photo of the toilet with the lid up.

Don't waste the first paragraph with stuff like 'perfect for couples' etc. The first para should be packed full of facts and information. The guest might only read the first para.

The longer listing description reads too much like an estate agent advertisement. (Therefore, to me, lacks the personal touch. When I travel as a guest, I much prefer listings which aren't managed by an agent).

You also repeat the section title below the title, e.g. Guest Access above Guest Access.

You need to repeat bedroom numbers and bed size in the written description, it's not enough to put in photo captions. 

You say breakfast provided in the amenity list, but not mentioned anywhere else.

You don't have a washing machine/tumble dryer - are you offering a laundry service?

You don't have smoke alarms, or carbon monoxide alarms. If you don't have gas, then of course you don't need CO alarms, but every listing should have smoke alarms.

Do you have public liability insurance to protect you in the event of guest injury or death? 

[Paula]

Thank you so much, @Tara0, for taking the time to share all this feedback.

@Shamsi2, have you had a chance to read Tara’s comments? Please let us know once you’ve made some adjustments.

In the meantime, I’ll reach out to a few more hosts to see if they’d like to share any additional comments or ideas: @Alberto3 @Bradley286 @Soraya19 @Ana42788 @Tim4881 @Kathleane0 and @Christine4922 

Thanks, everyone!

[Shamsi2]

Hi @Tara0 , thank you so much for taking the time to go through the listing so carefully and for sharing such detailed feedback. I really appreciate it.

Your points make a lot of sense, especially about making the first paragraph more factual, adding the bedroom and bed information directly into the description, making the listing feel more personal, and removing unnecessary or repeated sections.

I’ll also review the breakfast information, laundry arrangements, and the safety points you raised, particularly the smoke alarms and insurance.

I agree that the photos should also focus on what is most useful and appealing to guests, so I’ll remove the kitchen bin and the toilet photo with the lid up.

This is exactly the kind of feedback I was looking for before pushing the listing further. Thank you again — it’s very helpful.

[Christine4922]

I think it is a lovely space, and I like the warmth in the photos. Yes, there are a couple small things I would change about the photos (electric teapot on the floor by the fridge) but not enough that I think you should reshoot or remove any.  After looking at them, I would click further to read the details about your property. 

Now I tend to be a little more descriptive, and my husband feels like I include too many details, but I think it's helpful for anyone looking for something very specific or trying to make sure the photos match the description. Click on me and my listing, and you will see a lot of text describing the place. The walkthrough description is something I learned from a property manager we work with who manages two of our vacation rentals. This is useful if you don't have a video walkthrough (like I don't, and hopefully I'll get that done soon).

[Tiffany1136]

Hi there, I'm a bit confused by the photos. Is the Dining Room the same as the Event Room? I see that the same bedroom labeled has 2 different rugs. But the event room rug is also the same as one of the bedrooms. I've been in different countries where toilets are near the showers but the bathroom photo has the shower head right over the toilet so it's not making much sense. 

As a guest looking at this I would not be able to follow the story of the home and wouldn't put the pieces together much longer and move onto the next. 

Also, I would suggest having smoking detectors and carbon monoxide detectors on-site.  It's a great start but needs to create a level of consistency if you could. A place next to the beach is always a plus though 😉