Successful Vacation Rentals

In the eleven years I have been advertising online vacation rentals I have discovered a simple but often forgotten formula that separates successful private owner advertising from mediocre online ads; and it’s free. Stage your home for digital photos. Your homes greatest potential lies in its appeal to shoppers. Take the time to stage your home. Print this list and bring it with you. Many times I have told folks not to forget how important the items below are to their advertising, but with so many other important things to do as well that I have regretted not having the list below with me when I photographed my own vacation rental.

Take your photos in the late afternoon, or very early evening before the sun sets.
Turn on all the lights, this is an easy one to forget, but remains one of the most important aspects of advertising online photos. All those recessed lights, bedside lamps, candle lights; every single light in your home can help create an inviting, warm ambience when digitally photographed.
Turn on the amenities. Turn on the TV and find appropriate channels, Disney is good. Take the lid off of the spa, and turn it on, lights, jets even staging with some people is fine, but not necessary, as most shoppers like to picture themselves in the photo! Light the fireplace and set the table, candlelight is a nice touch.
Example: Big Sky Vacation Rental

4. Keep your lights on and after the inside photos have been taken; take exterior photos with all the lights still on before it gets too dark.

You don’t need to be a professional photographer, just pretend you are doing a photo shoot for a magazine and your assignment is to show your home to its full potential. Your home will always look better in person then in photos, so do your best to make it shine!
---Taylor Lewis Vacation Rentals http://lodging4vacations.com