Uk Properties.. Are your bookings down?

For topics that are specific to the UK and Ireland, please go here
rosebud
Posts: 625
Joined: Wed Mar 14, 2012 5:24 pm
Location: Steyning, West Sussex

Uk Properties.. Are your bookings down?

Post by rosebud »

Last year was my best ever (since 2011) but this year is a different story.

My bookings from April this year 2018 are down although my web site is doing pretty well (41% of new bookings) and I have more repeats than ever (39% of all bookings)
The remainder of my bookings have come via my OD listing but through Home Away, Fewo and VRBO. I am on lots of other listing sites E.g Holiday Lettings, AirBnb, Cottage Guide but just nothing from them ..

Could this be due to the increase in holiday lets near me, OD's changes, AirBnb's success?

How are others' bookings doing this year?
Jonathan
Posts: 122
Joined: Thu Aug 14, 2014 10:17 am
Location: Warwickshire
Contact:

Re: Uk Properties.. Are your bookings down?

Post by Jonathan »

rosebud wrote:Last year was my best ever (since 2011) but this year is a different story.

My bookings from April this year 2018 are down although my web site is doing pretty well (41% of new bookings) and I have more repeats than ever (39% of all bookings)
The remainder of my bookings have come via my OD listing but through Home Away, Fewo and VRBO. I am on lots of other listing sites E.g Holiday Lettings, AirBnb, Cottage Guide but just nothing from them ..

Could this be due to the increase in holiday lets near me, OD's changes, AirBnb's success?

How are others' bookings doing this year?
2016 was our best year ever, 2017 was a disaster, and this year isn't looking good. We've been doing holiday lets for about ten years. I put it down to Airbnb; apparently 25% of UK properties are now on their site. We follow the regulations and are VE inspected but I guess most people don't bother.

Jonathan
Drax
Posts: 185
Joined: Thu Jul 21, 2016 4:36 pm
Location: Yorkshire Dales

Post by Drax »

It has been a slow start with regard to bookings, in fact we have no bookings at all for Easter, though bookings for May, June and July are fairly buoyant.
We do not allow dogs or pets which does impact on business.
It also seems that there are more people who are entering into the holiday home business which is a factor that could affect bookings adversely. I recently conducted an approximate poll of holiday homes in our village and surrounding area and counted in excess of thirty holiday home lets that are available.
Keep your powder dry.
ianh100
Posts: 598
Joined: Thu Jan 10, 2013 4:37 pm
Location: Sherborne Dorset

Post by ianh100 »

We have more bookings into the summer than at this time in the past but Easter and April or really not great. We sold the weekend but thats all.

I think AirBNB and Booking.com have made an impact. The High Street in the UK seems to be having a very bad time, perhaps Brexit fears, who knows.
Goscar
Posts: 90
Joined: Sat Jan 26, 2013 11:27 am
Location: Pembrokeshire

Post by Goscar »

Our bookings are well down on previous years. We seem to be getting a reasonable number of hits but, aside from the peak weeks, we have way too many voids. By a happy coincidence, we have been able to replace the lost income but it would have been nice to have gone out on a high. In this context, we think we'll probably call it a day within the next 12/18 months.
zebedee
Posts: 1270
Joined: Fri Sep 12, 2014 2:57 pm
Location: yorkshire dales

Post by zebedee »

I would urge everyone to hold their nerve at the moment.

I have no idea what “normal” is anymore. It’s a long time since I had a rush of enquiries over New Year; I usually see people booking short breaks after the February half term and March can be very popular as people use up the remains days of leave, having recovered from Christmas expenses.

This year, I had Easter booked a long time ago, but March has had great gaps.
I put it down to the weather, both in the U.K. and oversees. People taking winter holidays in the canaries this year have had poor weather and storm Emma hit Tenerife before coming to the U.K.
I think we will see people hedging their bets quite a bit and booking late whilst they try and work out the weather, both this year, and winter next year.
The forecast snow next week won’t necessarily help unless you are in an area where holidays are enhanced by the beauty of snow on the scenery.
User avatar
Nemo
Posts: 7062
Joined: Thu Aug 14, 2008 10:15 am
Location: Norfolk

Post by Nemo »

Yes it's a much harder time generally, but in Norfolk specifically it feels like we're against a sequence of events that are out of our control. Dog illness/deaths due to toxic starfish, coastal erosion, palm oil deposits on the beaches; everything keeps conspiring against us. I have lost many bookings as a result including one in June who decided not to book because of the palm oil. It's definitely a case of holding ones nerve especially as I'm launching my third let this summer.
rosebud
Posts: 625
Joined: Wed Mar 14, 2012 5:24 pm
Location: Steyning, West Sussex

Post by rosebud »

Reassuring to know I am not the only one not doing as well as before

Bookings are patchy. April has more gaps than usual but March was very good, similarly May and now July.

August, though, which is normally completely booked by now, has 3 weeks available

OD/HA results are disappointing and AirBnb (who brought me a flurry of bookings last November) constantly recommend lowering my prices.

Good luck with let number 3 Nemo ..
Post Reply