Out of Season

Up, down, could be better? How to get more bookings is our number one obsession. Talk shop here.
User avatar
Thomas BC
Posts: 337
Joined: Mon Feb 14, 2005 1:45 pm
Location: Normandy (76)
Contact:

Out of Season

Post by Thomas BC »

Hi all,
Having only just found this site, I have spend most of this morning reading previous posts. I have just recently signed the AdV, and have started advertising on some of the rental sites. I am glad to see, based on the wealth of experience detailed in these pages, that there are somethings I am doing (or planning to do) right. And there were a few things I had not thought of - so thanks for all the free flowing advice - what a great community!!

I 'think' I have been fortunate, for within a few weeks of beginning my marketing I have both July and August fully booked. [I am amazed :? at the number of enquiries for weeks that are unavailable I still get from sites where the availibility is clearly stated.] But that is it - 9 weeks. I am greatful for that, but was hoping for a few more weeks. I have only had a few enquiries, and one booking for a week outside July or August.

I am in Haute Normandy - Seine Maritime, and i appreciate this area does not have the same attraction as further south, or other parts of Normandy. Am I being too impatient? Or, are there other things I should be doing to attract visitors to the other months. I have tried attractive 'special offers' for these other months - but only got the one booking for a week in May.

I had a cold call from one of the Magazines, who had seen my add on one of the popular websites. They told me they cater for those holiday-makers who holiday out of season. I was sold hook, line and sinker. But am waiting for my ad to appear.

Any thoughts or advice welcome.
Thomas :mrgreen:
User avatar
vrooje
Posts: 3202
Joined: Thu Dec 09, 2004 2:48 am
Location: Burgundy, France

Post by vrooje »

Thomas:

Just wanted to say welcome to the forums!

I'm also working on improving my out-of-season bookings. There is a discussion in the forums over whether it's even worth it or not given the high utility bills. I think I've come to the decision that for us, it's either longer-term rentals for the winter which do not include utilities, or closing up the house.

But I believe others have been successful with other tactics such as charging per person per week instead of per property per week. I'll let them fill you in or point you to the relevant places on the forums.

Cheers!
Brooke
willemijn
Posts: 61
Joined: Sat Jan 15, 2005 1:05 pm
Location: Umbria in Italy
Contact:

Post by willemijn »

have tried offering pay 2 weeks and stay 3 ... have a bit of luck here, but much less than expected. The problem remains that most people are looking for July and August. However, couples on holiday without children usually want May, June or September. How to specifically attract these? Any ideas are welcome.
Willemijn Lindeboom
www.villainumbria.com
User avatar
paolo
Posts: 3885
Joined: Thu Jun 17, 2004 1:18 pm
Location: Provence, France
Contact:

Re: Out of Season

Post by paolo »

Thomas BC wrote: I 'think' I have been fortunate, for within a few weeks of beginning my marketing I have both July and August fully booked...I am greatful for that, but was hoping for a few more weeks. I have only had a few enquiries, and one booking for a week outside July or August....Am I being too impatient?
Hi Thomas,

You would expect July and August to fill up first, so give the other months time.

For those other months - May, June and September principally - you will be looking for non-family bookings, as they are not during school holidays (except half terms). So you could change the angle of your advertising a little to appeal to older groups. You could use one of your pics on your holiday-rentals ad to show an attraction that is nearby - sea, market town, fishing village.

There is a line in your ad where you undersell the property: "Although in a tranquil, rural setting, Basse Copette does not exclude the possibility for a variety of interesting days out." To me, as a cynic, that says that there isn't anything to do anywhere near the house! I would just say "Although in a tranquil, rural setting, Basse Copette is an ideal base for a variety of interesting days out:"

What about good restaurants nearby? If there are any, that is worth mentioning - appeal to people's stomachs!
Paolo
Lay My Hat
User avatar
paolo
Posts: 3885
Joined: Thu Jun 17, 2004 1:18 pm
Location: Provence, France
Contact:

Post by paolo »

willemijn wrote:However, couples on holiday without children usually want May, June or September. How to specifically attract these?
Hello Willemijn,

If you have properties specifically for couples, they should find you using rental listing sites. If that is not happening I would try an AdWords campaign directing people to your website. Once they get there the site should sell the benefits of the location and explain that the property is ideal for couples. 'Romantic' is always a good word to use, as is 'hideaway' or 'haven'.

