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It would be lovely to think that but you’re lucky in that you have access to some very successful long-time hosts here who can advise you regarding what Airbnb guests are looking for as opposed to show homes.
There are plenty of problems with your photographs that are mostly a lack of attention to detail but the great news is that you have opened the way to a fascinating new hobby - that of decorating your home in a mid-century way - and you have a good start already. (And believe me, people ARE attracted to mid-century properties, especially if they are thoughtfully decorated).
Part of the fun of this style of decor is that you’ll be able to find bargains at yard sales, consignment stores, eBay, Craigslist and so on. You can research the era and its design features online or at your local library. This can be done on a very limited budget.
I LOVE buying older goodies via FB marketplace! A fair bit of what is in my guest suite is all stuff that I have redone! Buffet, dressers, side tables… I also flip furniture on the side so definitely not a new skill. I think personally I would redo some of your furniture but at least in the short term I would focus in the softer textiles and art. It just warms a space up and makes it feel cozy
No I am not wanting to necessarily bend over backwards; however there is always room for improvement . If I am truly stressing over something that I shouldn’t be then I need to re-evaluate the situation.
Thank you for your input
Honestly I agree with @KCC the living room is arranged oddly. i think experienced hosts will give you a better perspective on this, than someone who says they have done show homes
If you aren’t very good on interior decoration, I would find a friend or contact who is, to help you.
Look at any decoration , matching bedding/towels, new furniture etc that you need to do as an investment in your business. You can do this well on a budget. If you need to, consider borrowing from family/friends and you can pay it back through your Airbnb income.
And @KCC is right i think you need to get new photos done once you have invested in doing a revamp of your place. For example you caption outside photos saying south facing mountain view but you can’t see the mountains, you show a dining table but it isn’t set for people to eat etc.
Again get a friend who a keen amateur photographer or a professional to help you with the photography. It make a huge difference.
Have you looked at your competitors for decoration and photo ideas @glenwood . I have a Victorian terrace and look at my competitors for inspiration on a regular basis. I also look at blogs, instagram and pinterest. For example here are some relevant for you.
Jacquo- I appreciate your positive input. I turned to this forum because I realize there are many of you out there that can offer great ideas and suggestions in a positive way . I have a lot to learn and appreciate the non judgemental comments
I would also like to say that the main picture should be of the interior, not exterior. If I want to come to your house I first want to see where I am going to sleep and then the house and then the exterior. The cover picture should be very attractive. I have to admit that the living looks kind of granma’ish, but you got that already. As for location, yes, sometiems I get that too and it’s ridiculous, yet ABB maintains the location rating doesnt matter.
No matter how the house looks it has to be spotless, so that ppl could give you 5 stars.
@glenwood I have read all your reviews and they are very good. The words vintage, historic, traditional, Grandma come up often but always in a positive way - people LIKE it! So I agree with everyone who says to play up to that and enhance those aspects. Helsi has given some great ideas and links. Whatever you do, don’t introduce anything from Ikea!! That will ruin the aesthetic.
My random contributions:
I agree that the furniture is arranged strangely in the living room.
One of your guests said how how much they “loved the fireplace on a rainy day”. Why not add a photo of it on and glowing all nice and cosy?
A few reviews mention raspberry bushes in the garden but I don’t see any evidence of them in the photos?
A lot of your replies to reviews are very repetitive… I get that you want people to leave a 5* review and you want to thank them but honestly, I find it a bit off-putting. But that’s a personal preference.
Finally, please stop chasing after Superhost status? It doesn’t make you more money and it doesn’t bring you nicer guests. It can be important for hosts in very competitive areas, like major cities with thousands of tourists, but your location will attract a specific type of guest who probably won’t know or care what is a superhost.
Hi @glenwood, I also have a listing that is a little bit more old-fashioned. This is my husbands family home, 72 years old and never been owned by anybody but them. We’ve been working on remodeling as the budget allows and for the most part, we get excellent feedback on it being like going to “grandmas house“. We encourage that feeling because we feel that people will be more respectful and take better care of our place. Pretty much nobody messes up grandmas house. Even a couple of our guests that were less than stellar really didn’t do much in the way of making a mess and definitely did not do any damage. I am also pretty careful about vetting my guests. I make sure they understand this is an older place, with everything that goes along with that. When we first started out, we did have a little bit of an issue with a musty odor, but we got that handled. It’s been pretty good since.
Thank you for your feedback. This is our family home as well. It is the home I grew up in. People who have said it like “going to grandmas house” have liked the feel. It was a positive comment not a negative. It is hard to take the “family” out of the home as my sister lives there at least 2 months out of the year and it is used for family first and airbnb guests 2nd…
