Critique my listing - Calandia Chalet, Crestline, CA

[Andy2884]

We aren't brand new but we are always looking to improve. We haven't changed our listing all that much since we started. so we would love some Critique and suggestions from other hosts. 

https://airbnb.com/h/tocalandia

[Anonymous]

@Andy2884  You have a really stunning place there - I really like your sense of design, the way you seamlessly weave rainbow color schemes together with earth tones and pull the natural elements together with the high-tech amenities. Your descriptions are thorough and well-written, and it's clear that you came out of the gate with a strong sense of who your target market is and how to make them happy guests. The listing sets high expectations, and reviews show that you've done a great job delivering on them.

You appear experienced enough now that you don't look like an easy target for scammers, but your chalet does look like the kind of place where someone will eventually try to throw a party with a few more people than your maximum occupancy. In preparation for that, you might consider adding a house rule prohibiting any unregistered guests from entering the home. And since you're not using camera surveillance, you might want to convey in some way that there are human eyes on the home - even if it's just a neighbor or co-host - lest anyone think they can sneak a big group in unnoticed.

You might also consider a longer minimum length of stay. One-night bookings don't seem like a good fit for your kind of space.

[Patti-And-Marty0]

Nice job! I agree with everything @Anonymous said.

A few other ideas: try taking your interior photos  at different times of the day and see if you can capture the view outside better, which I'm sure is stunning in person.  Also would it be possible to re arrange the living room furniture to make it copier and add a coffee table to tie it together? And lastly I would put all of the actual house photos first before the general area ones, people may not look through them all. Great listing! 

[Andy2884]

Great input! We’re adding a central area rug and I have wanted a coffee table the whole time but my lady likes the open space! So we shall see who wins!

[Andy2884]

Great ideas! We do know all our neighbors and we will add that mention as a sort of “eyes on”

we only allow 2 nights minimum. But we are also a weekend getaway for so cal so it’s mostly weekends

[Laura2592]

@Andy2884 nice listing! A few tweaks I would recommend.

1. Rethink listing anything other than a bed as a sleeping space. I would reduce my guest numbers to 4 and keep my prices the same. You will undoubtedly get people who bring extra folks not on the reservation and you can decide what to charge or how to handle when it happens. If you can really tolerate 6, keep it at 4 guests and do not mention non-beds. 
2. Try ordering your photos like a real estate tour with the first image being of the exterior. As an architecture nerd, I often will choose a listing based on what the actual house looks like.  Start outside, and then do a logical order based on how someone will tour a space. Maybe a floor plan as well. 
3. Mention clearly if the place has visible neighbors or is very isolated. We get dinged on location when our guests don't read that we have visible neighbors. I recently uploaded a satellite image and circled the neighbors with a caption that neighbors are visible. For some guests this is a reason to book or not. Make it unmissable.
4. The rug bothers me just a bit but only because I have cleaned my space so many times even after our cleaners. I can't imagine hosting with carpet. Maybe consider (long term) a hard surface floor with area rugs? So much easier to deal with. I have to admit I avoid places that have wall to wall carpet but that is my own personal quirk. I always see it as not as clean as a hard surface floor and get sneezy in some spaces with carpet (which I totally admit is probably psychosomatic!) As we host pets, hard surface floors are so much easier and more difficult to damage. 
5. No last minute guests and no one night stays. Those are both trouble and your place is too nice!

[Andy2884]

GREAT IDEAS!!!

1. Beds: two bed rooms with queen beds, and 2 full size memory foam mattresses, (REAL mattresses not just pads) that we have had people put in the big bedroom and in the living room. for kids mostly. 
2. I will continue to revamp the photos!!  and I was already thinking of doing it in order but you confirmed.
3. Carpet: yeah eventually we will remove it. We JUST ordered a new custom area rug that's washable so that will help. the carpet was brand new when we bought the place so its super clean and new now.
4. I will mention the isolated nature of our place.!
5.  

[Andy2884]

made most if not all of the changes! https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/48738928?guests=1&adults=1&s=67&unique_share_id=65674219-5f1f-4302-8a01...