The Rundown on Vacation Rental Photography

Put yourself in the shoes of your potential guests. Would the photos of your property make YOU want to rent it? When a guest opens your property listing page, you have 30 seconds or less to grab their attention. The more images you have, the more interested a renter becomes, and the more likely they will inquire about your second home.

Photos to Include in Every Vacation Rental Property Listing

* The View from your vacation home
* The Living Room
* An Exterior Shot
* The Kitchen
* The Master Bedroom
* A Guest or 2nd Bedroom

Staging Photos of Your Vacation Home

* Your rooms will appear more comfortable with nicely arranged, coordinating pillows on the couches or chenille throws draped over the back of a chair. Fluffing cushions and smoothing blankets will help give the furniture a more polished appearance.
* You can make property photos colorful and interesting by adding fresh flowers, a bottle of wine, or an area rug to the scene. Angling furniture so that it fits the picture, not the room, is a trick of professional photographers.
* Your home will be more appealing if it season-appropriate. If you're getting a home ready for winter renters, use images to really set the stage for cold-weather travels. You can light a fire in fireplace, add downy comforters to the beds, or, if there is a hot tub, take the picture of it when it's turned on as steam rises off the water.
* You can make rooms look intimate by adding candles or using low wattage bulbs.

How to Turn a Good Property Photo into a Great One

* Light your fireplace, if you have one.
* Stand up on a chair so that you are looking down at the room instead of straight at it.
* Angle rugs to give the illusion of added length to the room.
* Open all of the blinds in the room, including the blinds on the door.
* Aim lower, so that the ceiling fan is not in the picture.
* Remove all unnecessary clutter from the shelves, tables, and other furniture.

When Framing a Shot, Ask Yourself:

* Are the rugs straight?

* Are there unruly cords from electronics or lamps?

* Are the wall hangings straight?

* Is there trash in the waste basket?

* Did your dog or cat sneak into the shot?

* Are the bedspreads smooth and the pillows fluffed?

* Are there unnecessary items on the counters or bookshelves?

* Is your reflection in the frame?

* Are there ceiling fans or lights in the top of the frame?

How to Write Great Photo Captions for Your Vacation Property Listing

* Many vacation rental portal websites like HomeAway.com allow you to write around 10 words per caption. You're paying for the space, so make it work for you.
* Each caption should describe in detail the contents of the photo. Let renters know the size of the bed, the number of guests your dining room table seats, or which mountain range your cabin rental overlooks.
* If you include specific area keywords (like your city name, nearby beaches, property type) in addition to specific property information like features and amenities, your property listing is more likely to show up in search engines like Google and Yahoo.
* Proofread your photo captions for spelling, grammar, consistent capitalization, and punctuation.

Property photos of a vacation home can really make the difference for potential renters deciding where to stay on their trip. Even a few small changes to your pictures can help show your home in its best light. All it takes is a little staging, careful framing, and good captions.

Disney Vacation Rentals - A Cheap Family Vacation

"Disney World" and "cheap" seem like mutually exclusive concepts, but with Disney vacation rentals, they suddenly go hand in hand. For affordable Disney area accommodations, don't put your faith in resort hotels. Instead, turn to a Disney vacation rental and expect the best in luxury and comfort - but for a shockingly low rate.

A trip to the world's most famous theme park gets expensive fast. And it's not just lodging and park tickets that put a dent in your bank account; spend an hour in Epcot and watch your money disappear as you chow down on delicious food from around the world, or go to Downtown Disney and count the seconds before the little ones start whining for the high-tech toys, collectible stuffed animals, and magical memorabilia.

Instead of sacrificing those special extras that help to make a Disney World vacation memorable (in the name of a frugality), consider staying in a Disney vacation rental in Orlando, Kissimmee, or just outside the park. If you do, you'll be proudly toting your heavy wallet around the park and have no problem spending a little cash on that framed blow-up photo of your daughter blissfully smiling alongside Donald Duck.

But what's the catch? How can you get more room and more amenities, for a lower rate? Disney vacation rentals are simply the second homes of people like you, and they provide the same easy access to Disney World or the beach that the area's hotels provide. However, they've got more space and more add-ons and are the key to turning an ordinary vacation into an extraordinary one.

