Make sure to include a floor plan on your website. Most rental sites don't have one, yours should. I believe it helps surfers make a rental decision. Every rental website has pictures of well made-up king sized beds. That's fine, but your clients may appreciate the practical information in a floor plan even more.

Given my theme of providing a service to your renters even after you've got the deposit: The floor plan will help your customer figure out where to put grandma, the crib, or the kids. The floor plan will help your customers feel more at home from the moment they arrive.

How good does your floor plan need to look? That's up to you. I think a crude plan is much better than no plan and I personally find more charm in a handmade drawing. Here are some resources and examples:

• Kathleen Plumley at Plumley Drafting creates professional floor plans for vacation rentals.

• This floor plan shows you a picture when you click on a room.

• MyBeachHouseOnTybee.com has a wonderful handmade floor plan.

• Beach Haven has a plan done by the owner in MS Word.

• Ziggy's Kingdom has a copy from the builder's brochure.

As a late sleeper when I'm on vacation, I'd appreciate it if you include an arrow showing true north on your floor plan. I don't want my bedroom to have an east facing picture window.