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6 Steps To Super Pictures Of Your Vacation Rental Property
from: David GoldschmidtAs an owner, you know all the intimate details about what makes
your property so great. The challenge is in conveying those to
prospective renters. Vacation rental web sites help by providing
you with a custom web site for your property, and promoting it
to family vacationers around the globe. So what can you do to
leverage this worldwide exposure? Attractive and descriptive
photos can take a good property listing, and make it great. And
it is a lot easier than you think. So a picture really can be
'worth a thousand words', as they say. But how you create the
best impression for your property? Here are some tips from the
vacation rental property marketing experts at
GreatFamilyRentals.com:
1. Digital or film, either works Whether you use a traditional
film camera or a digital one does not really matter. Use what
you're most comfortable with. Even single-use, disposable
cameras (with flash) can take reasonably good photos. Both
digital and film camera technologies are sufficient to capture
images extremely well. We recommend 400-speed film for the best
results from film cameras.
What matters far more is how the camera is used. Which brings us
to...
2. Interiors - Plan the setting Professional home photographers
spend hours creating the right look before snapping the first
picture. While we don't recommend similar time devotion, a
little time making sure your property is presentable will pay
off. You will likely take your pictures between rental sessions,
after the property has been cleaned. Of course renters like
seeing everything neat and tidy, but we've noticed that
sometimes a less sterile view helps vacationers imagine
themselves in your property - and that's what it's all about.
Here are some ideas to make the interior of your property look
less like a hotel room, and more like a vacation home:
- Set the dining table for a meal, including wine glasses and
candlesticks - Put out some board games or books on the coffee
table - On your deck or patio, put a beach towel and a couple
of cold drinks next to those chaise lounges
All right, since you're taking pictures, the drinks don't really
have to be cold, but you get the idea. Of course your property
should be clean and neat, but making it appear more like it
probably does when occupied, helps show the potential of your
vacation rental.
Spend a few minutes choosing which rooms you wish to show.
Common areas, like living rooms and kitchens are important. You
might not think your kitchen is anything special, but that's not
the point. Many vacationers like to see the kitchen's layout,
even if they know what equipment it contains. Primary bedrooms
are important as well, as they allow renters to visualize their
sleeping arrangements.
If your property has anything out of the ordinary on the inside
(a complete home theater, for example), it's a good idea to take
a photo of it as well (and don't forget to include it in your
property description). For many properties, views to the outside
are important - so capture them, and at the best time of day.
Like any good Realtor would recommend, turn on all the lights
inside your property before taking your pictures. Set your flash
to automatic, so that it will fire whenever necessary. Set your
zoom on its widest setting and move back to position yourself to
capture as much of each room as possible.
3. Exteriors - Open your eyes You probably don't think too much
about how your property and the surrounding area appear. You've
been in and out of your rental property hundreds of times. But
take a few minutes and decide what you'd like to show potential
renters - it could sometime make the difference between someone
booking, and passing. Showing which unit is yours in a multiple
unit building can be helpful. If your property is a house or
detached condominium, the exterior appearance and setting can be
a big selling point. Amenities specifically for your unit can be
worthwhile showing as well, such as swing sets, docks, saunas,
etc.
Aside from your particular property, there are probably other
reasons to book your vacation rental. So show them! Include a
photo of the beach your renters can use. Put one in showing how
close the chairlift is from your front door. Show the pool,
playground, fishing pond, hiking trails, etc. You may be
wondering, should I only show features that are for my guests
only, like a private pool? Of course you'll want to include
these, but by all means you should include non-exclusive
amenities as well. Potential guests want to know what then can
do, where they can go, etc. The idea here is to give potential
renters a sense of the setting of your vacation rental property,
and the best things about the immediate area. All the more
reason to book their vacation with you!
4. Maps, floor plans, etc. Perhaps there some things about your
vacation rental property that you'd like to show prospective
renters, but you can't take a picture of them. Does your
property have a unique or particularly expansive layout? In
addition to the description you write, there is a way to include
a floor plan in your listing. Just take a photo of it! Lay out
the floor plan on a table with good light. Try to position
yourself directly above the center of the floor plan, instead of
at an angle - that way it won't be distorted. Sometimes standing
on a chair can help. Lastly, make sure you hold the camera very
still so that the image is not blurred when you press the
shutter.
5. Labeling your photos Here's another opportunity to include
information about your vacation rental property. Don't pass up
the opportunity to label your photos when you upload them! And
include some descriptive text. Which sounds better to you:
"Master bedroom" or "Spacious master bedroom with king bed and
Gulf view"? If the seasons affect the views your property
offers, like leaves on trees that block that mountain view in
the summer, or the sunset that's only visible from the living
room window for part of the year, you should label your photos
appropriately. Such as: "Sunset view from balcony in August".
Some might assume that these views exist throughout the year, so
it's best to be explicit in this regard. Don't forget to label
maps and floor plans, too, so prospective renters know what
they're looking at. These are all opportunities to help get
inquiries and sell bookings for your vacation rental property,
so take advantage of them.
6. Processing issues Unfortunately, all film processing is not
the same. We prefer one or two day service from an off-site lab,
compared to typical one-hour results. While we've gotten
acceptable results from one-hour service at a drugstore, the
off-site labs provide more consistent photofinishing quality. If
you try one hour processing and aren't happy, you can always
have a lab reprint your photos.
About the author:
Courtesy of GreatFamilyRentals.com, a leading directory of
owner.
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