Listing all but dead since this summer - advice appreciated

41

Hey @Debthecat and @jaquo,

How many photos do you suggest I initially post to this thread? The photographer took a lot of photos, but there is a fair amount of repetition in there.

@Debthecat, good point about people reading this on their phones. I hadn’t thought that.

@Jefferson, thank you for taking the time to make detailed comments. As already mentioned here, those photos were taken in February 2016, and are now very out of date. I think things currently look better here, and I will be posting newer photos shortly, though you might still think it looks “drab, dark and cluttered”. And I think that probably the entire house has been repainted since Feb 2016. In any case, please do take a look at the new photos when I posted them, and let me know what you think.

WRT to your specific comments, the idea of IB makes me break out in hives.

I’m not sure about increasing my prices. They have not changed much since I started, but my feeling is that there is too much low priced competition in the area, particularly in the north, to make significant price increases an option. People are willing to charge amazingly low prices here. Prices of Rs. 1000 per day are not uncommon; currently around USD 14. I think. That’s quite mad. India is cheap. But it’s not cheap. And Bombay is very definitely not cheap. And presumably the host’s time has some value.

I did change my cleaning fee just now from Rs. 456 (USD 6.39) to 500 (USD 7). It used to be equivalent to USD 7, but because of the relative difference in inflation (and possibly other reasons), the Rupee keeps sliding against the Dollar. I’m debating whether I should increase it further. I used to allow single day stays, but currently my minimum is 2 days. But that length still feels quite a lot of work for the money, especially for foreigners (extra paperwork).

When I changed it, the Airbnb site refused to let me save the changes until I increased the extra guest charge from 356 to 357. Currently this is equivalent to the minimum charge of USD 5. Airbnb’s site doesn’t check whether the saved values are below their minimums, but it notices when you try to change something in the fees page. I wonder if I should increase that one too. My base rate is still at Rs. 2153 (USD 30.18). I wonder if I should round that off to a USD value.

I disagree that the number of photos are too much, though that’s something I frequently hear in this forum. i think it depends on the listing, and how much area needs to be covered, among other variables. What do you think the ideal number is?

And I kind of hate the way I look, but I think I look really awful when I smile, unless I’m doing so spontaneously. But I don’t have a photo of that.

Tangentially, I wonder how much per hourly rate for this business would work out to. Probably something appallingly low. Has anyone tried to do such a calculation?

(As I was typing this, I was listening to a song called “Feels”, which mentions Airbnb in the lyric. No idea what the lyrics are, though. Something about catching fish…)

42

Hi Faheem,

We are hosts and travelers. I spent years in digital marketing. Here is how I look at it:

Your Real Competition
35 Stays, ROOMS not “Entire Place”, priced between 1800 - 3000 per night. Some of these MAY charge more for 2nd person - I did not look at that.

Take some time and look at them. The many nice sharp attractive images between 2000-2900 a night are your DIRECT competition. Look at their text - some of them have nice descriptions that you may want to use.

Give a good look at this - he is a nearby superhost:
https://www.airbnb.co.in/rooms/20766043?source_impression_id=p3_1577984088_mMztuWMOfP5G6w5x

Some Facts
A. You are priced lower than MOST of them.
B. 27 stays allow IB.
C. 3 stays are SuperHosts
D. The 3 SuperHosts stays do not currently allow IB
E. 25 stays are Under ₹2,500 per night
F. The stays under 2000 are hostels and “student rooms” etc - not real competition.

** Most of your competition have very few reviews **

So you are saying all these photos are outdated? https://www.airbnb.co.in/rooms/8235275?source_impression_id=p3_1577981934_LEUZAVFkmdUki61m

Fix that - immediately! You are losing bookings from “peeling paint”, drab colors and table clutter.

40 photos is far too many. You need to trust us on that. All you need is the RIGHT # of GOOD ATTRACTIVE PHOTOS. 15-20 should do it.

ROOFSIDE AREA. You have that roofside area with no seating, no tables, no umbrella. Big Wasted Opportunity! That should be an area that says “enjoy your breakfast here”, “watch the sunset”, and “relax at the end of your day”. This could be a huge competitive advantage for you instead of an empty rooftop.

Apparently, I was not direct enough about your photo - I would remove it. It is not relevant. Some will be put off by it.

