'A picture is worth a thousand words' is a cliché but a good one when it comes to attracting attention to a home exchange offer. Again, although you of course never want to be deceptive in your description/photos, taking a photo of a room from the best angle, thoughtfully composed, with good lighting, is as natural as wanting to show your 'best side' to the cameras.

Try to have at least some good photos of your home ready to add to your listing as soon as you join Home Base Holidays. Listings with photos definitely attract more attention, especially if the photos are eye catching.

Note to members: check that your listing's photos are good quality and show your home at it's best. If they are dark or blurry try taking photos in good light to replace your existing photos.

"We had such a nice time in this lovely apartment. Its bright and spacious with lots of natural light. Very nicely furnished - modern and stylish. And very comfortable beds. The kitchen is big - the photos don't do it justice. The area is quiet with lots of trees and greenery around - there's a great park 5 minutes walk away, and a good market at the weekends. Transport connections are excellent, several S Bahn lines and the U Bahn a few minutes walk away at Innsbrucker Platz, so getting into the city centre or out to the countryside was fast and easy. We've already asked if we can exchange again in the future. And when we got home our house was sparkling clean and our cat looked disappointed to see us and not Dave and John, so they'd obviously looked after him very well! We had lots of e-mail chats and clear information before we arrived, so I felt we knew and trusted each other right from the start. All in all a really great exchange. Thank you Dave and John." (Terry and Simon, Brighton, England)