I have been asked to help manage a local rental property and would welcome any comments with regard to the advert on owners direct that is currently in place
http://www.ownersdirect.co.uk/france/FR1264.htm
The house is currently advertised with them and visitfrance but apart from a few enquiries last year we have not received any enquiries or bookings. The price has just been reduced for the summer , but do you feel that maybe they are still on the high side. In April a new above ground pool will be added. The house can sleep 13 and has 6 bedrooms with 5 ensuites.
Hoping someone can identify any changes we should make to help improve things, not currently sure how many hits she is getting
Advise please on advert placed
Nessie
when we came to france with friends we would have looked to rent large houses like this,
what is a bit offputting is the date shows on the photos 2006 and 2005, and the ceiling tiles in the bedroom, I think that those images would have stopped me there and moved me to the next place. Some of the text is a bit 'rules and regulations' rather than selling the place and the area.
Perhaps a pic of the pool as well - it is described as a pool and then the guest comment describes it as a splash pool - so what size is it ?
dont think the price is too bad - it is a large house with loads of rooms and in a good spot.
pete
when we came to france with friends we would have looked to rent large houses like this,
what is a bit offputting is the date shows on the photos 2006 and 2005, and the ceiling tiles in the bedroom, I think that those images would have stopped me there and moved me to the next place. Some of the text is a bit 'rules and regulations' rather than selling the place and the area.
Perhaps a pic of the pool as well - it is described as a pool and then the guest comment describes it as a splash pool - so what size is it ?
dont think the price is too bad - it is a large house with loads of rooms and in a good spot.
pete
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Alan Knighting
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For me it gives quite the wrong message. Showing "Unknown" in an availability calendar indicates to me a basic lack of care on the part of the owner and that makes me wonder if the owner really cares about the property or about the guests.alifrank1 wrote:Nessie
the availability calendar shows as mostly unknown instead of available. Do you think some people would think it's not for rent at these times?
Alison
Little things can be so important.
Alan
Not like this then?Nessie wrote:Pete i agree ref the photos, i have said the same , problem there is she is unable to take the date off them, have suggested maybe doing more
thanks for comments
I will remove from the web later, but this is to illustrate you can remove the date using a cloning tool on a good photo correction software.
Never try to out-stubborn your guests.
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Giddy Goat
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LaVilleauTady
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Nessie,
Owners Direct now allow 8 photos per property in the basic price (4 on main page and 4 following a link). I would assume that owners who do not use their full allowance have nothing attractive about either the property or the locality to share!
Photos: I don't think the photos sell the property particularly well. I don't like the text on the photos - very old fashioned and hardly legible. It makes me think they are old photos, and so may not be an accurate representation of what the property looks like now. I'd get those sorted.
Availability Calendar: I agree with Alan. Why should I bother with a property where the owner can not be bothered to maintain its availability? This would probably put me off sufficiently to move onto the next property where I can see there is availability. I would only come back to this one if it was the ONLY choice in the area I wanted to stay.
I think if these two issues were fixed it would greatly increase the chance of enquiries/bookings.
The text in the advert would also benefit from a rewrite.
Owners Direct now allow 8 photos per property in the basic price (4 on main page and 4 following a link). I would assume that owners who do not use their full allowance have nothing attractive about either the property or the locality to share!
Photos: I don't think the photos sell the property particularly well. I don't like the text on the photos - very old fashioned and hardly legible. It makes me think they are old photos, and so may not be an accurate representation of what the property looks like now. I'd get those sorted.
Availability Calendar: I agree with Alan. Why should I bother with a property where the owner can not be bothered to maintain its availability? This would probably put me off sufficiently to move onto the next property where I can see there is availability. I would only come back to this one if it was the ONLY choice in the area I wanted to stay.
I think if these two issues were fixed it would greatly increase the chance of enquiries/bookings.
The text in the advert would also benefit from a rewrite.
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Giddy Goat
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Nessie, I'm not sure how many letters and spaces there are to play with but I've re-written the intro for starters. It would mean changing some of the following text perhaps; I've included what I thought was the most important attention grabbing stuff for that important first para.
It may well need further chopping if it doesn't fit the allowed space, and I'm sure someone else could improve on it ....BTW, I agree with Alan and LVT - I think the owner should invest in a few more images, and the calendar is off-putting.
Somewhere it says 'the owners are keen gardeners' - it's important to be more personal than that I think so I have written it as if I'm the owner ... FWIW, here's the draft opening para then:
"This very pretty, six bedroomed, six bathroomed converted school house is situated in a tranquil hamlet in South West France. Near to the lovely town of Agen (9km) and with plenty of shops 7 minutes away, the property benefits from air conditioning in 4 of the bedrooms, and the bathrooms. The beautiful landscaped private gardens border the River Garonne; we're keen gardeners, and have created a peaceful retreat, full of colour and perfume, in which to sit and read a book on one of several stone terraces, or just listen to the cicadas. The upstairs terrace, which surrounds the first floor, has lovely views over the waters of the Garonne. Take a dip in our private pool (6.5m round by 1.3m high) and cool off when the heat of the sun gets too much, or test your skills in a game of boules.
The immediate area is perfect for long walks. Bicycles are provided and a cycle path passes the front of the property, leading to pleasant tracks along the river to the Canal du Midi. A stone's throw away you'll find picture book villages built on cliffs, with cobbled streets. They comprise some of the most beautiful villages in France: browse antique shops, stroll round the weekly markets, and enjoy the local restaurants, serving traditional French fare from as little as 9€. (GG: is this still so?) You'll find something for every member of the family to enjoy in our special corner of France.
It may well need further chopping if it doesn't fit the allowed space, and I'm sure someone else could improve on it ....BTW, I agree with Alan and LVT - I think the owner should invest in a few more images, and the calendar is off-putting.
Somewhere it says 'the owners are keen gardeners' - it's important to be more personal than that I think so I have written it as if I'm the owner ... FWIW, here's the draft opening para then:
"This very pretty, six bedroomed, six bathroomed converted school house is situated in a tranquil hamlet in South West France. Near to the lovely town of Agen (9km) and with plenty of shops 7 minutes away, the property benefits from air conditioning in 4 of the bedrooms, and the bathrooms. The beautiful landscaped private gardens border the River Garonne; we're keen gardeners, and have created a peaceful retreat, full of colour and perfume, in which to sit and read a book on one of several stone terraces, or just listen to the cicadas. The upstairs terrace, which surrounds the first floor, has lovely views over the waters of the Garonne. Take a dip in our private pool (6.5m round by 1.3m high) and cool off when the heat of the sun gets too much, or test your skills in a game of boules.
The immediate area is perfect for long walks. Bicycles are provided and a cycle path passes the front of the property, leading to pleasant tracks along the river to the Canal du Midi. A stone's throw away you'll find picture book villages built on cliffs, with cobbled streets. They comprise some of the most beautiful villages in France: browse antique shops, stroll round the weekly markets, and enjoy the local restaurants, serving traditional French fare from as little as 9€. (GG: is this still so?) You'll find something for every member of the family to enjoy in our special corner of France.
Nostalgia isn't what it used to be
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LaVilleauTady
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