Tiny House Hosting and advice

[Giulia297]

My listing for a Tiny House is not getting many clicks and I am already offering a very competitive price for my location. 

To add to that one of my most recent reviews is a three star that reads "Giulia's place was a wonderful tiny home. The location was absolutely perfect, close to Durham stadium and the nightlife" so I need to get many more guests to mitigate the effects of the (numerically) bad review. 

I tried to be as up-front as possible in the description which means I'm probably scaring away not-so-adventurous travellers but I am concerned that my pictures are not very appealing. I'm having a hard time translating the lovely feeling of being in our tiny house into photos because the space is very small and hard to get a good shot of. Airbnb removes panoramic or fish eye pictures from the listing as well.

Any suggestions or insights?

https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/19759833?s=51

Thanks!

[Annette76]

What a lovely little space! I’m wondering if you should change occupancy to 2? 
From the pics I’m having a hard time getting an overall feel, the multiple closeups of the kitchen don’t help me get an idea of the space I’d have if I were staying there.  Maybe you could post a floorplan in the pics, this would help people understand the layout and what they will have at their disposal. Also, yes, sell the idea of trying out tiny living. 
This is what I mean by a floorplan. 
edit: just realized it an old post. Wonder why old posts seem to be popping up. 

[Jennifer1773]

Hey @Giulia297 , your tiny house is so cute, your listing is great, your location is perfect and your guests love you! A couple of ideas on increasing those first clicks...

(1) Update your listing so that your tiny house appears when guests filter for "house," not just “tiny house.” Yours does not currently. I know when I search for a listing right now (especially during COVID) I am looking not just for an "entire place" which can include apartments, but for a dwelling with its own 4 walls. Yours has that, so celebrate it!

(2) Use a new photo for the first photo--the one that gets potential guests to make that first click... I know that right now I am super excited for spring, but your first photo shows snow. Nope I don't want to go there 🙂 right now...  maybe in November when I am excited about snow! Also, the wind chimes in the foreground make the tiny house look super tiny... maybe get rid of those in the photo? Also, you are not selling mobility to your Airbnb guests (although that is an interesting concept), so hide those wheels! What about a tall rectangular planter with some great herbs or wildflowers in front of the wheels? And maybe an outdoor table and chairs? That would expand the living space of the tiny house and would definitely interest me. (I saw that you mentioned a bistro set in your caption for photo #2/17, but I can't really see it in the blurry photo and it is not in that first photo meant to attract folks to your page.) Finally I would plant some bushes/greenery by the fence. 

(3) Celebrate your yard and surroundings a bit more early on. You mention deep within your listing that “The tiny house is located in a quiet private backyard. Sometimes let the back part of the yard grow tall to promote wildflowers that keep bees happy and attract other pollinators. You are welcome to serve yourself to any herbs or veggies that might be growing in the garden boxes. The yard is a work in progress and rustic- on the weekends, you might see us weeding, mulching, or installing rain water barrels.” That paragraph is very appealing to me! I love the idea of a TINY house, BIG BEAUTIFUL yard! Maybe it would be good to show more of that early on in the listing, and if there is any way to hint at that in your title, that would be great! I would probably rent a tent from you in that back yard :)...

Good luck! Your place is super cool. Jennifer

[Laura2592]

@Giulia297 I agree with other hosts. Your tiny house is very cute.

Now to make it stand out! Can you market it as a romantic couple's getaway? It appears to be in a back yard so how about getting some potted plants and creating a "fence" of greenery around the space? Maybe even invest in some string lights and an inexpensive portable fire pit to give the place a feeling of its own "yard."  I agree with changing the pics to a summery one. Maybe even consider getting a pro to shoot some images that really play up the charm.  Take some interior pics with fresh flowers on the table, a colorful comforter and throw pillows on the bed. Use words like "charming" , "cozy" "unique."

I would definitely limit the occupancy to 2.  Are you pet friendly? Is that possible? If not that's totally fine but it will definitely drive up bookings if its possible. 

Give the place a name! Petite Hideaway, Cozy Cottage,  Durham Dollhouse-- something that gives it an identity. Start an Instagram just for this space and take cute pics/post regularly. Connect with other tiny house enthusiasts.