Vacation Rental Staging

Vacation Rental Staging

Properly showing off your property begins with good photography- getting the right angle, the right light, the right mood- we can do all of that for you. But a space also needs to be inviting, open and welcoming. Our ultimate goal is to make your potential client feel at home in the photographs they see; to optimize this, we need to do what is called Vacation Rental Staging.

Adding Props

And to do this properly, we need your help. Probably the best way to start is to say to make to make the property look a little like it’s actually being rented (to some VERY tidy guests). Unlike typical Real Estate images, small props- things that are universal and not personal- add a lived-in feel to the images and are like opening your arms to the potential client and inviting them in. That that is exactly what you want- people aren’t looking to buy your property, they are looking for somewhere to spend their vacation and somewhere they will feel comfortable in.

Staging is what turns real estate photos into vacation rental photos. These small bits of staging are what promote higher click-through and conversion rates– every single time. Our job is ultimately to sell a fantasy- the perfect vacation. And to do that, we need to create little “scenes.” Let’s make little cozy spots your clients can curl up in and enjoy a hot tea…. or feel the sun ion their face as they read a novel. We need to make the real world disappear and create the vacation world your clients are looking for.

Vacation Rental Theming

Tables are a great place to start- you can place an appropriate prop or two on every kitchen, dining, coffee, occasional, garden and poolside table. Some fun, easy and inexpensive props include sun tan lotion, guide books and magazines, beer & pretzels, wine & cheese, food, brightly colored towels, fresh fruit, laptops, children toys and so on. Make the room look used but fun. My favorite prop- fresh flowers!

If you can, have themes that go through the whole property…. whether they be themes inspired by your locale (ski theme in Park City for instance), or color themes, or even game-themed. Make your place stand out. Most people are only need two beds and a kitchen… but they want more than that (and will pay extra for it, too). Make your place something more than ordinary… your potential clients’ whole lives are ordinary. This is their vacation and they want to step out and do something special. Make your place memorable. Your clients want something new, fun and bright- give it to them! If your property suddenly gets a nickname, like “The Ski Bunny Inn” or something, you will know you succeeded. You need to be something much more than everyone else you compete against.

Let us know your thoughts…. we are on your team here. We’ll use the light of the room to create warm and inviting areas, scenes that will draw customers in.

Prepping your Vacation Rental Staging

You can do a lot more to prep your Vacation Rental Staging. Just like real estate photos, you need to present a clean, polished room. We have a list of things sellers can do to best present their homes, and that is not a bad list to review. Here is a list of Vacation Rental Photography Staging specific items you should look at doing before a photo shoot.

• Check ALL lights and replace burn-tout bulbs
• Even better: Make sure ALL lamps are of the same type and color (preferably daylight)- mismatched colors look horrible.
• Square and Straightening art on the walls
• ELIMINATE blank walls. If you need artwork (especially of the local area), here are some incredible landscapes.
• Fluff, arrange and de-crease pillows and throws on the couch and beds
• Straighten chairs, bedding and bed skirts
• Square the arrangement of furniture- everything should line up
• Iron and de-wrinkle all the beds
• Setting out small amenities on bathroom counters
• Clear and clean the kitchen counters
• Clear the knickknacks from the area
• Close those toilet lids
• Close the shower curtain and check for streaks and water drops on mirrors
• Hide or completely remove power cords or power strips
• Hiding typical clutter such as remotes, wifi log-ins and laminated instruction sheets

What about lights? I will turn them on when I get there…. If I decide to use them. To me, showing the natural light streaming in a window just adds a hominess you want to portray.

Is all this cleaning, straightening and ironing too much for you? Even if you normally do all the cleaning of your property, hire a maid service to help.

Advanced Staging

Want to step up even more? Here are some additional ideas to pop a room.

• Add colorful fresh flowers or a potted succulent
• Stacking local guidebooks on the coffee table, with a map and sunglasses next to them
• Board game on the coffee table
• Chips, Salsa, sliced limes and guacamole on the bar.
• An open laptop on the desk or table
• Coffee mugs / Beer mugs on the deck
• Towels to the hot tub
• ADVANCED LEVEL: Wine and glasses and a charcuterie plate by the fireplace
• Place settings on the dining table (with floral centerpiece!)
• Towel, book, and sunglasses by the pool
• If you have a jetted tub, LET ME KNOW! We can draw a hot bubble bath and light some romantic candles
• Maybe open laptop on the coffee table with a coffee mug and a small vase of bright local flowers

Creating a mood and a feel…

Look at your competition online… or look at other hosts in other cities… or look back to the place you rented on your last vacation. Which properties stand out to you? It’s ok to copy what they do in your property presentations. This is about making your property more appealing, so grab ideas for anywhere you can!

I am sure you have heard the expression that you only get out of something what you put in. That is truer no where more than in vacation rentals. If you put in minimum effort, just take iPhone pictures, and post those to AirBnB, you are going look like like 90% of the other hosts and your property will drown. But a little more effort, a bit more thought and some expense upfront for top notch photography and then add in a little ongoing marketing efforts, and all this will pay you back for years to come.

If you are present during the shoot, we will work with you on site to make these staging items look their best. But as a matter of course, we do not bring these items with us.

We are going to need to get at least one image of each and every room. Some rooms will need two or possibly more. No worries, we’ll take plenty, and you will have many to choose your final images from.

Sometimes you can add a lot more interest to the story you are telling by including images from the activities around your property… for instance, a nice shot of snow gently falling on Main Street in Park City sets a nice, inviting mood. We can shoot these for you, or perhaps you can pick some up from a stock photo service. In either case, this can add a lot of interest in your property, and fill out the story you are presenting.

Learn more about Vacation Rental Photography and see about our Vacation Rental Pricing.