1. Format 

• The minimum size of the photos you can upload: 1080 pixels high. You can enlarge smaller photos by "blowing them up", but then it is always very much at the expense of quality.
• Photos taken with a smartphone or with a not too old digital camera have the right number of pixels. However, often they are automatically resized in your device to save space. You can change this in the settings of your smartphone or camera. You can often Google how to do this.Nice playroom, but the photo is not sharp! This can be improved
  
  
• Please note! When your ad is clicked by the visitor, the full-screen overview photo is displayed. As this image is lower in height than the carousel, it is zoomed in from the centre of the photo. It is important that the centre of the index photo is also the focus point of the photo.

2. A picture says more than a thousand words.

The photos are by far the most important part of your ad and they determine its success. So it is really worthwhile to make it the focus point of your attention.

• Tidying up
  Make sure the house looks like you are expecting the new guests at any moment. Remove all personal items. Think of clutter on the tables, chairs, coat racks, workspace in the kitchen, the shower (gels and soaps), the kitchen sink... everything is neutral. Also, make sure your pets are not in the pictures (even if they are the sweetest pets on the planet).

Such a nice house, but... the photo could be better (lighting, animals, laundry, garden hose...)

• Main photo and other rooms
  Take a picture of the front of the house. Make sure shutters are open, blinds all at the same height. Make sure the garden is tidy (no garden hoses or wheelbarrows or tools, the barbecue open for use, parasol unfolded). No grey or overcast skies! The photo should be sunny (late afternoon or in the morning for warm light) and trees and shrubs are well in leaf or in bloom.
  If possible, take a good distance from the house so that the position of the house in relation to the surrounding area is clearly visible.
• Indoor photos with a spacious effect
  Make sure that as much (clean and tidy) floor space as possible can be seen inside the photos. This creates a spacious effect. You can do this by standing on the kitchen stairs (which obviously cannot be seen in the photo). Take photos of all rooms in the house, including the toilet (lid closed!) and bathroom.
• During the day
  Make sure all curtains and shutters are open to let in as much daylight as possible. Take photos on a sunny day, preferably between 12 and 2pm. Turn on a light in dark corners. If a photo is still a bit dark, you may want to edit it in Photoshop. If you take a photo of the wood stove or fireplace, make sure there is a fire burning in it.
• Holiday atmosphere
  It's fun to add a few real holiday photos, but without people in them. Think: close up of a bottle of rosé with a few glasses with a vineyard in the background, a detail shot of an inflatable animal in the spotless pool, a set breakfast table, a few sunflowers in a vase with hills in the background...
  
  This is a real holiday photo. Can you imagine yourself sitting here?
  
• Colour and green
  Take photos in spring or early summer. Everything is green and fresh then and there are flowers in abundance giving a colourful effect. If you have no flowering shrubs in your garden, or if it is a stone terrace or balcony, you can place a planter/pot with a flowering plant. If necessary, borrow it from the neighbours!
• Styling...  You don't have to go straight to Ikea or another interior design shop for that! A nice, stylish effect can also be created with the existing furniture, if you arrange it in a different way, or, for example, add details such as cushions or a poster that all match. Don't hesitate to look on Pinterest or ask someone close to you for advice. You can also hire a stylist to do it for you.
• Number of photos
  Once you have taken the photos, pick about 20 to put on your ad. You really don't need that many; if a website visitor isn't convinced after 20 photos, he won't be after 21 either. There only needs to be one photo of each room (including the swimming pool). Gites chooses the photo of the front (or possibly the back) of the house as the main photo.
  Also place some photos of touristically interesting places nearby.
• Youtube
  It is nice to make a video to display on your ad, provided there are no contact details or website address in the video. Provide music in the background and remove the sound of your slippers or your panting as you climb the stairs.
• Hire a professional
  Hiring a professional photographer is a wise option; you will really recoup the costs involved.