FYI - this HOTEL came up in the list - you may want to Flag it to Airbnb as hotels should not be here:
https://www.airbnb.co.in/rooms/31270846?source_impression_id=p3_1577982670_7ff%2Bg1UzBUABNH%2FI

Good luck!

43

Looking forward to seeing your photographs, @faheem

Your place is lovely (dark and cluttered?) and I’ve thought so since the first time I saw it.

It’s very important to make sure that the new photographs you use are realistic. Photographers, automatically it seems, want their work to be as attractive as possible.

Most don’t understand that we have to under-promise and over-deliver. I recently stayed in one myself that was totally inaccurate on the website. If a client’s first impression is ‘this isn’t what I expected’ then the chaces are that they’re unlikely to revise that opinion.

44

Hi @Jefferson,

Thank you so much for the detailed advice. You should be in the consulting business. Or perhaps you already are?

Responses to some specific points follow:

  1. I’m still not convinced that 40 photos are too many, but how many people agree that photos should be 15-20 maximum? Informal poll here.

  2. That roofside area does now have a table and some chairs, but to be frank, it’s of rather sucky quality. I’ve been meaning to upgrade, but haven’t. I’ll post a picture of that. I totally agree that better seating here would be advantageous. I was thinking a pergola would fit well here, rather than an umbrella (which would be quite useless in heavy rain, and maybe not that useful even during periods of intense sunshine), but it would be pricey.

  3. How many people concur that I should remove the photo of myself? I agree that I look like hell. But the Airbnb photographer back in Feb 2016 insisted in taking it. She said that guests like to see a photo of their host. But it’s possible it’s putting people off; I wouldn’t know. It was uploaded by Airbnb, along with the other photos. Of course, I don’t have to leave it there.

  4. [quote=“Jefferson, post:42, topic:36198”]
    So you are saying all these photos are outdated?
    [/quote]
    Most of them, but not all. Some were taken more recently. But the photos of the entrance area - what we sometimes refer to as the entrance hall, are certainly outdated. The ones of the terrace are too. Some areas, like the bathroom, have not changed significantly. It’s hard to do much with that bathroom. Though people had earlier noted that the bathroom looks dirty. We tried to rectify that in the recent photos.

  5. Where is it written that hotels are not allowed on Airbnb? A reference would be appreciated.

  6. The Suhasini listing looks interesting. I don’t recall seeing that one before. Maybe it’s relatively new. That’s in my approximate area, and is relatively cheaply priced for the area. Thank you for the pointer.

@jaquo, thank you for your kind words about my listing. Jefferson and other people definitely have a point about the photos, the terrace etc… All constructive feedback is most welcome. And I definitely don’t think the new photos actually look better than the real thing.

Since nobody has suggested how many photos to post, I’ll just post a bunch. Unfortunately it will clutter up the thread, but that can’t be helped.

45

Just had another look.
Yes - too many photos and photos cost data on a mobile.
Your terrace could be a wonderful space, but compared to all the greenery downstairs, it looks too bare.
Bathroom is fine.
Lose the personal photo as you have a profile pic.
Possible to have longer curtains and sheers in the bedroom? Just to soften it a bit?
Lastly - how thick is the mattress?

46

Hey @Debthecat,

Thank you for the feedback.

Photos cost data on a mobile. Is that an issue. I though the allowance of data was typically very generous, at least in the West. And do people use their phones a lot for this sort of thing. In any case, how many photos do you recommend, then? Either a range, or a maximum.

I’ll post revised photos, but it still looks pretty bare with a plastic table and chairs. Suggestions for improvement welcome.

Ok. Other votes for removing the photo?

I’m thinking of getting replacement curtains. Actually, someone is coming on the 6th. The current curtains are showing their age, and they weren’t well made to begin with. For one thing, they’re sagging. What are sheers?

The mattress was originally 5 inches (custom made around 2015). The chap who is coming for the curtains also does mattresses. He reckoned it had depressed down 1/2 inch, so was now more like 4 1/2 inches. We just had him make a 2 in mattress topper to add to the top of it. I’ve added it in there. If people want it removed, it can be. I’d been getting a few complaints about mattress hardness. I was a little concerned that it might now be too soft, but I do have a question in my feedback form about it.

47

Sheers are fine netting curtains that provide some privacy but allow a lot of light.
When I travel I only have a small data allowance unless I am hooked into someone else’s wifi, so data is an issue.

