The short-term rental market is fast-paced and with all the new and exciting developments within the industry, it can be overwhelming when you try to think about how you can improve your listing. Luckily, we at Hometime have years of experience working with Airbnb insights and hosts to improve listings and gain an increase in bookings. In this article, we’ll share some tips on how you can upgrade your Airbnb affordably and beautifully to increase bookings.

Statement furniture pieces

Furniture can easily become a very expensive endeavour when upgrading your Airbnb. If you do have the budget for high quality and expensive furniture it will create a high-end feel to your space which may count in your favour.Homeowners who are looking to create a comfortable and inviting space don’t necessarily have to go to the high-end market first. Small and personal touches to your home will create beautiful photos and opportunities for millennials and gen z to share their experience. Up to 58% of millennials indicate social media worthiness as a major factor in booking decisions. We’ve had great success with listings who had simple pops of colour to a space. Picture a neutrally decorated room with an emerald green couch or a bold artwork on the wall. Those pops of colour create beautiful photos increasing the interest and ultimately booking of your home.

Professional photography

Good photography is often overlooked by many property owners and is one of the most important aspects to any Airbnb listing. It’s the first thing that potential guests see when they’re looking for places to stay in an area. Airbnb allows app users to scroll through photos before even opening a listing. Your photos should showcase your property in the best possible way which is why we add a professional photoshoot to the Hometime's onboarding process.

Airbnb did an internal study on this and found that listings with professional photography earn 40% more revenue than those without. High-quality photos of the space also yielded 24% increase in bookings and 26% higher nightly rates.

Be sure that the photos in your listings are fresh and up to date. This will ensure that guests know what your property looks like before booking and decrease the chance of a bad review since they know what to expect. Spruce up a small bathroom with a beautiful bunch of flowers in a vase or add some colour with towels and mats to make the space look more appealing.

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Personal Touches

Personal touches go a long way to make your listing unique and stand out from the rest. If you have a favourite brand of candles, take your own photos, or paint in your spare time, add these to your home and feature them in your listing. Travellers are often unaware of locally made products or hidden gems in your region and by bringing that into your home, you’re bound to leave a lasting impression and hopefully, bag a glowing review in the process.

Clear Listing Cancellation Policies

Guests like transparency when it comes to planning their holidays. Be sure to state clear and reasonable cancellation terms on your listing. A Moderate cancellation policy allows you to plan your time and ensure you are left with enough days to potentially get a booking closer to the cancelled dates. At the same time, guests will be confident that they will receive their money back in case they decide to rearrange their travel plans. At Hometime, we recommend the Moderate or Flexible cancellation option to give guests more peace of mind and to make your listing more attractive since it offers more flexibility. Ultimately, however, the choice is still up to you.

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