5 Top Tips to create the best listing as a host

When a volunteer lands on your listing, they decide how they feel about it in seconds. Long before they read your description, they've scrolled through your photos and asked themselves one question: could I see myself staying here?

The good news is that the listings that get the most enquiries aren't doing anything complicated, they just get a handful of basics right. Here are five quick wins you can make today to your opportunity to make it stand out:

1. Upload more photos than you think you need

Aim for at least 8 photos, and don't stop there if you have more. Volunteers want to see where they'll sleep, but they also want a feel for the whole place.

A good set might include:

• The room or space the volunteer will use

• Any shared areas, like the kitchen or living room

• The outside of the property and the land

• Your nearest village or a favourite local view

• Your animals, if you have them (they're a big draw for lots of volunteers)

Listings with more photos get more enquiries, plain and simple. Every extra photo answers a question before it's asked and gives people the confidence to get in touch.

2. Make every photo a good one

You don't need a professional photographer, just a phone and a little care. A few simple things make a big difference:

• Shoot in daylight, with natural light coming through the windows

• Tidy up first, so the space looks fresh and welcoming

• Show the whole room, not just a corner of it

• Use your own high-resolution photos, not ones saved from a website

Give the volunteer's room the most attention. It's the photo they'll come back to and picture themselves in.

If your photos look too small or blurry on your listing, get in touch with us and we'll look into improving the resolution.

3. Put a face to your listing

Volunteers aren't only choosing a place to stay. They're choosing who they'll spend the next week or two with.

A friendly photo of you, your family, or you and the dog helps them feel that connection before they've even messaged. It shows there's a real, welcoming person behind the opportunity.

4. Sell your local area

Lots of people pick a this kind of stay because they want to discover somewhere new. That means your surroundings are part of what you're offering.

Imagine a friend is visiting for the first time. Where would you send them? A cosy pub, a weekly market, a coastal walk, a nearby National Park? Write it down and add it to your listing. A few lines of real local knowledge make a big difference!

5. Be clear about the help you need

"Help around the property" could mean almost anything, and vague listings tend to get passed over. Volunteers want to know what a normal day looks like, which skills would be handy, and what won't be expected of them.

So spell it out. Weeding the veg patch, helping at lambing time, painting the barn, laying a new path: details like these make your listing feel real. They also help the right people find you, and save everyone time on enquiries that aren't a good fit.

Ready for more volunteers?

FarFrom connects volunteers with hosts all over the UK, from farms and glamping sites to rural retreats and stately homes. The hosts who see the best results are the ones who give their listings a little love.

Spend ten minutes on these five tips today, and you could see a real difference in how many volunteers find you, and choose you.