New...Starting a Holiday let Cottage in Snowdonia!

[dnugus]

Hello , new to this place. But have been reading all the useful advice and insights and hope you can advise me or offer comments?:)

We are trying to buy a cottage in the Snowdonia National Park in Wales (this is proving a financical challenge with way the banks are now in its self)!

I have done lots of research, done my maths and am confident we can make this work so that it pays for it's self. I feel, for the first year at least its best to go with a few well known agencies that come to the top of google results. Even though they take a high percentage, I think there are too many hidden costs and unpredictabilty about going alone at first.

However, I want to hear from those who have done something similar in the UK.
What are the things you dont expect? Is your let successful, does it pay for it's self or do you make more?

What do you advise for a cleaner (I live a long way and cant do it) and are there any agencies to avoid?

Thanks Debbie x

[apexblue]

Hi Debbie and welcome. We are on Conwy Marina and have been successfully doing holiday lets for 5 years. Our first cottage we inherited North Wales Holiday Cottages but they quickly disposed of us as we were getting more bookings than they were and they charge 23% for each booking. Too many rentals on their books which they cannot fill and have had to reduce the prices on some, whereas we were fully booked on our smaller rentals by Easter until September We've now branched out and act as booking agent for 2 others on the marina and 1 in Conwy as well as our 2 and have just equipped one from scratch for the owner. Will send you a PM with further details.

[dnugus]

Thank you....yes I am doing, have done research on what agencies have a good turn over. This company you quote seemed a little ott when I read their literature.

[kendalcottages]

Hello Debbie

Welcome to the forums and good luck with your new venture. We are in our first year right now and opted out of going down the agency route. I contacted a number and wasn't really happy with the various terms that were on offer, so opted to go it alone. I don't regret that for a moment and, for a first year, I think we are enjoying what I think are pretty high levels of occupancy.

April-June we only managed 50% occupancy but we didn't start advertising really until late March.

July and August are 100% full, Sep and Oct 50% so far, and we already have a number of bookings in for 2011.

I'm not yet quite sure how we'll fare in the winter months (I think OK) but I feel confident that we are 'better off' by doing it ourselves rather than going via an agency, plus we have more control.

Your own website is critical if you are to go down this route, though, I think.