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When you finally get the keys to your cottage, it can be such an exciting day. You are ready to start renovating, buying furniture and making the place feel like home! Whatever stage of your letting journey you are at, it is likely that you will have a lot of Holiday Home questions for us!

Our friendly team are here to help and guide you through your letting journey. We have created a blog  below to help answer some of your holiday home questions:


Dewi Villa

Will I still be able to use my holiday cottage?

Of course you can! You will get a booking allowance between April – September as these are our busy months, however, there are no restrictions between October and March. If you do want to make an owner booking, please make sure that you let one of our Owner Relations experts know. One of the team will update the system and book out the dates for you. You can put owner bookings in online as well through your owner portal. This helps us ensure that all availability is correct online.


What happens if a guest damages my property?

We understand that this can be quite worrying for owners. It is important to understand that wear and tear does happen, especially if you have had a busy summer season full of bookings. Most guests will be respectful of your holiday home. For most properties, we take a good housekeeping bond or damage bond which will cover damages in case of an accident. This gives you that extra bit re-assurance. Again, for the majority of our properties, we offer accidental damage protection and personal liability insurance.

In the rare event that your property does get damaged, our team will come out and inspect. We have a resolutions team who will deal with the situation and ensure that any damages are communicated with the guest.


Should I accept dogs in my property?

We’ve also noticed a growing demand for pet-friendly properties following a surge in pet ownership during lockdown. 43% of the UK now own a dog.  Families are choosing to stay in the UK for their holidays and are choosing to bring their dogs with them, and 33% of bookings in 2022 included dogs.

More families are exploring Wales and are enjoying the outdoors. With gorgeous beaches, picturesque towns and vast fields, it really is the perfect place to bring your four legged friend!

Why not add a list of dog friendly restaurants, pubs and beaches to your guest handbook to help your guests create the perfect holiday!

Although very rare, occasionally dogs may create some small damage. We have implemented a few rules to help minimize this:

  • No dogs on sofas, beds or furniture
  • £25 cost per dog that will help with any extra cleaning fees
  • No dogs should be left unattended in the property
  • It is their responsibility to clean up any mess.

 

I’ve decided to accept pets, what do you advise?

If you do choose to accept pets into your property, think about the furnishings. It would be more advisable to choose laminate or wooden flooring in living areas. This will help with cleaning. Accidents happen and it is much easier to wipe a floor than it is to get a stain out of a carpet!

While most guests will try to keep their pets off furniture, it’s not always possible. ( Some pets can be unpredictable!) having sofa covers or a washable blanket, can help prevent stains.

Lots of guests will bring their own blankets and bed for their dog, however, providing extra dog blankets, treats and toys can be a nice touch and will make the pooch feel at home.

Learn more by reading our blog about accepting pets into your holiday let.


How should I decorate my holiday let?

Glyn Yr Efail

Grab your paintbrushes and get creative! It can be quite hard to start with a blank canvas. One thing to remember is not to make your cottage too niche when it comes to decorations. You want the cottage to appeal to all ages/ guests.

Firstly, think of a theme. This could be a location, colour or even an animal! If your cottage is by the coast, why not add coastal furnishings such as shells, decorative boats or pretty coastal paintings? If your cottage is on a farm, you could have farmhouse theming throughout such as animal cushions, rustic vases, or traditional quilts. The Range, Dunelm and IKEA all have good quality furnishings for small prices.

Pictures really do make a big difference in your cottage, even putting up a couple in each room, makes the cottage have personality. Having a well decorated holiday cottage will make your cottage stand out in photos and will make the cottage feel more homely for your guests.

If you are struggling for ideas, our friendly team know a few interior designers who will be more than happy to advise. You can also take a look at some of the properties in our portfolio to get an idea.

Try keep your cottage as photogenic as possible! The photos are what your guests will see first and many will make their booking decisions based on these alone. Find out how to get your cottage photoshoot ready in our new blog.


Should I provide a welcome pack?

Yes! This is such a nice touch for your guests. Some of your guests may have travelled hours to visit your cottage. Even if you simply provide coffee, tea bags and milk, it will be much appreciated after a long journey!

If you want to get even more creative and make your holiday cottage stand out from the crowd, you can add fresh flowers, local cheese/ cakes/ jams and other household items.

We all know first impressions count – see how you can create the perfect welcome pack in our handy guide.


Am I responsible for cleaning and maintenance?

Over the past few years, we have created valuable partnerships with reliable housekeeping agencies and companies that can sure that each guest will arrive to a spotless property with fresh linen, towels and carpets.

We also have our managed service option where we will take the weight off your shoulders…Whether you need us to change a light bulb or fix a broken chair, we will be there to help.

