How To Prepare Your Vacation Rental For Photography
One of the questions I get asked the most before photographing someone's vacation rental is "What can I do to prepare?". If you have a look through the most popular rentals on sites such as Airbnb and VRBO, you'll notice that the best listings look like they could be featured in a magazine. But don't worry! You don't have to splurge and spend a fortune to make your property look incredible. Read on for some helpful tips.....
1. KEEP IT CLEAN & CLUTTER FREE
You'd never walk in to a hotel room and expect to see paper strewn across tables, children's toys scattered around or dust covering the shelves. Keep this in mind when cleaning your place. If you share the common spaces with guests, keep your belongings neat and organized. Really look at your space and think about if you'd be happy with the cleanliness level if you were staying there as a guest.
2. SUPPORT LOCAL ARTISTS!
When asking friends about why they would prefer to stay in a vacation rental instead of a hotel, many said that they love being immersed in the local culture and seeing the location from a local's point-of-view. A lot of hotels have the same generic artwork and the same decor throughout their hundreds of hotels - which is great for those who love to know exactly what they are getting, but not so great for those who love staying somewhere different and unique. Visit local art galleries, boutiques and craft markets to pick up some amazing pieces. Not only will you be supporting fellow small business owners, but you'll collect some amazing artwork that will entice guests to come and visit and give your place a welcoming atmosphere. For those who prefer to shop online, Etsy has some fantastic pieces.
3. IF IN DOUBT, PHOTOGRAPH FOOD.
Everybody loves food! Do you plan on providing breakfast for your guests? Are you an amazing baker? Is there a local delicacy that you could showcase? Food is something that looks wonderful in photographs and brings happiness to a lot of people. It can really make vacation listings stand out and look inviting - and whether or not you want to leave your guests a little surprise food basket is something to think about. During my research, when asked about their most positive experience, many travelers wrote that they loved a specific vacation rental because the host surprised them with food or drink. It doesn’t have to be anything expensive - some pastries and nice bottled water or juice will make your guests feel welcome.
4. ACCESSORIZE
You will not believe how big a difference it makes to photographs to accessorize your place. Consider adding a bottle of wine or non-alcoholic sparkling drink and glasses to a reading nook or balcony, fresh flowers in the living room or beside the bed, or fluffy clean towels and some cute hand soap in the bathroom. Little details like this show that you’ve put thought in to creating a relaxing and welcoming ambience for your guests. Don’t forget to put these things out when your guests arrive so that they don’t feel duped by the images!
I hope some of these tips help you to feel more comfortable in getting your vacation rental photographed. Photography is such an important part of the success of your property - Before writing this blog post, I conducted a survey with over 50 responses, and 100% of respondents said that the photographs of the listing influenced their decision to stay there.
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me at hello@caroline-alexander.com.