Are you dreaming of a staycation? Longing to get away and have a change of scene? Holidays are a major topic of conversation at the moment and it looks likely that the rise of the staycation which we saw last summer is set to continue.
Is the idea of running a holiday let a long held dream? Perhaps for many years you have had a vision of living in the country or a historic market town. Alternatively, it might be that the rise in popularity of UK based holidays has given you an idea for a new business venture and you are full of excitement at the prospect of a new business opportunity.
I am a great fan of Escape to the Country and often the house hunters are looking to create a holiday let or are looking for a property that already has one. They may want to have a full time business or simply see it as an opportunity to generate some additional income.
Holiday lets aren’t only found in the country of course, there are plenty of towns and cities that attract visitors so so you don’t have to be a country lover to want to run one.
If you are looking to start a holiday let business or have taken one over, or you have an existing business here are some reasons why dressing your holiday let is important.
Expectations
With the popularity of foreign holidays and the advent of the boutique hotel, not to mention social media, our expectations of our holiday accommodation have grown. This includes matters such as
- the quality of the bedlinen
- the quality of the furnishings
- the facilities – coffee makers, wifi, netflix etc
- the equipment provided in the kitchen
All this means that the holiday let owner needs to up their game. Do your research and identify who is most likely to want to holiday in your area and stay in the type of accommodation you have. See what sort of things they will be expecting. If friends or members of Facebook groups that match that demographic are sharing images of where they have been staying check out those properties for details of what they offer. Ask yourself what would want to find. Look on the websites of holiday letting agents and search for properties as close as possible to yours in your area and look at how they are presented and don’t forget to check reviews. Reviews can be an excellent guide to guests expectations.
Occupancy
Get the presentation of your property right and this may enable you to extend the letting period or even open up the possibility of a whole new window of opportunity depending on your location. More and more of us are taking short breaks so can you take advantage of this? Clearly frequent change overs involve additional cost and work so you might focus on short breaks in quieter periods. We are aware of Christmas and New Year breaks but are there other occasions that you could target, perhaps linked to events in your area. Or are you near a popular wedding venue with the possibility of coming to an arrangement with them if the bridal couple are looking for other local accommodation to offer guests. Are there other attractions that you could partner with? I once undertook a 5 day curtain making course and the organisers provided details of local B&B’s where attendees could stay.
Target Market
Both of the above link in to your target customer both in terms of the price bracket and also extending to the question of extending the season – who is likely to visit at those times and what are they going to want. It’s essential to do your research, local tourist boards can help, and look at what type of accommodation is most popular in your area, is it families, young couples or retirees. Can you spot a gap for a certain type of accommodation that you could fill?
So are you seeking to create a holiday let from scratch, take over an existing business or upgrade your own existing holiday but you don’t have the time and/ or inclination to do the research necessary? Why not let me do it? Call me on 07745 876182 for an informal chat. Or you can e mail me at judith@homestyle4u.com. I’m based on the Wirral and also cover Cheshire, North Wales and the North West. Further afield? I offer remote consultations.