You also get more choices, which is especially refreshing for someone who's used to hotels. Disney vacation rentals are cozy condos for two, massive town homes for ten, and everything in between. Some are secluded and lakeside and others are a short shuttle ride to the theme park. Take your pick!

Stop wasting your time and money with hotels. Instead, save money and guarantee you and your family an unforgettable experience by booking a one-of-a-kind Disney vacation rental.

Take a Vacation From Life

With everything going on in the world, from politics to the economy, to life's stressors, it is important to take a break from it all. I prefer calling it taking a "vacation from your life". My husband and I and our children are going to Disney World this week, and it could not have come at a more perfect time. Like many others, I am stressed with everything happening around me, and on top of that I have some deadlines for a book I am publishing. I am ready to go escape life for a bit, even if it is just temporary. I of course am saying this now, prior to having two tired, over sugared, and overstimulated little ones. I am not saying that everyone needs to take a literal vacation, but I am saying you need to take a "break" from your normal routines. Sometimes we get so caught up in the news, in the media and the frenzy going on, that we can't function on anything else. We lose sight of the joys and blessings in our lives. If you need to take a "vacation" from your life in order to get refocused and re-energized then absolutely do it. Some people are more prone to taking on negative energy around them, and so it is vital that they remove themselves every now and then. I am one of those people. If people are sad, I feel their sadness. If people are elated, then I feel their joy. I am much better at protecting myself so that I don't carry others' negative energy as my own, but it is constant work. My advice to you this week and the coming weeks, is to do what you can to stay grounded and positive. Take a break every now and then from the news; you won't miss anything that you won't hear again the next newshour. As for me and my family, we are off to the happiest place on earth...at least for one week~

ACTION TIPS FOR THE WEEK:

1. Turn off the TV

How are you benefiting by watching the news all day? The news right now is fairly toxic and depressing. By checking it every so often, you will get the information you need. This is what I mean by taking a "vacation" every now and then. When you are starting to get stressed or overwhelmed, turn off the television and do something more positive and productive. You will feel much better!

2.Do your research

If you are unsure about your financial situation, or how everything is affecting you, do a bit of research. Call your financial advisor. Contact a financial planner. If you do not have a financial planner, I would highly recommend Cathy Schwartz. She is extremely knowledgeable and friendly. Education leads to empowerment. Get your questions answered. If you are still undecided on who to vote for, research both candidates websites as well.

3. Create your own escape

If you can, create your own escape from reality. Create some sacred space in your home, where you can meditate and feel at peace. Fill it with fresh flowers and relaxing music. This will be the area you retreat to when you are feeling overwhelmed and stressed. If possible get out of your home or environment when feeling down. Go for a walk. Go for a relaxing hike. Take the time to clear your head.

Free Google Site to Advertise Your Vacation Rentals

Well, the news just keeps getting better for those of you who took the plunge and bought yourselves a second property. You can now advertise your home for vacation rentals absolutely free on a professional web site. And it's a web site that probably everyone knows how to access!

If you want to find out more about this, then sign up for a free Google.com account and agree to the terms and conditions of the service offered by Google Base.

Google Base offers the same service as the now-famous Craigslist, but they aspire to more professional looking web pages. With already over 180,000 listings on the site, this will be an outlet for your business rentals that is not to be missed.

The majority of these listings are from such popular online vacation rental web sites as Vacapedia.com, VROB.com and others. With this Google site still in its testing period, you are now encouraged to take advantage of this free service.

On Google Base, you can describe your vacation rental property in detail, as well as its amenities and any surrounding attractions. Google Base allows you to list your property by number of rooms, availability, location, type of property and other search words.

For no extra charge, you can attach up to 20 megabytes of files to further boost your listing and a variety of formats are offered. For images, you can use jpg, png, gif, tif and bmp files. For text and publishing you can use pdf, Microsoft Word, Power Point. Excel, Word Perfect documents, html, plain text and others.

This Google service is not only available to vacation rental property owners; it is actually for anyone to sell any property that is for sale or rent. It also offers many other items for sale or rent- and all free to the advertiser.

As Google is the Internet's number one search engine, and more than 56% of all Internet searches using the term 'real estate' access the Google web sites, the exposure on this site will be considerable.

With so much space allowed for exposure of your vacation home, you will attract many types of traveler, from the person looking for a homey vacation rental that is 'home from home' to the last minute business couple.