48

The curtains in the guest room are actually two. The outer ones (blue) are blackout curtains. The inner ones next to the window (white) are not. Is that what you were talking about, perhaps? Probably not. The white is just regular cloth, not netting.

However, those curtains, as I said already, are not great. In particular, they do a poor job of blocking out the light, even when drawn. One my guests, who said he was in the curtain business, said the curtain horizontal length was too short. One of the curtains should cover the entire length of the windows when stretched out, apparently. He also suggested blinds, but I don’t know about that. My impression is that blinds are expensive, high maintenance (difficult to clean and repair), and very breakable.

I see. Certainly, if one books places when travelling, that could be an issue. And people seem to do that quite frequently, for some reason. Perhaps they have fluid travel plans.

49

This is just me…is there a chance you could mention the age of the building?
I am an old building nut - my oldest of 10 properties is 150 years old. Once I mentioned the age in the title, views went up.
Also - repainting? you have beautiful floors but the wall colours do nothing for them.
Regarding the curtains for the AirBnb room, I would take a colour from the wall tiles so it complements the room. The curtains need to be much fuller as they currently look skimped.

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50

Interesting suggestion. I don’t know how old this building is, but certainly at least 100 years old. It was in the family’s possession in the late 1920s, because that is when the Family Trust was constituted. 1929, I believe. And it certainly wasn’t built by my family. What do you suggest?

Change “Tower Room at Marine Lines” to “Tower Room at Marine Lines in 100 Year Old Heritage Building”? Or something more poetic Suggestions welcome.

I don’t know if it is actually a heritage building, and I’m not even sure what a heritage building means in India, but the word sounds good. Sadly, this “heritage” building is in poor and neglected shape.

I’ve repainted, but you probably would not be impressed with the wall colors. However, color suggestions for future reference are welcomed.

Good point regarding color matching. We were thinking of using leftover cloth from the new curtains that were recently added (in place of the old broken blinds), in the entrance hall, assuming there is enough cloth. Though we can probably buy more of the same if necessary.

That might actually be a better match than the current color. Though I still do quite like the blue color of those curtains. And yes, the curtains themselves could be better.

51

A silver grey would be nice…at least looking at my computer screen!
Re the wall colours - anything in the floor colour but a paler version. It will make the rooms bigger and freshen things up. The toothpaste mint green is…
The blue curtains on my screen are mauve.

52

@faheem You keep asking how many photos other hosts recommend and you have been given that answer, but don’t seem to want to believe it. I’d say 15-20 is plenty.
Curtians- I’m an upholsterer by trade, I do curtians, pillows, mattresses and chair and cushion covers. Yes, curtians should be at least 1 and a half times the width of the windows, otherwise they look skimpy and don’t cover the space well. More formal looking drapes are sometimes 3 times the width of the opening. Pay no attention to trying to understand what sheers are- they won’t work well for you- they are usually made of a polyester material, are quite thin- they let in light, but you can still see clearly through them. But the fabric breaks down quickly in intense direct sunlight, so I wouldn’t recommend them for your place.
I also have a window in my guest room that needs to block the light- there is a streetlight that glares right in that window at night. I have black-out curtains against the window and some simple white cotton curtains (a fairly thick fabric) on the inside of the room. The rest of the windows in that room have the same white cotton curtains, but don’t need the black-out layer behind them.
Try to use soft, warm colors on the walls. Use light colors wherever the rooms are small and darkish, they will make the space feel larger. Dark colors on walls are oppressive, although an intense color can look good on one wall of a room, as long as the other walls are a neutral, light color. The darker color should always be on a wall that the light shines onto- if you put it on the wall with a window, it just makes that wall look even darker.
I know you said you like the blue curtains in the bedroom, but I don’t. I concur with @Debthecat- a light silver grey would be nice, or even white. The four pillows spread out like that look barren and skimpy- you have so many beautiful textiles in India, get a bunch of colorful throw pillows, of different shapes and sizes, and make the bed look sumptuous- in your current photos the bed looks flat and more like a prison bed than one guests could picture themselves lounging around on.
The living area/hallway. The tile floor is stunning, but the room is overwhelmingly cluttered. Get rid of those curtains- simple white or beige would be nice. There are so many colors and patterns and textures in that room and they are all competing with each other visually. Make sure the pictures on the wall are not crooked when you take photos, straighten up the books on the shelves so it doesn’t look so messy.
I don’t think your photo is so bad like others here do- I don’t like photos of myself either, but maybe get a friend or relative who has the ability to say things that make you laugh to take a photo of you while you are hanging out and joking around so you don’t feel self-conscious and it’s not posed. But as others said, your photo isn’t really necessary at all.
I find your building beautiful and it definitely has it’s own unique character. You just need someone with an eye for decor and color to help you get it right.

