How to write property descriptions that sell

With thousands of other properties competing for attention, the importance of crafting a description that convinces guests to book your property should not be underestimated. Here’s how to get the most from your description and avoid some common pitfalls.

We recommend breaking your property description down into five parts: the overview, property layout (kitchen and living room), sleeping arrangements, location and house rules / other information.


The overview 

As one of the first things your potential guest will read, it’s important to really sell your property in the overview. Your goal is to get guests excited about booking your place. Keep this section short (3-4 sentences) whilst still capturing key things about your property. 

You might want to mention things like:

Welcome to our gorgeous three-bedroom holiday apartment in central London. Recently refurbished in 2018, our property features modern appliances and designer furniture. You can curl up on the leather corner sofa while watching Netflix on the 50” Smart TV or read your favourite book by the wood burning fireplace. However you spend your time, we think you’ll love staying in our spacious apartment.


Property layout 

Here you can expand on your property and give guests all the information they need to make a decision. Start with the kitchen and move onto the living room. The goal here is to take guests on a written tour of your property. Here are some things to consider:

Travelnest tip: Picture yourself in your guests’ shoes and explain key things you’d want to know if you were considering staying here. It’s important to strike a balance between information overload and selling your property. 

We recommend splitting the property layout section into two paragraphs of three to four sentences each.

For example:

Our holiday home has a fully-equipped kitchen with everything you need for a comfortable self-catering stay. Here, you’ll find a dishwasher, large American fridge/freezer, Nespresso coffee maker, oven with gas hobs and toaster. We can also provide a high chair for wee ones.

Next door, the living room is the perfect place to unwind after a day exploring our beautiful city. You can relax on the large, super comfy sofa while you watch your favourite programmes on the flat-screen, wall-mounted TV or play one of our excellent board games. You’ll find a vast collection of books, travel guides and board games on the wall-to-wall bookcase.

Sleeping arrangements

After you’ve described the kitchen and living room, move on to the sleeping arrangements. Make the description of the bedrooms a separate section as many guests want to know the apartment’s sleeping arrangements. Start by clearing stating how many bedrooms your property has and how many guests it can accommodate in total. 

Then, describe each bedroom into one or two sentences. Mention bed size as well as any special features e.g. ensuite, private balcony, TV, etc. as well as if you can provide a cot or crib for young children.

Once you’ve explained the sleeping arrangements, you can also include one or two sentences about any additional bathrooms.

For example:

Our spacious two bedroom holiday house can easily accommodate four adults and one child. 

The master bedroom features a large, plush king size bed with a gorgeous dark wood bed frame. In this room, you’ll also find built-in wardrobes, large floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the park and ensuite facilities with a walk-in shower and heated towel rails. For those travelling with young children, this room has space for a travel cot.

The second bedroom has a double divan bed with down duvet and Egyptian cotton sheets. The room also features a vintage dressing table with matching bedside tables, built-in wardrobes for storage and luxurious ensuite with walk-in shower, a large wall-to-wall mirror and heated towel rails.

Downstairs, the property also has a small bathroom with toilet and washbasin.


Location

Now that you’ve described your property, you can talk about the neighbourhood. It might seem strange to leave the location description till so late, but think about it this way: If a guest is already searching for holiday homes in your area, then they’ve already decided to come to your city or neighbourhood. By the time they look at your property, they’ve already decided to come to your area, so you don’t need to sell it as a destination.

So, it’s okay to wait until the end to talk about your neighbourhood. 

Travelnest tip: The location section can be short (2-3 sentences) and only needs to explain the key amenities outside your property. How far to the closest bus stop or train station e.g. 1 mile or 5 miles? Are there shops, pubs, and attractions within easy walking distance? 

Your location section might read like this:

Located in a quiet, residential area our holiday home is perfect for travellers looking for a relaxed and peaceful stay. The historic downtown area is only a ten-minute walk or, if you don’t feel like walking, you can catch a local bus from the stop 50m from the house. Also nearby, you’ll find many excellent restaurants, coffee shops, and a grocery store.

This section is optional, and you may not need to write anything. However, it’s important to think about any deal breakers. Do you not want to host hen or stag parties? Is check-in only allowed after 5 pm? Most information, like how guests can pick up keys, can be provided after booking so try to limit this section to the things guests need to know before booking.

For easy reading, we suggest using bullet points. For example: