Why good photos are essential

"A picture is worth a thousand words"

This is not more true when selling a property, whether it be a holiday rental home or a house to sell.  Good photos always make the difference in this case.  Time and time again, when photos have been changed and improved, sales have dramitically increased.

Good photos must be truthful and show the property as it really is.  Using the right light and angles to get the best coverage is essential.  The best thing to do would be to use a professional, but not everyone has the money for that or wants to. 

If you are doing it yourself, here are some tips:

• Use a good quality digital camera
• Take the photos at a time of good light, around the middle of a clear day is best, not too early or too late, unless you are going for a particular look, such as 'sunset'.
• Make sure curtains and blinds are open to give the most natural light.
• If taking pictures of bathrooms, make sure the toilet seat is down and the area is tidy and organised, without too many personal effects.
• Set the scene - when taking photos of equipment, try to have someone using it.  For instance, if taking a shot of the pool, have someone (preferably someone who appeals to your target market, so if families is your market, have a child and parent).
• Again, if taking shots of dining or seating areas, make it look comfy and relaxing, maybe place a glass of wine and plate of bread and cheese to help people imagine what their holiday will be like.
• Always take a picture of the view of surroundings, unless they are completely unsuitable.  Potential guests want to see where the property is to give them a better feel for the place.

Pool Safety - is everyone's responsibility

Now you may read this post and think it doesnt apply but this is an issue that every parent has a fear of, although it is something which affects expat mums like me on a more regular basis.  Probably most of us knew of someone who had a scare at some time with their children.  Every year children die or are injured because of this, Im referring to water safety and drowning - the silent killer.  But unfortunately it is not the beaches and the sea which are the dangers, its the swimming pools, on most occasions private swimming pools.  In 2010 a BBC show claimed that there was 236,000 swimming pool accidents in Europe alone and in 2009, 17 children died in pool accidents in Portugal. 

Have you ever been on holiday, to a private villa and there has been an unprotected pool, I can imagine the stress it has caused you.  I once looked at a house to rent and outside the bedrooms was a pool, just the thought of that scenario caused me to worry, even though the door has locks. 

Every year the APSI, the Portuguese version of CAPT (Child Accident Protection Trust) runs a campaign to highlight the dangers and force the Government and local councils to enforce protection laws, but every year more children die.  It is completely unnecessary and can be avoided by erecting a fence, this of course, does not negate parental responsibility but gives more time before tragedy strikes.

If you are a holiday home owner who rents their home out to families, this is a big draw when trying to attract this market.  This will always put you ahead of others, without this safety precaution.  I myself would not rent a holiday home if there was free access to the poolside, its too big a risk to take with my children's safety.

This is an issue that affects every parent, whether it is at your local pool or for your summer holiday once a year. 

For more information about this please see http://www.apsi.org.pt/ (for portugal) or http://www.capt.org.uk/ (in the UK).
Or for child-safe holidays, see http://www.totstotravel.co.uk/

Social Media and Holiday recommendations

Hi All,

Once again I am banging on about the social media revolution and how it can affect your business.  Hays Travel recently conducted a survey of holidaymakers looking into how they choose their destination and information sources used.  Over half the respondents said they had used social media platforms to gain information about their destination and accommodation.  Many people also went further looking at local activities and attractions, restaurants, nightlife, beaches and children's activities. 

The two most used sources for this information were review websites, (eg.tripadvisor) and social media platforms of Twitter and Facebook, for the majority.  The use of these two sources far outweighs the use of the traditional Travel Agent.  People are looking predominantly personal reviews and recommendations, something that Travel Agents can not always give.

Yet another reason to get on-board with social media.  If you need any help, Im happy to advise.

For the full article, please visit
http://blog.sunshine.co.uk/britons-social-media-holiday-recommendations/

Empty Weeks?

Do you have a holiday home which is sitting empty and costing you money?  Would you like to see your property more used and therefore making you more money?

Tots to Travel founder and Lettings Expert, Wendy Shand has written a book, 'Empty Weeks? How to Get More Bookings & Make Money from your Holiday Home', where she shares her years of experience on what makes a holiday property more sellable.  With tips and advice on how to prepare your property in the most customer-friendly way, how to niche market yourself to stand out from the crowd and where to market your property to get maximum exposure. 

She has FREE copies to give away now, just go to http://www.freeholidayletsbook.com/ or have a look at our Property Owners site at http://www.holidayhomerentalsite.com/ for more tips and advice.

Take a look, you have nothing to lose.

Christine