Advice
Hosting well, staying well.
Advice
What, in a listing, makes someone write to the owner — and what makes them move on.
For owners
Photograph at the right time of day, not the time that suits you
Late-afternoon light does more for a home than any lens. Shoot a room from its corner, at chest height, shutters open and lamps off. Tidy first: an empty worktop is easier to remember than a lived-in one. And take the view from the window, not just the window.
Show what people won’t see on arrival
The approach road, the bathroom, the real kitchen, the corner where breakfast happens. A listing that shows only the sitting room and the pool worries more than it reassures. Five photographs is a minimum; twelve honest ones beat thirty flattering ones.
Write as you would to a friend borrowing the keys
Say what is around, what creaks, when the sun leaves the terrace. Superlatives convince nobody; details do. “Three minutes’ walk from the baker, closed on Mondays” beats “ideal location”.
Name the drawbacks. They will be found out anyway
A steep staircase, a busy road, no air conditioning: better read in the listing than discovered on arrival. A forewarned traveller does not complain; a surprised one does. It also spares you enquiries that were never going to work.
Reply quickly, even to say no
A traveller rarely writes to a single address. Replying the same day is often enough to win the decision. A short, precise reply beats a long one three days later, and a clear refusal frees everyone.
Keep your calendar, even roughly
Marking the weeks already taken spares you impossible enquiries. The calendar stays indicative — nobody commits on the strength of it — but a home whose busy periods are marked receives better-aimed enquiries.
Get your paperwork right before publishing
Every furnished holiday let in France must be declared on the national online service, and your town may cap how long a main residence can be let. Check your building’s rules too. These obligations are yours, and a visible declaration number reassures travellers.
For travellers
Write a real message, not a form
Say who you are, how many you are, what drew you to this address in particular. Owners receive many identical messages; the one showing you read the listing gets answered first. Three sincere sentences will do.
Give dates, even approximate ones
“The first fortnight of July, give or take a few days” allows a useful reply. “This summer” allows none. Say how many adults and children too: it often changes the answer.
Recognising a serious listing
Many photographs that agree with one another, a description that mentions drawbacks, a location described precisely, a declaration number for a let in France. Conversely, a listing showing three perfect views and refusing to say more deserves questions.
Ask for a written agreement
Even a short one sets the dates, the price, what is included and the cancellation terms. A serious owner has no objection. It is also what protects you if something does not go to plan.
Be wary of urgency
A demand for an immediate transfer, an address that changes at the last minute, someone who refuses to talk on the phone: those are the classic signals. Never pay by a means that leaves no trace, and do not let the money side move out of writing.
Telephone before committing
Five minutes of conversation tell you more about a home and its owner than ten emails. It is also the best way to check that the person writing to you really is the one who owns the place.