You have a lovely place in a great location! I agree with @Jo1044's assessment and recommendations - it's a peaceful spot and you've done a great job with your listing - I think those suggestions will definitely help.
I spent some time thinking about what else might prevent your potential future guests from booking and there were a few things in your listing text that stood out to me.
Your space: 4 guests, 1 bedroom, 3 beds, 1.5 baths - I can see the main bedroom, of course. But I don't see the other 2 beds. It might help guests know where the other beds are so they can plan correctly, depending on how many people they have in their party.
For example: Are the other 2 beds IN the main bedroom? Are they in the living room? What size beds are they - big enough for a another couple or are they smaller or pull out beds meant to sleep children?
The space - The oven is not available. Why not? Is it broken or do you just not want guests to use it? The wording "is not available" indicates you have one. Did you mean you don't have an oven (e.g., you have an induction cooktop, not a range), but didn't really want to say that?
I would recommend being transparent about why the oven is not available for yuour guests to use.
Why I think this change will help:
Assuming you have a range with an oven, I'm certain you have a reason for not wanting guests to use it, but without knowing why, guests are left to their own imagination, which may be (and often is) worse than the truth. If you don't say why the oven "isn't available," guests don't know if the one you have doesn't work or if you just don't want them using it - meaning you don't trust them.
Guest access - I will meet you at the property at check-in to give you overall details to make your stay enjoyable and give you the key.
Self-check in is very common and it's terrific option for people who are travelling. I know an RV is different from a house, and I can understand if you feel strongly that you need to meet in person with people so you can feel sure they understand the differences.
I would recommend telling your future potential guests why, in general, they are required to meet with you before they can access the property. For example: Our RV has a <whatever> that needs to be setup / turned on / <whatever."
Why I think this change will help:
- If you need to give guests "overall details to make [their] stay enjoyable", I can't help wonder what those "overall details" might be. Will their stay NOT be enjoyable without those details? That reason is rather vague and leaves me wondering what your real reason is.
- Self check-in isn't just easier for guests - it's a trust issue. You trust them with "the key" (virtual or not) to your home, and that means they can trust you - that your home is exactly as you described in text and photos, that there's nothing weird about the space that they need to know and there's nothing you failed to mention that might make them regret booking your home.
Nothing is 100% and I know that self check-in does not necessarily mean that there's nothing weird, left out or intentionally not disclosed. But that's the way to bet.
That said, being required to meet with the owner before being allowed to access the property, can leave people feeling more than a little uneasy about a couple things:
- you have to go over "secret" details with them in person: That might mean the details in your listing don't mention something they're probably not going to like and will make them regret booking your space. OR That might mean that you're going to take a little or a LOT of time to go over things that they already know.
- in-person meetings are very susceptible to one or both parties running late - and this is even more likely if one of the parties is travelling. This can create a lot of tension at the very beginning of what is supposed to be a vacation.
- If your guests are running late, they may worry that you'll be angry if you have to wait for them, even if it's not their fault. They may worry that they will do their best but may ultimately arrive after 6pm and then they won't be able to check in. It also means if they have even an early evening flight, they cannot book with you.
- They may worry that they won't be able to use the bathroom at the RV until after you've had a meeting with them, so they'll need to stop beforehand to find a bathroom and that may make them late.
- They may worry about what they'll do if you get hung up or something happens you can't meet them on time - or at all.
- They may feel that they really don't want to bother you just to check in to your space
- you have to give them the key in person: That might make them wonder why you can't just leave them a key (or use a smart lock). They may wonder if you want to meet them because you want to be sure you like them, and they may worry that you'll decide that you don't like them and refuse to give them access to the property. Even if you think that could never happen, that doesn't mean your guests don't think that.
I would recommend being more transparent about the details you need to impart in person and I would be clear about your ability to accommodate guests whose arrival is unexpectedly delayed.
Other things to note -
- Check-in is between 2pm and 6 PM. - Why? That's a really small window - what if my flight is late? What if I want to go out to dinner before I check in?
- No checking in after dark. - Why? This makes me wonder if the place is really safe. What you're NOT telling me .....
- I will meet you at the property at check-in time. Give you the key and go over any details with you. - My feeling is wow - this is the 2nd time you've said you must meet guests in person before they can access the property. What other details are so important that you require an in person meeting before you will let them in.
- Please text me when you leave the property. As a guest I wonder why I have to do this and I worry about the repercussions if I forget.
I would recommend helping your guests understand why they only have a 4 hour window to check in, why they may not check in after dark, why you must meet them in person before they can have a key, and why they must let you know when they've checked out.
Why I think this change will help:
I'm certain you have a reason for each of these restrictions, but, from my POV, it just looks like you don't trust your guests. I can understand if it's difficult to trust strangers in your home. But without any explanation, my choices, roughly, are: there's something so bad or so complicated about staying in your RV that you left that out of the listing and thought you could get away with "giving me details" OR, much more likely, you just want to meet me in person to be sure I'm "ok" - and whatever that might mean is very worrisome because if you decide I'm not ok, you might not let me stay or you might do other things (like drop by unannounced, etc.). Even if you aren't doing that - even if you never would - it looks to me like you're a very nervous host who wants to meet their guests to be sure they can trust them.
I understand if you're "just trying to make sure the people that stay here have all the information they need" but, again from my POV, that's not how it comes across. Making these "demands" without any acceptable reasons can easily look like something other than a desire to be a gracious host.
If the problems are logistical (e.g., you have nowhere to put a key box and/or you're very worried that people won't understand / remember something about the RV), perhaps the community here could help with that.
I hope what I've said makes sense and that it helps you to get some bookings!
Best,
Dana