Brush up on your cleaning skills and read our 9 tips to kick-start your cleaning routines.

What do I do if there is an issue in my cottage?

If a guest arrives at your property and has no hot water or the WIFI isn’t working, don’t worry! If you choose our Managed Service Option, our team will handle it without the need to contact you. Our dedicated team are on hand to help with any issues, giving you peace of mind that everything is covered.

If you chose not to use our managed service option, our owner relations team are on hand 24/7 to ensure any issues are passed on to you or your housekeeper to deal with.


What are the costs involved in letting my holiday home?

It’s difficult to provide an exact cost as this will depend on the size of your property, however, the main costs are outlined below:

Running Costs:

  • Hot tub maintenance
  • Changeover costs
  • Subscriptions/utilities

Yearly Costs:

  • Home furnishings/updating
  • Agency fees
  • Safety checks
  • Insurance
  • Accounting

You also need to ensure that your holiday let is compliant with all mandatory rules and regulations.

There can be a lot to keep up with, and they are ever-changing, especially here in Wales! See what you need to keep on top of in our rules and regulations blog post.


Will I have to replace everything every year?

General wear and tear is to be expected, some small items will break i.e. glasses plates etc, you may need to add a few new ones at the end of a busy season. When it comes to furniture, We recommend investing in good quality furnishings to ensure that they are long-lasting.


Should I accept short breaks?

  • Accepting short breaks will provide potential guests with more flexibility– some customers may be put off booking if they cannot select their preferred arrival dates. This opens up your cottage to more last minute bookings, helping generate more income.
  • Appeal to a wider audience – Short breaks are becoming increasingly popular. if you allow customers to book short breaks, you will be putting your cottage in front of a wider audience allowing more bookings and more income.

Should I add an electric charge point in my holiday cottage?

It’s convenient

90% of electric vehicle owners charge their vehicles at home. There may be charging points near your holiday cottage, but it won’t be the most convenient for your guests and could cause ‘range anxiety’.  Charging your car can take a really long time and guests don’t want to spend their holiday time sitting in a supermarket car park charging their vehicle.

How would I charge for it?

You could increase your weekly rental by about £10 to include the cost, however, if a guest is spending a lot of money to stay in your cottage, this could be considered as ‘penny pinching’ a guest may only use the charger once and it is very difficult to determine how much electricity they have used. There are a few ways around this such as acquiring a charge card charger. This means that a guest will tap their card and enter their details, and a bill will then be sent to the guest to pay for the electricity usage. This also means that you are not charging a flat rate for every guest.

What type of charger should I go for?

  • Rapid charging
  • Normal EV unit
  • Charge Card & Monitor
  • You also have the option to have key switch fitted to stop people using the charger when the cottage is unattended

There are lots of things to consider when starting your letting journey, we are here to help and guide you through the process. If you are interested in letting your cottage, get in touch today!


What happens if I get a bad review?

Getting a bad review never feels great, but believe us, they’re not the end of the world.

In fact, they actually present an opportunity for you to both fix any problems and mend the relationship with your guests.

One thing we recommend to all owners is to respond to all reviews, good and bad.

Responding to negative feedback with enthusiasm, showing that you’ve taken their feedback on board and that you’re actioning some of their suggestions.

This shows potential guests that you care about them and their experience, and are dedicated to continuous improvement.


How do you price my property?

We want you to get the most from your property.

While guest budgets are down demand is still extremely high. Brits are spending an average of £199 less on their holidays every year – which means the demand for a UK break is on the rise.

Pricing is important. Getting the most out of your investment and securing that income stream is important to you and to us.

We have various pricing options available, where either we control the booking process or you can set your own static prices.

Our dynamic pricing model is the most popular option chosen by over 80% of our property owners. We use market data to determine the best price for bookings.

To secure maximum income throughout the year our prices change to suit the season and demand. This means prices reduce to appeal to guests out of season and increase to captitalise on the demand during peak season.

Properties using this pricing model earn on average 43% more revenue than those on fixed prices.

We will always work with you to ensure the pricing model used on your property suits your needs.


Marketing your property.

One of the benefits of working with a property agent is the extended reach you will get. Our job is to showcase your property to as many potential guests as possible and to get you the bookings you want.

So, how do we do it?

While we cover properties in the West of Wales, our reach is nationwide.

Our website receives thousands of visits per day from guests wanting to explore Wales.

We’re also part of the Sykes Cottages family. Meaning when you list with us, your property also gets listed on the main Sykes website, getting thousands more eyes on it.

We also work with partner sites to get the maximum exposure for your property. We can list your property on over 300+ partner website, which include booking.com, airbnb, and The Telegraph.