Tips for a great listing

When marketing your cottage for rent, think about the types of renters you’d like to attract. If you are looking for families with young kids, talk about the waterfront, activities, and amenities that appeal to them. A rustic, fishing retreat for a week with the boys requires a different set of priorities as they might be more interested in knowing that there is a barbecue, a dock with room for two small boats, and a good place outside to clean their catch!

Important features to include in your listing:

• The kitchen set-up: does it include plates, cutlery, pots, etc.? What appliances are there?
• The bathroom: full bathtub or just a shower?
• How many bedrooms, and how many people will it sleep (on pullouts, etc.)?
• Do renters need to bring linens?
• Close to neighbours or far away?
• Close to neighbours or far away?
• Is there a boat included? Canoe? Kayak?
• Is smoking allowed?
• Are pets allowed?
• Is the rental wheelchair accessible?
• What is the waterfront like? Beach with level access for little kids, or a dock suitable for big bellyflop competitions?
• How close is the nearest town, grocery store, liquor/beer store, and hospital?

You may wish to include some info about how you enjoy your time when at the cottage. Is it a quiet getaway for reading and relaxing? Or is it a social lake where the renters can expect to get to know the neighbours and their kids?

Many people reading your ad may be city slickers who don’t understand the rustic quality that goes with enjoying a cottage. So be up front if your septic system can only handle 6 guests at a time, or if your plumbing is actually of the outdoor variety. Set the tone so they know what to expect.

If your cottage is available for year-round rentals, you should come back several times a year to update your listing (updates are managed by you at no charge). In the fall, change your listing to appeal to winter cottagers, skiers, and snowmobilers. In the late-winter, switch your ad copy to start selling the best of summer.

As with anything you publish, it’s always a good idea to have someone else review it for spelling and grammar.

A picture says a thousand words…

There’s no doubt, photos are the best way to sell your listing. Your listing on Cottage Life Rentals includes one main image, and a slideshow of 12 additional images.

When choosing your photos, try to show these key features:

• The outside of your cottage - this should be your main shot
• Kitchen
• Bathroom
• Main living space
• Deck/Dock
• Waterfront
• Any special features like a fireplace, a play area, the view of the lake, sunset, etc.

Before taking your photos, stage the shot. Clear away any clutter. Put away the water toys and fishing poles and tidy up the dock. Turn on all the lights. Clean the windows. Put yourself in the shoes of a prospective renter seeing your property for the first time. They need to imagine themselves spending time in your special place by the lake. Remember, if it rains a lot during their vacation, they'll be spending a lot of time inside instead of in the great outdoors.

Keep in mind, that your renters expect that the cottage will look like the photos used to sell it. So when staging or rearranging, don't bring in furniture or props that won't actually be on site for your renters.

You are also encouraged to update your photos with the seasons. Your listing with Cottage Life Rentals enables you to log in and update your photos as many times as you like, at no charge. It's a self-managed account that you can access any time for updates and edits.

Rental Preparation Checklist

Check out our Rental Preparation Checklist- a "prep" document that you can use to begin writing your listing. It's a good idea to use a document such as this so that you always have a copy of your information in case you ever need it in the future.

The Rental Preparation Checklist, is found under the “Listing your Cottage” tab.