Getting Started
Top Tips for Holiday Letting
Whether you own a cosy cottage for two or a big house for large getaways, there’s a lot to think about when setting up your property for holiday letting. Of course, Durrants Holiday Cottages can help you every step of the way. But here’s some of the most frequently asked questions we receive from homeowners at the start of their journey.
Q. How do I Make My Property Stand Out?
With decades of holiday letting expertise to draw from, we understand what guests look for and what makes them return time and time again. Read our guide to making those first impressions count.
Q. What Capacity Should My Property Be?
The number of guests your property can accommodate is not just about the number of beds and bedrooms. Consideration needs to be given to living space too. Guests must be able to enjoy their social time in your home so care should be taken to ensure that the living areas are suitable for the maximum number of guests.
There should be enough comfortable seating for all guests to sit down and watch a film together or play a board game. Likewise, the dining table should be large enough for everyone to come together for a meal.
The overall experience a property offers influences the price as much as the number of people it can accommodate. So if for example, you have a property that has generous bedroom capacity but is tight on living space, it may be worth considering reducing the overall occupancy to improve the guest experience. We’re always happy to offer our advice and guidance on this.
Q. Who Will Clean My Property?
Cleanliness has always been an important factor in guest satisfaction, but over recent years this has become crucial. Spotless and well-presented accommodation is an expectation of all guests. You’ll need to make sure you have a flexible and thorough housekeeper. We can help you with this by recruiting and training your housekeeper to our standards. While guests don’t want to spend their holiday cleaning, you will also need to provide the essentials to keep the place in good order during their stay. A dustpan and brush, hoover and basic cleaning materials are a must.
Q. Should I Make the Property Pet Friendly?
With around 40% of UK households owning a dog, it’s worth considering making your property dog-friendly, especially if you have a garden. This can greatly improve your chances of securing bookings. An additional fee is charged per pet to cover any additional cleaning and our terms and conditions layout clearly the rules dog owners must follow to protect your property.
Q. How do I Make My Property Compliant With Safety Requirements?
Your guests’ safety is of paramount importance so there are a few health and safety checks that need to be done prior to letting, for example ensuring you have the right fire risk assessments and gas safety certificates. Electrical appliance testing, television licensing and public liability insurance are amongst the other considerations. Of course, we’re here to help and advise you on this.
Q. What information do I need to provide for guests?
Upon booking confirmation and in the run up to their arrival, guests will be provided with information regarding their stay. We deliver this directly as part of guest liaison and will work with you during set up to ensure we provide accurate information. This will include directions to the property including parking if applicable, key access and entry information.
We will assist with the creation of a property folder where you can provide appliance instructions, details on how to use the heating and hot water, the Wi-Fi password, and any other useful information guests will need for their stay.
Most importantly, you will also need to provide fire evacuation guidance and emergency contact information. We provide an out-of-hours contact as part of our service, which guests can use should they need assistance.
Q. What should I do with my outside space?
Whether you have a small courtyard or a large established garden, the area needs to be pleasant, functional and as easy as possible to maintain. We recommend minimising seasonal flower beds and perhaps considering hardy shrubs and grasses that can look smart all year round. Our team can take care of arranging a regular gardener as part of our management of your property if you prefer.
Providing outdoor furniture for guests to use is a big draw. Ensure it’s of good quality and robust enough to withstand regular use. Consider how you might store cushions and a parasol in between bookings and during the winter months.
If your property is dog friendly, your outside space will need to be too. Check boundary fencing and consider making the garden fully enclosed for guests’ peace of mind.
If you have parking, you may want to think about maximising it’s potential. Guests appreciate private parking so you will need to check cars can park easily and safely.
Finally, you will need to consider bin access and storage. Guests can be provided with instructions on how to use the recycling schemes you have in place. As always, we can assist you with waste management, particularly during the peak holiday season.
If you have more questions you’d like answered, get in touch with the team who are here to help. For more information, browse our Home Owner resources below.
