Critique my listing- Sarah from Marshall, NC

[Sarah4275]

Greetings! 
My husband and I build a modern cabin out of a used shipping container.

https://www.airbnb.com/h/newmooncabin

It’s located on our farm, about 30 min north of Asheville. The listing has been live about one month and so far the guest feedback has been great. My two questions are, how best to convey that our well water is delicious & safe to drink? Guests have asked & most of the recycling left is water bottles. Second is, what is the best way to set your own pricing? There are a lot of rentals near us, but we book up fairly quickly. I’ve had smart pricing on but it seems too low. 

thanks, 

Sarah 

 

[Gordon0 · Accepted solution]

First of all, @Sarah4275, what a cute cracker of a listing you have there. Totally lovely and almost more of an experience than somewhere to lay your head.

In terms of water, I'm assuming people have already purchased their supplies (water included) before they arrive, so you've lost the game before you've even started. Quite possibly a daft question, but is it a traditional well, ie something you could take a photo of and caption it?

You could also have something in your blurb, a la: Foodies will love the well appointed kitchenette: with induction cooktop, open shelving, sleek black sink and everything you need to serve up a delicious dinner for two. And with fresh and delicious drinking water from the farm's well on tap, there's no need to bring the bottled variety; good for you, and good for the planet.  

As for your pricing, you seem to be pretty much in line with what the locale charges, but I do think you could squeeze it up a bit considering the 'experience' angle. As for Smart Pricing, very few fans on here.

My only one critique would be to lose some of the pics as many are very similar. I'd also be tempted to put a friendly line in there about it not being pet-friendly as (even though it isn't permitted as per your tick-box) because it does look like the veritable dog heaven!

[Sarah4275]

@Gordon0 

thank you so much for your thoughtful feedback. I've implemented just about everything you suggested! Cheers!

[Mark116]

@Sarah4275  Very well done.  I don't know what you can do about guests bringing bottled water, it has unfortunately become ingrained in the culture, people bring flats of water to our listing in the city.

Smart pricing is always $10 or $20 lower than what you should be charging, try increasing your price by $10 for a few weeks and see if there is a change in demand and check other similar listings in your area for their prices.

The only thing I might add is some flower pots or window boxes on the railings of the deck.

[Colleen253]

@Sarah4275 What a beautiful little cabin! And you’re off to a great start, judging by your reviews.

If you’re solidly booked, that’s a clue you can go up in price. Consistent high value score is another, smaller clue. Try going up incrementally until you find your sweet spot. Smart pricing will always be way too low, in order to attract bookings, which is all that Airbnb cares about…not a host’s bottom line. And lower occupancy at higher rates is better than the opposite. If using smart pricing, set the lowest price to whatever you want it to be. It is good to have it turned on, as the more Airbnb features you use, the better the algorithm will favor you in search, though if you’re naturally popular, that won’t matter much. 

 
I love @Gordon0‘s suggestion re the well water. As far as other suggestions, you might add a corner shelf on each side of the bed for a place to put a book, reading glasses, phone etc. Your unique house rules are incomplete. And I would remove the two pics of the dog, given you’re not pet friendly, as it sends the wrong message. 

[Sarah4275]

@Colleen253 

Thanks for the tips. My husband has already built out a headboard with attached floating end table shelves! It was done after my friend photographed the space, so the listing photos just don't reflect the update yet. I don't think that would effect people choosing the book the space or not!?

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Sarah4275 your additional rule of 'Midnight-6am' possibly needs a little work. Agree with all the smart pricing comments. Only use it with a decently high min price.

[Sarah4275]

@Mike-And-Jane0 

thanks for the feedback, I meant it as a quiet time suggestion, but agree that it didn't convey-REMOVED! 

[Sarah977]

@Sarah4275  If you've had your well-water tested, you could also post the test results on the wall near the sink, and photograph the paper for your photo gallery.

I would also second the need for some bedside tables and lamps. It annoys me staying somewhere there is no way I can  read in bed with good lighting, or having to get out of bed as I'm falling asleep to go turn off the ceiling light.

A little heads-up- I think that summers are hot and humid in your area? A neighbor here built a bunch of container cabins on his property. They got incredibly moldy inside. Someone I knew was renting one and had to move out because of the mold. So you may have to run a dehumidifier in there on a regular basis in the summer, and check that there is no mold or mildew starting to form on shower grout and sealant, under sinks and cabinets, etc. and wipe them down regularly with a bleach solution. 

[Sarah4275]

@Sarah977 

Thanks for the tips. My husband has already built out a headboard with attached floating end table shelves! It was done after my friend photographed the space, so the listing photos just don't reflect the update yet. I don't think that would effect people choosing the book the space or not!?  We have reading light scones attached to the wall already - they are amazing, and included in listing photos. 

Regarding humidity in the container, we used closed cell insulated spray foam.  It helps with controlling moisture. We also installed a mini split with AC/Heat and dehumidifier setting. This summer the container was very comfortable and we had no mildew issues.  My husband used to build tiny houses, so we implemented only the best building techniques, sounds like your neighbor may have taken some shortcuts?

[Sarah977]

@Sarah4275  Yes I have no idea exactly how the neighbor constructed the units, what was used for insulation, etc. This is in Mexico, so a lot less knowledge around about building anything that workers here aren't familiar with.

One guy years ago imported a bunch of traditional homes from Bali for his complex in the jungle. They arrived deconstructed, of course, and had to be reconstructed by local workers . The first rainy season, all the roofs leaked like sieves. 🙂

No, the listing photos won't affect guests booking for little things like that, but as much as possible, photos should accurately picture the place. 

I did see the sconces, but I didn't see any light switches near them, so assumed people would have to get out of bed to turn them off.