When guests are browsing the Airbnb website for a place to stay, what is it that will make then stop and look at your property? What would make you stop and look?
The Airbnb website is full of accommodation in various locations, at different price points and with different offerings. But here in the Whitsundays what makes your property stand out amongst the crowd, and do the images of your property really show it in the best way possible? As they say a “picture paints a thousand words” so does the image of your property say all it can without words?
Here are 5 tips to help create eye catching images that will have guests putting your property in their definite pile.
LIGHTING
This is one of the most important factors in bringing ambiance, tone and warmth to your photos. And is a personal choice as to whether you would have certain lights switched on when photographing, however the general consensus is to keep all lights switched off as this helps create a more natural feel. Having interior lights on can cast shadows on walls, furniture and floors and therefore takes away from the design elements of your home.
Have a look at your rooms at certain times of the day. When do you have the least shadow and at what time of day does the property look its best? Is it late afternoon when the sun is low and reflecting beautiful warm hues into the room. Take a few days to make a note of the best times of the day that the property looks its best and the direction the rooms face.
My main living area is North West facing and looks best before midday as the sun starts to move through the room.
PHOTO ANGLES
When taking photos stand in the corner of the room keeping the camera at eye level and don’t shoot too wide. You don’t necessarily need to emphasise the size of the room but instead hone in on the design of your property or key features that are the visuals and selling points, it could be as simple as a coffee station, or a reading nook for example.
Avoid taking a picture with the window directly in the image as it may be overexposed. If you need to show a view from a window, look at how best to capture it. Ideally by going outside, but if you don’t have a balcony then at an angle with part of the window and view in the picture.
Think about other angles you can use that will entice your guests to stop and look at your property’s images. It could be a welcome hamper that is placed on the kitchen counter and taken at a wider angle to also showcase your kitchen, or maybe taken overhead to display the content of the hamper. Be sure that these do stay as part of your interior styling and not just props for the camera. Having seen this on the Airbnb site, guests will be expecting it!
COLOUR
The colour palette you choose to style your guests home is all too often overlooked. Take your wall and floor colour as the backdrop and bring the furniture in as midground. What pulls all this together is the accessories that should complement their surroundings. Take inspiration from nature utilising the colours that you favour and the setting of your property. For example if your view is of the Coral Sea then perhaps you would look at more neutral colour so as not to take away from the view of the property. However, at night that view will disappear, so think about how your rooms will also look at night, you could bring some of that blue into the room as a wall colour or with the use of large accessories like rugs, throws, bedding or cushions.
You may have already seen the colour wheel, but if you are not confident with colour, or not sure where to start it can sometimes become a bit daunting. However the colour wheel can be a great reference to knowing what colours compliment each other or work well together.
In simplistic terms, those colours on opposite sides of the wheel are complimentary to each other and work well together. From here are the analogous colours, those that appear either side of your chosen colour and then there are the triad colours, which are three colours that appear as a triangle around the wheel. Combining these together can be a great starting point to a room design.
You need to bear in mind that you don’t need to use all the colours but by understanding the relationship that each has with the other can really help with selecting colour and putting these together.
So, when taking photos, make sure you have a balance of these colours throughout your image suite and in some cases are complimentary to your surroundings.
ACCESSORIES
I can’t emphasise enough on how a few accessories can make a huge difference to a room. These can help to shape the personality of your home, the décor and the attention to detail tell a story to your guests and the experience that they can expect when staying at your home. You don’t need to spend a lot of money either, just focus on your colour palette and items that will compliment your styling. These can be table runners, cushions, throws, rugs, lampshade, baskets, faux plants, wall hangings or simple ornaments that are easy to dust.
Accessories are also great for changing the overall colour scheme of a room, a neutral room colour can be enhanced with an array of colour through the accessories you have chosen, and if you then want to have a change, then changing the accessories are a good and cost effective way to change the look of a room.
There are many low cost high street stores that have a great collection as well as on-line shops to get your hands on something a little different. But, to tie in with the Whitsundays, there’s no better place than your local shops stocking local items. Op shops are also a great way to shop for homewares, you’ll be surprised at what you can pick up!
Start to have a look on line at accessories to get ideas on what you like and that match your overall theme. Start putting these ideas into a shopping list. Accessories aren’t always something you can collect over night, it will take time to find the right item and for the right price.
WHAT CAN YOU OFFER?
Be sure to include images of inclusions and amenities that differentiate you from others in this area. Is it a tropical pool or a sea view, a beautiful tropical garden with a seating area or maybe a balcony to enjoy the tropical breeze through the palm trees. If you’re thinking “but I don’t have any of those”, you need to think outside the square and put together a list of what makes you different, then stage the pictures and see what works best. It could be a welcome pack, breakfast items for day one, a library of games and books or a gallery of your personal suggestions of the area, the list could be almost endless. And if you don’t have anything that makes you different, now might be the time to think what you could introduce for your guests, then upload these images of your property to the Airbnb site. Start to work on what works well and what doesn’t and don’t be afraid to keep updating what you would like to offer guests staying in your home.
So, have a think about what action you would like to take no matter how small the change may be. If you are currently promoting your site, take a look at the images. Do they promote your home to the best that they can or could they be better? Would you stop at your property and take a further look, do you entice the reader to stop? Do you stand out from the competition within a similar nightly price range?
Put yourself in the eyes of your guests, which home would you book?
Styling the Whitsundays 