53

Hi @muddy,

One person said 15-20. I was asking if other people agreed with that. With you, it makes two.

Thanks for the tip. As mentioned, I’m thinking about making new curtains. I’ll keep the 1 1/2 width in mind. To be clear, I was talking about one of the curtains. As you can see from the pictures, there are two curtains, one on each side.

The main problem I’ve had with curtains (blinds wouldn’t have this issue, but they might have other problems), is that the curtains don’t close off the light from the sides. I suppose using a longer rod which extends more to the sides might work? Perhaps a curtain that was longer horizontally would work too. I thought of velcro strips on the sides, but I suspect that wouldn’t work well in practice.

Just out of curiosity (since you are in the business) would you recommend blinds?

As mentioned, I did repaint fairly recently, so I doubt I’m going to do it again soon. For one thing, it’s fairly expensive for rooms that size. For another, it’s not actually necessary. The current paint is still in good shape. But please look at the new photos once I post them, if you want. I doubt the new colors would meet with your approval, but I didn’t have an interior decorator to advise me…

54

Hi @Debthecat,

A silver grey for the curtains, right?

55

@faheem To get the curtain width right, measure the toal width of the window, mutiply it by 1 and a half to 2 (I’m saying 2 now, because the more fullness you have in the curtain, the more it will have folds at the sides which will block the light), add on about 20 cms for the fabric you will lose when the side hems are sewn (4 side hems, each taking up 5 cms of fabric) , and divide that by 2- that will give you the correct width of fabric for each of the 2 curtains before they are constructed. And yes, curtian rods should extend about 15 cms or so beyond the width of the window. This not only will keep the light from shining in, but you won’t need those ties- when the curtains are pushed open, they will leave the whole window clear. So you have to make sure the rod supports are at the ends of the longer rod.
I’m not a blind person myself- they need regular cleaning, as opposed to curtains, which you can throw in the wash when they look dingy (make sure to pre-wash fabric before cutting or sewing so it shrinks as much as it’s going to before they become curtains), they can break, etc. And because you don’t have a modern place, curtains are more in keeping with the architecture.

56

Oh, so the 1 1/2 to 2 window width is for both curtains together, one on each side? That wasn’t clear to me. Thanks for the tips. I’ll use this as a reference when (and if) the tailor arrives on 6th Jan.

Ok. I wasn’t planning on getting blinds, anyway. My prior experience with them has not been great. If might work if I was an expert, and knew what to get. But I’m not, and I don’t.

57

Yes, it’s basically what you said you were told by someone- when you stretch out one curtain, it should cover the entire width of the window. But you make 2 like that, then your curtains will have plenty of flow and block the light.

58

Ok, I understand. So each curtain should cover the entire length of the window. Got it.

59

@faheem, maybe it’s just me, but I’m getting worn out with your many requests for photo reviews. The problems other hosts have pointed out over and over are the same problems that existed when you first asked for the forum’s help.

40 photos is too many. Period. 15 to 20 photos is good.

The picture of you isn’t welcoming.

The photos make your place look cluttered, dingy, and worn. If furniture looks cheap, replace it.

Look at your competition’s photos. Fix all the things that are wrong in your listing and get new photos taken. Photos should be accurate and current, and accurate and current photos should show your place to be bright, uncluttered, and welcoming. Then, of course, that’s precisely how your listing must look every time guests arrive and throughout their stay.

If the photos you end up with don’t look bright, uncluttered, and welcoming, then you still have work to do on your place.

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60

Hi @RebeccaF,

A puzzling comment. Please feel free to ignore this entire thread if it displeases you. In fact, please ignore every post I ever make, or have made, on this forum, ever. I’d be perfectly fine with that.

In any case, I apologise for wearing you out. Honestly, I had no idea you even existed. Have we ever exchanged messages before?

(Excuse the snarkiness, but sometimes I feel it is merited…)

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