Three ways to maximise your holiday lets in Dartmouth
How do I make the right income from my holiday home? This is a very common question for our property consultants and managers at HolidayHost. While there are many things that contribute to an income from a holiday home, making sure guests have the best time possible is chief amongst them. Hosting properties across South Devon including Dartmouth, here are three ways to maximise your holiday lets…
Before you head to market, you need to think clearly about what you want to achieve from your property and select the right marketing method for you. This is something we can help clients with. For example, are you aiming for maximum profits first and foremost, or personal use with reasonable profits?
Also, and this has become a more important question with the rise of Airbnb, would a specialist agency for luxury properties promising 40+ weeks of bookings a year and reliable margins suit your requirements best, or would you prefer to use a self-letting platform which means no agency fees but much more owner involvement – unless you have a host to help with the bookings and administration.
Pay attention to the details
It is inevitable that when you let your holiday home, little signs of wear and tear will appear. Scuff marks on the wall as eager children run in from the beach, sand in the carpet, paw prints on the stairs - with the greatest care in the world, damage can happen.
To maintain a luxurious feel in a holiday home however, addressing these details a little and often, rather than waiting for a complete refurbishment opportunity, is the kind of attention to detail that unwittingly encourages guests to visit time and again.
Offer a meet and greet service to introduce your property
You may know your home like the back of your hand, but your guests don’t, so a meet and greet service serves two invaluable purposes.
The first is to explain how the property works - whether you have a contemporary property with the latest gadgets or a historic property with hidden secrets, having a host to meet guests and explain how to make the most of the property when they arrive is a warm, welcoming and enhancing experience.
The second purpose it serves is to guide guests into your home and to present both it, and the area, in its best light. We may make recommendations on the type of thing that will enhance guest experience - such as passes to the local hotel gym waiting on the counter or a hamper to greet them on arrival.
A host can even give a bit of local context to a holiday, explaining via carefully organised marketing content as well as communications, where to go and what to do if they’re with children, friends or a couple visiting on a romantic South Devon holiday.
Make life easy
Holidays are all about having a nice time, but, especially when travelling with families, it can also be a juggling act to make sure everyone is entertained and that you have everything you need.
Making sure your property is equipped with all the basic cooking ingredients including seasoning and spices, with milk, butter, fresh bread and tea on arrival, and preparing details such as high chairs, providing board games and books, or even tuning the Playstation are all the little things that make a holiday easier, so guests can simply arrive and start enjoying themselves from the moment they set foot in your property.
We work closely with owners and the preferred letting agent to make sure that owners are supported and advised on maximising their holiday home experience for guests.
For more advice on maximising your holiday lets in South Devon contact us
