Are you fully booked for August?

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Nemo
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Location: Norfolk

Post by Nemo »

I have two July short breaks to fill. It's frustrating seeing the gaps in my calendar but I always fill them in the end. Summer short breaks are more likely to be a last minute decision, but do keep pushing them.
logiebear
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Post by logiebear »

Our cottage in Devon has only been operating as a FHL for three years but I've found the period March to September gets booked up really quickly. At the moment we've got one week in June available between now and Sept.
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greenbarn
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Post by greenbarn »

logiebear wrote:Our cottage in Devon has only been operating as a FHL for three years but I've found the period March to September gets booked up really quickly. At the moment we've got one week in June available between now and Sept.
Sounds like you're underpricing!
logiebear
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Post by logiebear »

greenbarn wrote:
logiebear wrote:Our cottage in Devon has only been operating as a FHL for three years but I've found the period March to September gets booked up really quickly. At the moment we've got one week in June available between now and Sept.
Sounds like you're underpricing!
Have you been talking to my husband? ;)
Bunny
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Post by Bunny »

greenbarn wrote:
logiebear wrote:Our cottage in Devon has only been operating as a FHL for three years but I've found the period March to September gets booked up really quickly. At the moment we've got one week in June available between now and Sept.
Sounds like you're underpricing!
I've only got one week left too. Good, that means I can put my prices up again for next year then, having already put them up quite considerably for this year. :D
goosie
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Post by goosie »

You were all right. Now fully booked for summer and only one weekend left available in July which I'm confident will go. Even Christmas looks like it's going to be sorted this week!
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Nemo
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Post by Nemo »

Excellent! My July short breaks are booked too now, so just looking to fill a couple of gaps in September. Getting more bookings for next year which is unusual. I'm normally booking in the year of the holiday but I already have a booking for next August. Wish I was that organised!
Nightowl
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Post by Nightowl »

Ive still got August bank holiday WEEK to fill - 25th August onwards! Unheard of!

But funny enough I'm getting enquiries for August 2016!

I've reduced the price a little and hope to shift it. This is our last bookable week EVER! After August we are changing our lives completely, upping sticks and moving to our house in Spain and going back to long term lets with the London apartments.

I guess if that week doesn't shift, we'll just have a little more time to sort things out for the new tenants...
Nightowl
Forever going one step forwards and two
backwards......
Tillie
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Location: Norfolk

Post by Tillie »

Hi, I'm new to this forum and just taking a look around it. This subject caught my eye! As we're halfway through Aug, how is everyone doing for the rest of the year? I was called last week by a major agent who was trying to re-recruit me. The agent told me that on average, for East Anglia
- sleeps 10 3 star = 23 weeks
- sleeps 10 5 star = 24 weeks
- sleeps 2 = 15 weeks
- sleeps 4 = 17 weeks

Cumbria
- sleeps 2 = 12 weeks
- sleeps 4 = 15 weeks
- sleeps 5 = 16 weeks

When I asked if 15 weeks of bookings would mean I have 37 void weeks, he simply said yes! With 52 weeks in the year, this doesn't work for me! What does everyone else think about this i.e. what about the shoulder seasons instead of the high/peak seasons where we usually get the booking in the end? Thoughts appreciated.
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greenbarn
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Post by greenbarn »

Tillie wrote:Hi, I'm new to this forum and just taking a look around it. This subject caught my eye! As we're halfway through Aug, how is everyone doing for the rest of the year? I was called last week by a major agent who was trying to re-recruit me. The agent told me that on average, for East Anglia
- sleeps 10 3 star = 23 weeks
- sleeps 10 5 star = 24 weeks
- sleeps 2 = 15 weeks
- sleeps 4 = 17 weeks

Cumbria
- sleeps 2 = 12 weeks
- sleeps 4 = 15 weeks
- sleeps 5 = 16 weeks

When I asked if 15 weeks of bookings would mean I have 37 void weeks, he simply said yes! With 52 weeks in the year, this doesn't work for me! What does everyone else think about this i.e. what about the shoulder seasons instead of the high/peak seasons where we usually get the booking in the end? Thoughts appreciated.
Hi Tillie and welcome.

As I'm about to switch off and go to bed this is going to be a very brief and succinct initial response, from somebody in the business in Cumbria, to your wannabe agents numbers:
Cobblers.
zebedee
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Location: yorkshire dales

Post by zebedee »

+1
We actually were sacked by the agent who we used when starting out because we managed to obtain more bookings ourselves than they did.

We had an unlimited owner bookings arrangement but as the agency grew we got less and less from them. We brought the matter to their attention several times as there was a problem with their website but nothing changed so we took matters into our own hands.
(Apololgies if anyone thinks this is a thread creep)
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charles cawley
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Post by charles cawley »

In many cases, the growth of an agency creating greater internal competion is not necessarily the cause of fewer bookings for owners. Agents need to advertise strongly enough so they can keep owners; they are very aware of this.

What often happens is that, as they grow, they choose to focus on certain niches or quality levels to maximize advertising conversion.

If the niche is weak for reasons that may have nothing to do with quality, with growth will come the ability to focus on niches that will have a higher advertising conversion. It is not the growth creating greater internal competition but growth enabling an agent to be more selective focusing on higher income activity.

The result is much the same for owners but the cause is, often, not as simple as it first appears. We are still taking bookings for August.
No web-site for now.
Advice about holiday letting
zebedee
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Location: yorkshire dales

Post by zebedee »

Sadly the agent we were signed up withwas not as honourable or as sincere as yours, Charles.

We have been far more successful and achieve a much higher number of bookings since we left the agency. However, I get emails and calls on a weekly basis from agents wanting to sign us up. We have the quality and the USPs which make our property attractive to holiday makers and therefore agents, but it does require time and commitment to manage everything yourself.

I think there is rather more in the detail of the contract that needs to be considered than the number of bookings that would be achieved, such as whether or not an agent will allow owner bookings without wanting a charge against them.

Also, personal circumstances as to whether or not you want to deal with any bookings yourself or leave it to a third party entirely.

Some people also require their properties to work harder for them, and others want to enjoy more of the property themselves.
Tillie
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Location: Norfolk

Post by Tillie »

Hi everyone. Agents have their place, but as with most businesses, it pays to spread the offering somewhat! Some owners will need more bookings, some as you say will prefer to use the property themselves as and when. Bookings are seasonal, with a massive variance regionally. The question is though, what happens to those owners in areas where bookings are few and far between during the shoulder seasons? For that matter, are there any owners out there, who want the bookings, who actually do 50 bookings a year? What about short breaks? If you do short breaks you can exceed 50 bookings and take more money! I know some owners who won't even consider a short break during the high or peak season, they prefer to hold out for a week, as do the agents. But if they were to do a couple of short breaks, they could actually end up earning more. I've doubled my income by doing this during the peak season. Moving on though, its not the peak season which is generally an issue, as I say, its the shoulder seasons. What does everyone else do with their empty weeks?
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