Ten Tips for Photographing your Holiday Property

For many owners wishing to rent out their holiday home, the Internet makes an excellent shop window for selling to prospective renters. But in an increasingly competitive marketplace it becomes ever more important to ensure your listing stands out from the rest, and inspires or excites prospective travellers to send you an enquiry.

To help you get the most from your holidayhome or bed and breakfast we have compiled a list of tips for photographing your holiday property, based on feedback from other owners just like you.

Quality photographs are essential if you hope to increase the attractiveness of your listing on TravelEden.com and maximise booking enquiries. The following tips provide some guidance on how to use photography to drive up your bookings.

Examples of great photos:

Photographing the area surrounding your holiday rental is a great way of illustrating exactly what’s in the area. From lush greenery, proximity to the beach and mountainous scenery.

If you’ve got a great view or outside space, be sure to capture it and allow prospective travellers to imagine themselves sunbathing or enjoying your view by not including people within your photos.

Be sure to make the beds and tidy the bedrooms to ensure your photos aren’t cluttered and really sell your property.

Interior shots of your vacation rental or bed and breakfast, including the bathroom or kitchen, can be useful for prospective travellers so be sure to include them if they will actually add value to your listing.

When photographing your holiday accommodation, be sure to emphasise its unique selling points and key features. If guests can enjoy their breakfast overlook a beautiful mountainous setting, then why not include a photograph.

Outside space and facilities such as swimming pools and sun terraces can really add value to your rental property or bed and breakfast so be sure to display these elements in their best light and really show them off.

Preparing your property:

1.   Before you take any pictures make sure your property is clean and tidy. Remove any outside obstacles such as litterbins, cars or rubbish and if there is a lawn make sure it has been mown. For the inside shots ensure the tables are clear, the beds are made and the rooms and furniture are tidy and positioned to emphasise the space and cleanliness of your accommodation.

2.   Consider what rooms, views and positions will best showcase your property. If you have any doubts, and presuming you are using a digital camera, shoot freely and take lots of photos, from different angles. You can decide which are the most effective later.

Choosing when, where and how to photograph your rental property:

3.   To ensure your photos are as crisp as possible, try to use a digital camera. If you do not have a digital camera, try to borrow one or employ a professional photographer. Digital photos can be transferred directly to a computer and cropped or edited to make them look even better.

4.   When photographing the outside of your property, be sure to include the whole building, unless it is particularly unattractive. If it is close to the beach, or pistes why not take a distance shot, showing how conveniently located it is.

5.   For exterior shots, try to take photos using what professionals describe as the ‘golden light'. This is best early in the morning or just as the sun is setting, when the light is at its richest.

6.   People or no people. The jury is definitely still out on this one and it's very much up to you. But consider these two facts before deciding. On the one hand, a smiling face could be just enough to convince a potential renter that your holiday accomodation is for them, while on the other, it could put them right off. If you choose to include people, make sure they look happy.

7.   Don't forget to emphasise the good points. If bathrooms or toilets are on the small side, leave them out and include larger rooms, especially bedrooms and lounges. Once they have seen plenty of good things potential renters will fill in the blanks for themselves. If however you are photographing a small room, use a wide focus lens or if you don't have a choice, stand on a chair in one corner, it will make your rooms look bigger.

8.   Be sure to include a photograph of any outside dining areas, BBQs and swimming pools. Remember outside shots are important psychological triggers and only using interior views may make your property feel claustrophobic and cramped, even if it is not.

Editing your photographs:

9.   Once you have taken your pictures, take the time to view them. For most, this means transferring them to a computer. If you are not sure, ask a friend to lend you a hand and spend time deciding which ones are best. If you are experienced in using the software, trim your pictures and cut out anything that may put off potential renters, such as the corner of next door's house. Make all your pictures look as appealing as possible.

10. Be discerning and only include your very best shots. Choose the most attractive ones, which show your property‘s finest features. Don't feel like you have to include a photo of every room. Again, if you can, seek somebody else's opinion to ensure your photographs are as effective as possible in selling your property to prospective guests.