Brand New, pretty clueless

[Mandi7]

I am brand new, I’ve never tried anything like Airbnb. 

Im posting my place, and I’m hoping for great results. I’ve been told my ad is lacking and is not likely to be booked. 

Any feedback or help for a newbie would be INCREDIBLY appreciated. Also, any tips or things to look out for would be helpful! 

Thank you! 

[Matthew285]

@Mandi7, I would redo the photos for starters.

All the pictures you have now are tall (rather than wide, which looks better on AirBnB).

Also, they are all somewhat dark (possibly because they were all taken at night?). Open up the shades and take some great bright wide shots during the day.

Take a look at some other listings: which photos catch your eye and make you want to stay there? You will want to have photos like that.

[Frank342]

Welcome Mandi!

 I’m about as newbie as you can be.

 I just got llsted Sunday night 2/25

I have yet to get feedback.

But I too was concerned about the photos.

I have a studio.

For the man living space I shot wide.

It makes the space seem larger.

 I’m a photographer.

Real estate agencies do this all the time, making place bigger.

 I had a challenging time with light. I shot early. My place has little ambient light.

So some shots I edited on my iPhone, increasing the brightness.

if you use an iPhone and need suggestions feel free to contact me.

[Cormac0]

@Mandi

Give yourself a year, monitor your income and expenses and then decide if Airbnb is worthwhile.

1. There are some Host making lots of money
2. There are some Host that don't know if there making money or not,
3. And there are more Hosts then you might think, that are losing money on their short term letting enterprise.

It’s my considered opinion based on experience and reading these blogs that categories 2. and 3. are just cannon fodder for Airbnb…

Mandi, you may be surprised that I wish you well in your Airbnb adventure, but unless you’re in a unique location, or tourist hotspot, the days of being profitable on Airbnb are over, particularly when you factor in the risks involved.

On a practical note, do not but candles in your property, it's been my experience the candle grease gets everywhere (on the outside window sills, in the bathtub, on the floors on the bed linen…) for warned is for armed.

This is difficut to say Mandi, but I think your pricing is way of the mark if you thing your going to get bookings on Airbnb, your quoting me Euro 584 per night!

Regards

Cormac

The Explorer’s Club Krakow III (retired)

The Explorer’s Club Krakow VIII (retired)

[Matthew285]

@Cormac0, the reason for the pricing is that the listing is near the upcoming Superbowl. I believe the plan is to just host guests for the one Superbowl event. The prices for that weekend are somewhat crazy.

I saw a very normal house near the Superbowl being listed for $2,000.00 per night (about Euro 1600).

[Frank342]

How can I get someone to look at my listing and provide input.

[Matthew285]

@Frank342 this is a listing for an entire Studio apartment, but there is no (permanent) bed?

Where does the person who normally lives here sleep at night? Is the AirBed the permanent bed?

And what does "550 sq ft total; 250 sq ft cozy living space" mean? Do you not get the entire place?

Anyway, the place looks clean and cozy. The first shot is very good; it almost shows the whole place. I would actually recommend using *fewer* photos. There is a lot of repetition in the photos, and the extra photos actually make certain areas look worse. The 3 shots in the kitchen are essentially the same shot. As @Sarah977 mentioned, no one needs 3 shots of the toilet, especially with the lid open. (Yes, get a new shower curtain.)

Choose just the one best shot of each room and use that. How to fill out the rest of your photos? That is the next topic.

Your neighborhood: You can and should take photos of all the cool things in your neighborhood. This is Manhattan, right? No one comes to Manhattan to stay in the room. You go outside and enjoy the amazing local spots in the neighborhood. You go outside to soak up the amazing city. The room is just a place to sleep when you aren't outside.

Don't just describe your listing. SELL your listing. Tell us all about all the neat things we can see when we stay in your neighborhood. I don't know what they are, but I bet you do. What makes your area such a great place to live? What makes it unique? What will people remember when they visit? Paint a picture of all the uniquely New York things people can do when they stay with you. Make *that* the focus of your description.

No one is going to choose your place just because it has cable TV and a BluRay player. No one is looking for a place to stay because they want an electric stove and ample cabinet space. They are looking for a place in your area because they want to see frickin' New York City.

Talk about that.

[Sarah977]

Hi @Frank342  I really suggest you redo your photos. You don't need 3 shots of the toilet, nor 3 shots of the shower curtain. If the toilet is in a photo, close the lid. The shower curtain looks cheap and thin and like it has just been taken out of the package with fold lines across it. Remove the 6 coffee mugs from photos of the desk space. Fine to show that you have a nice blender, but unplug it and hide the cord. Looks terrible with it trailing over the sink. Find some nice colorful throw pillows for the couch. Put a nice place setting with place mats on the table for your photos, maybe a vase of fresh flowers, that area looks stark and uninviting. Kitchen is small, but you can jazz it up in the photos with a bowl of fruit on the counter, or some colorful dishes. Nix the photo of the stovetop. Browse through photos of other listings that are similar to your studio space for ideas and if you have a friend with an artistic eye, get them to help you with staging for the photos.

Space looks clean and bright, so that's good. And your listing description is clear and I like what you said in your profile about wanting to spend time with your aging parents, helps you come across a good guy.

You state that sleeping arrangements are the couch and an air mattress. That's not so great- most guests want an actual bed and cozy bed photos are attractive to guests. If I was looking at your listing as a potential guest I'd wonder where I would sleep? How about getting a futon couch or hide-a-bed instaed of the couch you have there now (doesn't look like it folds out to a bed?) and show it made up as a bed and also as a couch?

It is your home and I'm sure you're quite comfortable there, but as a rental, I think it needs a little tweaking if you're going to get bookings.

[Frank342]

Thanks for the feedback .

I agree with what you suggested.

Except the bed.

Anyone who is turned away because I have a comfortable couch and air mattress is a pretentious narrow minded cheapskate.

[Sarah977]

@Frank342That's pretty harsh. I think that the choices of an air mattress or a comfortable couch may not be a problem for some young people or single guys, if that is the demographic you are trying to attract, but for me and I think the majority of people, a couch is something to nap on or use when crashing at a friend's house, and an air mattress is something for camping or if you have extra guests to accomodate.

Wanting to sleep in a real bed is hardly narrow-minded, cheap, or pretentious.