What's wrong or what could be better with our listing?

[Catherine_Sean0]

We have been hosting for 6 months (managed the hosting for parents for a year beforehand) in our house and we seem to be a bit stuck...

We're on a mission to do everything we can to get as many 5 star reviews as possible. There were a few minor areas that were letting us down previously but we're confident we've resolved those issues now. What we're a little stuck on is understanding how other people (especially guests) perceive our listings. From the photography to the description, rules etc. We were really hoping some of you might be able to give us some feedback on what does and doesn't look good and what you'd do differently.

It also seems AirBnB is doing everything they can to get us to lower our prices, some times suggesting prices as low as £19 per night... Not sure how everyone else feels about this? I'm guessing the same way we do...

Thanks in advance and would love to return the favour if anyone else needs it. Solving other peoples problems always seems to be easier!

The listing we were hoping for feedback on: https://www.airbnb.co.uk/rooms/14710170
We also have a second listing, same property, different room, geared towards monthly stays - but we're doing okay with this room: https://www.airbnb.co.uk/rooms/16223944 (Interested in thoughts on whether this is a good setup or not)

[Wendy199]

The first photo that shows up is very plain. Your area sounds beautiful  and several of your other photos are very nice.  It's just that the first one, the one someone would have to click on, it doesn't have anything eye catching.  Can you show a photo of the outside of the townhouse ? The only outside shot is very very dark 

[Catherine_Sean0]

Hi Wendy,

Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts 🙂

Yes, you're right about the first photo - we're in the process of getting an AirBnB official photographer but not sure how long that's going to take. Annoyingly, the room is quite big, but most of the photos we took make it look very small...

We did take some photos of the front of the building but decided against putting it up as we weren't too happy with how they came out. I think we will revist this and I'll take some more very shortly.

Is there anything else you think we could improve on? I wondered if there was too much for people to read through in the description; can there ever be too much? Perhaps it's not concise enough?

Thanks again Wendy 🙂

[Wendy199]

You could move the paragraph "Situated..." up to the second paragraph: it has the best highlights. Add  two patio chairs facing each other on the lawn. Put a colorful rug in front of the sofa put a small wing chair facing into the center of the room. In this way people picture themselves in the chairs 

[Wendy199]

Consider a title that tells your story: "Crisp and clean townhouse close to the Channel."

[Dianna2]

Take off the first photo. It shows up as a brown curtain, the rest is cut off for me at least. Once I click on the photos, then the whole room shows up. Some people might not even click and then miss out on seeing all the other photos.  I would also take the photo of the neighborhood off, somehow it is not as appealing. The rest of the photos are very nice.  I think that photos are very important.

[Monika64]

@Catherine_Sean0 I second @Dianna2, take off the first photo, all you see is a brown curtain. Don't wait, switch your pictures around right now, number 11 actually might work better. You have to change it immediatelly and see how that would look.

Your place is cute but I'm sure lots of people don't even look at your listing because of that first photo.

Sometimes it takes weeks if not longer to get a photographer. You can try to find a friend with good camera or just take lots of daytime pictures on your phones (always daytime) to see if you can get a few better ones. I cannot tell you how much good pictures mean, I got literally no traffic before I fixed my photos.

Also, if you just wanna hire a photographer (and don't wanna pay) try to find a wedding photographer in your area who would be interested in staying in your place for 1 night free in exchange for some good photos. It'd be a win-win since your place isn't booked up anyway, you would only have to clean the place in exchange for some great photos.

[Annette76]

Ok, first let me say that I'm a long time member of a home design forum where the group critiques and makes design suggestions so am hoping I'm not being too blunt or cold. 

The room looks neat and roomy but is devoid of any warmth or personality. I don't look at it and think of being cozy and relaxed. First I'd add some artwork to the walls, a nice big canvas above the bed would be a great start. A smaller, complementary piece between the windows would help.  Something on top of the wardrobe would be nice, a collection of baskets or some folded blankets. The nightstands are a bit low in that it puts the lamps below the level needed for reading in bed. You could also put some lamps on the wall. Add another color to the room. Red always looks nice with chocolate brown. A red throw or pillows, then tie in some red in the artwork. A plant on the dresser or a nice tray to put jewelry at night is useful. Also, a mirror over the sink would be useful. When you hang artwork don't put it too high, generally you want the center of the art any about 65 inches from the floor, i.e. Average eye level. Also, I don't see anywhere for a guest to hang a towel. If possible put a couple of towel bars in the bathroom, maybe labeled for each room with a cute sign. Do you provide towels? If so, show a stack of thick fluffy towels in your listing pics.  It would look nice to maybe prop open the wardrobe door and show the stack of towels in there assuming there is a shelf. A hook in the back of the bedroom door to hang a robe is nice to show. It's a great layout and home, as you can see I'm having fun imagining adding to the decor!

Cute pillow,some artwork etc

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

@Annette76 interesting that you chose this pillow... I bought the same one few years ago when I wanted to freshen up one totaly brown room in the flat I wanted to sell :)))) and a red bed cover with the pillow. It looked great on pictures.

[David64]

Your place oveall looks great but....that first photo is a real dud. You do need some better photos. Waiting on Aibnb for them can take over a year. Thats a year of wasted opportunities.