Making the most of your home "advert"

Your advert is the first impression a potential swapper will have of your home, so it’s important that you make it great!

Describing your home

The property description in the ‘additional information from tenant’ section on your advert is where you’ll have the chance to explain why somebody would want to swap tenancies with you.

This takes the description you added in the “Tell other swappers about your home” box when you registered. You can change this information whenever you want.

Key features

Before you get started, have a think about the different features your property offers. Build a list of the most important things to know about your property; this includes things like how many rooms there are, what kind of storage spaces you have, what kind of condition the home is in and useful things to know.

We’ve listed some helpful examples below to get you thinking:

1. What kind of property is it; mid-century flat, new build house, Victorian terrace?
2. How many bathrooms do you have? Are any of them en-suite?
3. Do the bedrooms have built-in storage?
4. How recently was it decorated? When was the kitchen refitted?
5. What is the parking situation; do you have an off-road space or do residents need a permit?
6. The approximate cost of bills per month.
7. How many stairs does the property have? What floor is it on? Would it be suitable for a wheelchair user or a parent with a buggy?
8. Are pets allowed?
9. What outside space do you have available; garden, balcony, shared garden or walkway?
10. What cooking facilities are there; gas or electric oven?
11. Does the property have double-glazing?

Be personal

Now that you’ve got your list together, you can get writing. You should describe the things that you love about your home and what is attractive about your neighbourhood.

It is also important to be clear about what isn’t perfect about your property. For example: ‘the large windows let in a lot of natural light but it can be cold in the winter’ or ‘the neighbouring road has heavy traffic.’ It’s always better to be honest up front and avoid disappointment later.

However, remember this, swappers: always start with the positive!

For example:

• The open plan living area means you can socialise when you’re cooking
• There is a power shower and large bath
• Tiling in the entrance way and kitchen are easy to clean
• This is a friendly neighbourhood; ‘Chestnut Park’ has a playground, skate-park and a café that holds mother and baby sessions once a week
• There is a huge 24-hour supermarket 10 minutes bus ride away, there is also a local store selling essentials around the corner
• The neighbourhood is friendly, most people will stop and have a chat

Most importantly, think about what you like to read the most when you are hunting for a swap. Include those and you are sure to write a good description!

Top tips for taking great photos

There’s nothing better to attract other swappers than including some photos of your home!

We’ve put together a simple guide to taking photos and making the most of your home:

Give your house a spring clean

Great photos could make all the difference to other swappers, so why not give your home a bit of a spring clean and show your home at its best?

A quick tidy up before those all-important photos are taken really does make a difference to how other swappers will see your home. So, make your bed, tidy up the cushions on the sofa, take away any magazines etc. from surfaces, wash up the dishes and clear your work tops.

These simple changes will breathe new life into your home!

Set the scene

Think about your home as though you were seeing for the first time… what would you be impressed by? What would make you want to see more?

A couple of easy fixes to making your rooms look bright and airy are to move your furniture around to create space in the centre of the room, opening up your curtains or blinds, or if this doesn’t work with your picture, making sure the rooms are well lit.

Get the angle right

Hold the camera in the corner of the room, so that you’re able to see as much of the room as possible and give other swappers a good idea of its size. Take a look around – what do you want to feature? Take your photo from the corner that best shows this off. And don’t forget to hold your camera still! You want a crystal-clear image of the room.