You can write your AdWords ad so that it specifically excludes the wrong market: 'For couples (no kids!)' This will save wasted clicks on your ad.
Paolo
Lay My Hat
User avatar
tansy
Posts: 2059
Joined: Mon Sep 20, 2004 6:29 am
Location: La Manche, Normandy, France

Post by tansy »

as I mentioned on another thread I'm trying 500 Euros for house with 2 persons plus supplement of 100 Euros per person for the weeks off season (summer we're 1,700 Euros - shoulder around the 1,200)...
But so far I've had an electricity bill for one weeks stay 457 Euros! If I mention electricity on enquiry stage I loose the booking...
I've also discovered unless I mention EVERY half term, high day & holiday on the rate chart, so far most of the booking enquiries I've had are for Easter/half term... of course at the off season rate...so in short I don't know...I think I've picked up a few more bookings perhaps alltogether 6 - certainly 3 American bookings from US Forces folk stationed here in Europe(for March America Spring Break)...both houses this week are rented (half term)...but sod's law it's the coldest week of the winter - so I'm now dreading EDF bills next quarter!
A-two
Posts: 2091
Joined: Mon Oct 25, 2004 10:05 am
Location: USA

Post by A-two »

tansy wrote:But so far I've had an electricity bill for one weeks stay 457 Euros! If I mention electricity on enquiry stage I loose the booking...
Tansy,
I can't quite get my head round Euros, but by my calculation, that's US$600 for one week of electricity. If true, that's ludicrous. The tenants must have been completely irresponsible. Our temperatures can drop to arctic conditions in winter and the house could be a sauna for US$200 a week on heating.

I can understand that mentioning this in a first response to an inquiry may fall into the category of "too much information" and therefore off-putting, but I agree that you can't carry that kind of bill without drawing attention to it.

My suggestion would be to NOT mention it in the first response to an inquiry unless specifically asked, but to add a clause to the Lease which sets down a reasonable limit that you consider to be normal useage +10%, beyond which the tenant will be liable for the difference at the current rate of "X' Euros per "X" kilowats used.

When you send the Lease out, draw their attention to this in the covering letter, reassuring folks that when you stay there, even if very cold, the maximum used never exceeds "X" amount, which of course you include in the rent, and that this clause is there simply to stop abuse, but all things being equal, you wouldn't expect it to exceed that amount.

If $600 per week is normal use, then frankly I would think about installing solar.

All the best,
Joanna

www.southold-beach-house.com
User avatar
tansy
Posts: 2059
Joined: Mon Sep 20, 2004 6:29 am
Location: La Manche, Normandy, France

Post by tansy »

thanks Joanna

:D

No it is not normal I promise you! When we lived in the house last winter we were getting bills iro 50 - 100 Euros per quarter! The problem I think is the woodburner which heats the whole house, if it is run correctly can stay in all day & night...then the radiators are just needed for background if at all...if folk can't keep it going they get bored & flick a switch instead.

I alway make sure the fire is burning merrily for their arrival so I can show them how it works.

This experiment may make the decision for us - close up in the winter...will let you all know at end of May...by then the last of the EDF bills etc. should be here.

But your wording is great - I'll adapt that for definite - thank you.

It did take a week for the house to cool down! When I opened up I was nearly knocked over by a wall of heat...they left at 5 a.m. - everything was on max...so I can only presume max 24/7...I couldn't sleep in that - I'm a window open at night person!
willemijn
Posts: 61
Joined: Sat Jan 15, 2005 1:05 pm
Location: Umbria in Italy
Contact:

Italian gas and electricity bills

Post by willemijn »

here in Italy it gets cold and the gas and electricity are very expensive. It is difficult to explain foreigners that this is the case. Heating a small house, only for one week easily costs Euro 150, not having it very warm at all.
I am telling people about this, first of all becaue many think to come in March and swim in the pool ... here it is often still very cold and without heating on a holiday will be more like a survival of the fittest contest.

Italy is expensive on this kind of things and nobo dy caters for that. Explaining that is difficult.
Willemijn Lindeboom
www.villainumbria.com
Christine Kenyon
Posts: 623
Joined: Sun Sep 19, 2004 10:58 am
Location: Glenridding, Ullswater Valley, Lake District, UK
Contact:

Post by Christine Kenyon »

Just a thought, Tansy. We have two cottages, both with traditional coal fires, but two different scenarios.

At Troutbeck Cottage, we send folks the key, the storage heaters are on and the fire is laid ready to be lit when they arrive. 99.9% of folks leave the coal bucket full, the fire laid and the coal shed hardly touched when they leave.

Stybarrow Cottage is a mile from where we live so we do a "meet and greet" and I light the fire about an hour before they arrive and let them know all about how to light the fire, etc. About 50% of folk leave the fireplace in a right mess (including one couple who left behind the equivalent of two bin bags of ash in the fireplace!) and few bother to fill the coal bucket - despite having nearly emptied the coal shed!! On the other hand, 50% leave it clean and tidy (thank you to those folk!).

The morale seems to be the more you do for them, the less they do for you!

Cheers

Christine
User avatar
Thomas BC
Posts: 337
Joined: Mon Feb 14, 2005 1:45 pm
Location: Normandy (76)
Contact:

Post by Thomas BC »

Hi Again
Many thanks to Paolo and others for their advice. I take your point about the wording on my ad Paolo - will edit that - but many many thanks for looking and commenting. I have been doing a bit of research on the restaurants in the area - and this weekend we are off to do some 'market research'!!

I must admit reading some of the replies that mention cost of electricity have certainly given me a jump! I had to read a few comments twice to make sure I was reading it correctly.

lots to learn......

Thomas[/quote]
Post Reply