HOUFY instead! Why owners & travelers should use Houfy. Q & A!

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Rent boats! Memorial Day weekend through to Columbus Day Weekend. Weather permitting. Please inquire.

What is Houfy

Houfy is the leading advertising platform for book-direct vacation rentals, with over 55,000 properties worldwide. From cozy homes to spacious apartments, you'll find the perfect vacation rental on Houfy. Plus, our platform allows you to book directly with hosts, saving you money on fees. Explore our extensive selection of vacation rentals and find your dream home away from home. Book with confidence on Houfy and enjoy a stress-free vacation.

How do I invite family, friends, and guests to Houfy

Houfy is getting noticed! Help Houfy by inviting friends, previous guests and family to join. You can easily do this by following the steps below:

Why Should I Promote Houfy When I Have My Own Website?

Ask yourself this: "What percentage of bookings will likely be generated solely by my own website in one year, two years...three years?"

Pricelabs Integration with Houfy

Increase revenue with data-driven pricing from Pricelabs

Say hello to Houfy, the world’s simplest website builder for vacation rentals!

Are you looking for an easy and reliable way to build a top-notch website for your vacation rental business? Get started today and see just how easy building a lasting online presence can be.

How long does it take to get my Houfy listing verified?

At Houfy we verify new listings a few times a day. This is not an automated process and can take up to 24-48 hours.

Easy Tips for Marketing Your Houfy Vacation Rental Listing

Once you've completed your rates and synchronized calendars, it's time to get started on promoting Houfy! This is a step-by-step guide in the basics of marketing your vacation rental listing.

Adding My Houfy Link to Social Media and Other Sites

Many hosts new to book direct often ask about how to start telling their social media followers about Houfy. The quickest way to bring awareness about Houfy is to make a simple announcement.

How to edit your map location and address on Houfy

Location is just one factor travelers use when choosing a place to stay. Be sure to meet your guests' expectations by accurately displaying your property's location.

Pricing at Houfy and frequently asked questions

HOUFY is a free advertising platform for hosts using the free features. Houfy does require a host verification fee from all hosts. Hosts who use lite or premium features are required to pay a monthly or yearly subscription fee.

Getting Started and why you should list with Houfy

Listing your property for FREE on Houfy! - a book direct market network. No commissions. No traveler service fees.

I have my own website with guides about activities, events and our favorite restaurants. Why would I add these to Houfy?

Houfy is a new concept. An advertising platform combined with a network, you could call this a "market-network".

How to create a guidebook and add to your Houfy listing(s)

We suggest you to first read this document in its entirely before starting to write a story or crate a guidebook.

Why Your Guests Should Be Signing a Rental Agreement

While most reservations will go smoothly as planned, there may be times when you'll be asked to produce a signed Rental Agreement. Even hotels have you sign an agreement at check in, at the same time they ask for your ID and credit card. Agreements can be signed manually or digitally–and both methods are legally upheld in the courts.   

Is there a way to add a video to my Houfy listing?

Create a "Houfy collection": Collections provide a helpful way to group related posts and or stories together (in this case videos), and to quickly inform readers what the posts & stories are about. Collections make it easier for people to find content in a grouped form.

AirBnB and VRBO/HomeAway vs. Houfy

The service fee varies, depending on the cost of the rental and demand for the house. Renters find the service fee can fluctuate from one view to the next.

Compare Your Options - Is It Time to Houfy Yet?

Houfy is it! Houfy is a new site, with great functionality, clean looks, thousands of listings, around the world, and it is free! It works like the OTAs of the past. Your listing is a money maker for you, not for the site! You decide how much you charge, when you collect funds and when you charge for damages. Your business. Your rules. Your decisions.

How do I find my houfeed?

Please log in. Select Menu > Houfeed.

Bulletin Board

Important things you might want to know .....Welcome!

How to follow someone on Houfy?

Houfy is a social site and allows members to follow each other, become friends etc.

Enjoying Amherst Lake ~ Plymouth, Vermont

Enjoying this fascinating lake Located in a valley area that has a series of lakes and ponds, Amherst is the third body of water in a string of 5: Woodard Reservoir, Black Pond, Amherst Lake, Echo Lake, Lake Rescue, and Lake Pauline along scenic Vermont Route 100. History will tell you that the lake is known by locals and “old timers” as Lake Amherst, but somewhere at the state level it was renamed “Amherst Lake” and so it stands. General Jeffrey Amherst and his

How do I set up my damage deposit?

Log in Menu (top right) Manage Listings Edit > Pricing > Rates & Fees Members with connected payments will have two options:

Help with Calendars

Frequently asked questions about calendars

Where do I edit or change my booking cut-off date?

