Apologies, I have searched the forum several times but I can't find an answer. Do I need to list my property separately on all three of the above sites or if I choose one, will it appear on the others?
I've done as suggested and searched for accommodation in my area using all variations I can think of. Our cottage is large (sleeps 16) and I was thinking of advertising with Group Accomodation but that only appears if people use the words 'large', 'big' etc. whereas searches for 'holiday cottage', 'holiday let' seem to favour the above three sites (best scores in search results). We're new to letting so wanted to try the non-subscription options first just to get the property advertised & get a feel for demand before paying up.
If anyone can let me know whether I'll need to list three times, I'd really appreciate it.
Em
OD/HA/Trip Advisor - separate registrations?
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Ben McNevis
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Em,
You mention OD, HA and TA. TripAdvisor is a separate business, a competitor to Homeaway. Homeaway owns OD. So, if you advertise on Homeaway or OD, your property should appear on both.
If you want it to appear on TripAdvisor or on HolidayLettings.co.uk, then you need to sign up to them too (TA owns Holidaylettings).
Now, the lecture that you didn't ask for:
It's a big property, so you'll be charging a big price. But, you're considering starting off with commission listings. It's fine to start that way, but take note how quickly this will be a disadvantage:
Say you charge £2000/weekend (big properties are easy to fill for 2 or 3 night weekends but difficult for full weeks). So, let's imagine that in your first year, you get the equivalent of 35 weekend bookings. That's a stonking turnover of £70,000. If you're handing 15% of that over to Homeaway, tripadvisor, Airbnb etc, that's a cost to you (and your renters) of £10,500.
We are on subscription with holidaylettings.co.uk and that's a fixed price: £430 when we last paid. Groupaccommodation is, I think a variable rate, but in the same region.
You see, a couple of subscription adverts costs around £900, compared to ten times that for commission.
The problem is that the big listing sites are trying to phase out subscription, so you may find it difficult to convert to a commission listing, but commission advertising should be your aim.
Groupaccommodation is subscription-only. Mixing subscription and commission listings makes the subscription ones poorer value because your calendar will get part-filled from the commission bookings, leaving fewer dates available for the subscription site.
We advertise only on subscription basis and we include Groupaccommodation in the mix. It does quite well for us.
You mention OD, HA and TA. TripAdvisor is a separate business, a competitor to Homeaway. Homeaway owns OD. So, if you advertise on Homeaway or OD, your property should appear on both.
If you want it to appear on TripAdvisor or on HolidayLettings.co.uk, then you need to sign up to them too (TA owns Holidaylettings).
Now, the lecture that you didn't ask for:
It's a big property, so you'll be charging a big price. But, you're considering starting off with commission listings. It's fine to start that way, but take note how quickly this will be a disadvantage:
Say you charge £2000/weekend (big properties are easy to fill for 2 or 3 night weekends but difficult for full weeks). So, let's imagine that in your first year, you get the equivalent of 35 weekend bookings. That's a stonking turnover of £70,000. If you're handing 15% of that over to Homeaway, tripadvisor, Airbnb etc, that's a cost to you (and your renters) of £10,500.
We are on subscription with holidaylettings.co.uk and that's a fixed price: £430 when we last paid. Groupaccommodation is, I think a variable rate, but in the same region.
You see, a couple of subscription adverts costs around £900, compared to ten times that for commission.
The problem is that the big listing sites are trying to phase out subscription, so you may find it difficult to convert to a commission listing, but commission advertising should be your aim.
Groupaccommodation is subscription-only. Mixing subscription and commission listings makes the subscription ones poorer value because your calendar will get part-filled from the commission bookings, leaving fewer dates available for the subscription site.
We advertise only on subscription basis and we include Groupaccommodation in the mix. It does quite well for us.
Cheers, Ben
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Visiting Glenrothes? It's one of your Fife-a-day
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Visiting Glenrothes? It's one of your Fife-a-day
Many thanks, Ben, that's all really useful. I'm sure subscriptions are the likely way ahead, we just don't have the cash to pay for one upfront at the moment (or we could stretch to one but would rather have some way of knowing which one it should be).
The whole pricing issue is such a minefield, it's stopping me from completing any listings at the moment. Our property is an ongoing project so will have two rooms locked & under renovation (only a tally being worked on when no one is there!) and so we're trying to offer a lower price to reflect the fact that it's not in perfect cosmetic condition. (But we need some income to complete the work). We're also trying to figure out whether to let only for whole weeks over the summer. I'm spending so much time looking at what everyone else around is doing!
Em
The whole pricing issue is such a minefield, it's stopping me from completing any listings at the moment. Our property is an ongoing project so will have two rooms locked & under renovation (only a tally being worked on when no one is there!) and so we're trying to offer a lower price to reflect the fact that it's not in perfect cosmetic condition. (But we need some income to complete the work). We're also trying to figure out whether to let only for whole weeks over the summer. I'm spending so much time looking at what everyone else around is doing!
Em
You do realise that low price and not in perfect condition and a large size means that your property will sound the ideal place to hold a rowdy party...emmavix wrote:so we're trying to offer a lower price to reflect the fact that it's not in perfect cosmetic condition.
There is nothing wrong with the locked rooms - but why should that effect the condition of rooms that you have completed?
It's not the locked rooms so much, we have some external cosmetic work to do too, and the cottage is next door to our other renovation project which looks a bit shabby.
What worries me is people complaining, I'd rather explain that we're charging a lower price because of the ongoing work rather than charge the market rate & have people annoyed that the building doesn't look as high spec as others.
Happy with suggestions for anything else we can do (other than delay renting it out until all finished, which is one option but not an economic one).
Em
What worries me is people complaining, I'd rather explain that we're charging a lower price because of the ongoing work rather than charge the market rate & have people annoyed that the building doesn't look as high spec as others.
Happy with suggestions for anything else we can do (other than delay renting it out until all finished, which is one option but not an economic one).
Em