COTTAGES.COM SHARES SECRETS TO HOLIDAY LETTING SUCCESS
Staycations are continuing to soar in popularity, providing opportunity for landowners to benefit from a successful holiday letting business. cottages.com shares industry secrets for how to make your holiday home work harder at the Farm Business Innovation Show.
As staycations continue to soar in popularity, there has never been a better time to diversify in to holiday letting. For landowners seeking a reliable source of revenue, now is the time to act - whether you’re considering holiday letting for the first time or looking to make your existing let work harder.
Looking to capitalise on the staycation trend, Mr and Mrs Smith, the owners of Old Chalksole Cottages in Alkham, Kent, partnered with cottages.com to market three single-storey cottages set amid beautiful countryside. In the first year they achieved an average 90 per cent occupancy rate, firmly cementing the start of a successful new holiday letting business venture. This summer they were awarded cottages.com’s Customer Choice Award, a national tourism accolade celebrating excellence in customer reviews and experience.
cottages.com provided expert local advice and support to ensure Mr and Mrs Smith achieved the maximum return on their investment, recommending features and finishing touches that most appeal to holidaymakers visiting the region. All three properties feature WiFi, spacious bedrooms and living areas, as well as enjoying private enclosed gardens. Two also offer hot tubs. Intelligent dynamic pricing across all three properties further helped to drive year-round demand and boost booking numbers.
Old Chalksole Cottages (property references UKC408, UKC409 and UKC410) are among many farm-based properties represented by cottages.com, the UK’s biggest holiday letting website. The company’s unrivalled understanding of British booking and holiday search habits ensure its portfolio of properties are always front-of-mind for customers.
Elliot Bilsland, cottages.com Area Manager for London and the South East, worked alongside Mr and Mrs Smith and has provided support throughout all stages of their holiday letting journey. Speaking at the Farm Business Innovation Show, he offers his specialist advice to other landowners considering their next steps for a successful holiday letting business:
“We would like to share our congratulations with Mr and Mrs Smith on the success of their holiday let and for achieving the coveted Customer Choice Award in recognition of their commitment to delivering the very best holiday experience for their guests.
“The trend for staycations shows no signs of abating for 2018 and beyond, and with huge demand comes the potential for huge rewards for the owners of quality holiday accommodation. We work with ever increasing numbers of landowners who are now running successful lets from converted farm buildings or from new ventures such as glamping sites.
“It is important to seek expert advice as early as possible within any holiday letting project, whether renovating or building new properties. A reputable agent should provide guidance on what your customer wants, how to beat the competition through effective marketing and photography, as well as offer ongoing support including help with legislation, delivering quality grading assessments and intelligent, adjustable pricing.
“Working in partnership with our property owners we can establish strong foundations for a successful holiday let. Many property owners may be surprised to see the difference a few small alterations can make – for instance you can quickly improve the profitability of your let by simply making it available for short breaks. We saw a 15% growth in short break bookings for 2017 compared to last year, accounting for more than a third (37 per cent) of all breaks taken.”
The expert team at cottages.com have a heritage in holiday letting spanning more than 30 years and can be found on stand 773 at the show. Elliot will be speaking in Theatre 3 on Wednesday 8th November at 15.30pm.
For more information and advice contact:
cottages.com
www.cottages.com/let-your-property
E: Elliot.Bilsland@wynvr.co.uk
T: 0345 268 1846
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