A free information service from spareroom.co.uk

Advertising your room

So you're ready to get in a lodger? The room's sorted and everything is set to go so how do you make your room stand out from all the others? Leading flatshare site www.SpareRoom.co.uk gives you their tips on listing your room.

Make the most of your listing

It doesn't matter how exciting and vibrant you and your room are, if your advert is boring and lifeless you might as well not bother. Online listings allow a huge amount of freedom and creativity so make the most of them. Saying 'Double room available in Barnes' tells your potential lodger very little whereas 'Bright double in friendly Barnes garden flat - includes free wi-fi' immediately makes the room sound appealing. With that in mind...

Take your time

Don't rush off a listing in 5 minutes at work when you should be doing something else. Allow yourself time to do it properly. Start by looking on SpareRoom.co.uk to see which ads you'd respond to if you were looking and use them for inspiration. Make sure your title is catchy and your ad descriptive. Also...

Make use of photo and video uploads

Photos and video will really enhance your listing. People want to see where they could be living so a few good shots of the room and house will go a long way. Remember, when taking photos or video of your room you should treat it as you would a viewing. Make sure the room is tidy, clean and free of personal clutter.

It's not just the room you're selling

A great room is what people are looking for but it's the whole package you're selling. If the property has a great kitchen, garden or balcony or has extras such as wi-fi or cable TV then make sure you mention them - they might just be what makes the difference. Similarly, the area you live in is important. Make sure you mention the transport links and if there's a handy gym or supermarket. If you've got a brilliant local pub or award winning restaurant nearby then mention that too. Lifestyle is a key factor in choosing where to live so make it as easy as possible for your prospective lodgers to imagine living where you are.

Point out what's included (and what isn't)

Bills can make a real difference to the monthly cost of living so make sure people know what is and isn't included in the monthly price you're asking. You might want to consider including the bills in with the rent to make things easier, it avoids a possible source of conflict at a later date.

Use a dedicated flatshare listing site

There are plenty of places to advertise your room but we'd definitely recommend using a specialist site such as SpareRoom.co.uk (we would wouldn't we!). There are several good reasons for doing this.

Firsly you'll get much more flexibility in listing your room. By using a specialist site you'll get the opportunity to add photos and video and your ad will be linked to a map so users can see exactly where they'd be living.

You'll also have access to help if you need it. SpareRoom have real people available on the other end of the phone during office hours to help you with any problems you may have.

In addition SpareRoom hand check every listing and every user who sends messages via the site to intercept any scams or bogus users. When taking in a lodger you need peace of mind and we go that extra mile to make sure you can list with confidence, knowing that our staff work day in day out to make your experience as safe as possible.