The booking cut-off date prevents travelers from booking your property after a specific date. This is helpful for those who may not want bookings far in advance, or for those who haven't set next year's rates yet.

Why book through Houfy?

How will Houfy market the listings if the site is free? I do not understand.

I'm used to the old fashioned system and REALLY do not understand how Houfy can make money or market my listings? I studied marketing and what Houfy is doing is totally against all systems. I heard people are getting bookings on Houfy: How can that be? What are their plans? I'm full of questions..

Introduction to posts and collections

The sharing of local information is what differentiates Houfy as a "market network" versus a standalone "marketplace" (ex: listing site).

How to add my property video to a collection

Make your property video stand out on your listing.

Thank you departure email/text template

Do you currently thank your guests upon departure for staying at your property? It's always good business practice to send your guests a departure thank you. A simple text/email is sufficient, especially if you send nothing now.

Is Vrbo Removing It's Traveler Service Fee Cap?

For quite a few years now, Vrbo's traveler service fee has been a dynamic amount–but capped.

FAQ and troubleshooting for post and collection

Updated March 8th, 2021 Q: How long should my post be? There is no exact length and will vary depending on the topic. Keep in mind even very engaged readers will reach the fidgety "abandon article point" around the 7 minute mark.

Vacation Rental Agreement Templates

Feel free to use any parts of the rental agreements below. These are ONLY examples to give you ideas for content. It's best to work with an attorney who is well-versed in short term rental regulations, insurance, etc.

Reordering photos, collections & posts on Houfy

My Listings > Edit > Photos - To add photos, just drag and drop..

Get started with Google Analytics for your Houfy account including your listing

Google Analytics lets you measure your advertising ROI as well as track your Flash, video, and social networking sites and applications. We have connected Houfy for you to track analytics for all your Houfy activity. (Including post/guide/listing views etc.)

How to Use All of Story's Formatting Options

Engage more readers with aesthetically pleasing and easy-to-follow content. Not only should your Stories be well-written, they should be visually appealing as well. Utilizing all of Story's formatting options increases the chances of gaining followers on Houfy–and in turn, the likelihood your Stories will be shared on social media.

How do I edit or manage my listing?

Menu>Manage Listings

Using, Sharing, and Linking to Others' Content

Stories: Are they Yours, Mine, or Ours?

I can't remember how to get Houfy to request balance due from guest?

Log in > Messages > Message history > Click on button " Send Reminder" (Bottom left)

Why do larger properties have stricter reservation, payment & cancellation policies?

Larger properties booked for family or group gatherings usually require stricter policies.

Bridget's Houfy Love

Join Book Direct Groups

About Houfy

Houfy ~ Advance a Just Cause

E

Houfy Map

Houfy is built for you

Where is my Stork?

Bridget's Houledges

Marketing Houfy

Think Different

https://www.houfy.com/houfyinc/posts/think-different-14592?fbclid=IwAR37MM9-gDfru5oPGTakvxTqIkop3FnEQtr0cg7W3U3q8klRLwPW_yhZVmc

"Have you checked out Houfy yet?" You should!

VRBO/HomeAway vs Houfy (House For You).

Houfy Update

September 13 2019

Hot Tub Rules

Hot tubs are wonderful amenities. We want our guests to enjoy the hot tub and be able to enjoy without interruption their entire stay. With weekly chemical balancing and cleaning, the hot tub should remain sanitary for you use. But abuse or misuse can result in an unusable or unsanitary mess! Make sure you know and follow the rules.

Using Instagram for Your Vacation Rental

While talking to my Social Media Coaches (aka my 20 something children), I was told Facebook was for old women. That explains all the shared pictures of grandchildren I see! But if I wanted to reach real people (translation: anyone under 50), I needed an Instagram account.

Can you believe it?

These sites: VRBO, AIRBNB & Tripadvisor still charge for "service fees"

Practical Steps for Responding to a Negative Review of Your Vacation Rental

It is natural for any vacation rental owner to lose his cool some time when a negative review of the rental emerges. But the real winner is the one who recognizes the issue, deals with it calmly and converts the unhappy past guest into a satisfied one.

OTA Association Slams Direct Bookings

OTA association slams direct bookings Share this post on LinkedIn By this point, the number of studies testifying to the positive impact of direct bookings - and the sometimes harmful influence of OTAs - is approaching too many to count. In case you need a refresher, we've included a list of the most pertinent at the bottom of this article.

10 Things You Should Never Do in a Hot Tub

Tiki House is one of the few vacation rentals, especially homes, with a private hot tub. They are expensive and take quite a bit of maintenance and care. We have our hot tub professionally maintained by a pool cleaning company and they do a fantastic job. To make their job easier, keep the tub sanitary while you are there, and make sure no one gets hurt, we ask everyone to follow all the rules.