Number of weeks booked in 2nd year of letting your property

[claire]

hi all,

thanks for your input here, should i be asking about year 3 too?

[vrooje]

Nah... in fact it would likely be more efficient to just let people post here how many weeks they had booked at what year.

During our first year the number was rather low, because we were only half-hearted in our attempts to get bookings. By the second year we were going full-tilt (though with only one listing site) and got 21 bookings... our third year it was 25, which is about as much as we can reasonably expect in a year.

[Vally]

My second year was strangely lower than my first, I knew one of my cottages was getting booked more than the other, but was not aware by how much until recently when the accountant asked the reason for the drop on east cottage. I had already identified the problem it was the bedding set up . West has a k/s double but I put twins in East thinking it would give a variation ( the entrances will not accommodate 6' Zip and link which I have in the hotel so cannot chop and change as I do with hotel rooms) this year I put in a ks double to the east cottage and have managed greatly to increas the tenancy.
My next cottage ( if we ever get the plans drawn) will have 2 bedrooms both with 6' zip and link!!!

[Giddy Goat]

In my meek and humble opinion, I don't think the number of weeks booked is as relevant as the information 'what percentage increase/decrease was achieved in the year following', since our properties and the markets they attract are all so different.

[Fraise]

Hi GG, I agree with this. If people discount heavily just to fill the weeks then they will have maxi stats ! I know of others who include their own holiday weeks in the weeks booked figure-once again bumping up the numbers. What counts is income! We had less weeks booked in our 2nd year than our first but in fact our income was greater with less wear and tear

www.thepetitmanoir.com

[Hells Bells]

I am just starting to take bookings for our second season. Apart from our own weeks, I have 5 weeks booked (all winter of course ) and a couple of enquiries I am fairly confident of converting to bookings. This time last year I only had 3 weeks booked, but the apartment wasn't quite completed. In total last season, we booked up 9 winter weeks and 3 summer ones. I need about 16 weeks though to cover all our costs. I will start to discount the remaining January ones around mid-December if necessary. I really need the weather to cool down, and snow to start to fall.

[claire]

thanks for your comments, this is most interesting.

I notice that you all have good websites and think that i should spend some more time correcting and updating mine.

I have had 12 weeks booked this year and am trying to assess what 2007 shall be like, its hard to know. I did not discount the weeks which hadn't sold but perhaps should do next year.

Any advice on increasing bookings for next year greatly appreciated of course.

[Stu]

We have 2 gites here, and 3 B&B rooms. The 3 B&B rooms are going to become an apartment this winter though, as B&B is bloody hard work for comapritively little gain. Last year was our first season, and we totalled over 50 weeks between the lot. Then we have the campsite which is a steady income from March-October, and a trickle through the winter.

Already for next year, the campsite's full for July & August and we have in the region of 12/13 weeks booked in the 2 gites. We don't intend advertising the apartment until we're close to completed. We're very happy with the way things stand at the 'mo, waiting for the rash of enquiries and hopefully bookings after Christmas.

[Clexane]

Claire,

I agree with Fraise. Its not the number of weeks but the income you generate. In both first and second years we acheived in the 21-30 range. However in the second year we doubled our rates so the first year was artifically high as we where too cheap. In 2006 we also booked out the full season so we still don't know we if we are still cheap.

2007 - year three we increased another 20% (which makes us about double anybody in the area - though we are at a much higher standard than anybody) and we already have 10 weeks booked. My point is that its about finding the right price once you have set the place up right and got it well marketed.

If we increase another 20% and get a10% reduction in bookings that would be fine ... it may give us some time to visit our 'holiday house'

[Giddy Goat]

That's incredible Clexane! 2007 is also our third season, and I started by increasing our high season rate by £100 pw; a week later, I bottled out and reduced the rate, so that the increase on this year's rate is now only £50 pw - and already we have 11 weeks booked, with another 2 reserved. I obviously don't have your constitution - but after next year, I may well adopt similar tactics. Doubling in 2006 was an extremely brave step - unless the rate for your first year was set at a ludicrously low level to ensure that you recouped your setting up costs?

I take my beret off to you!

[Fraise]

Do you have to find berets with 2 large holes for ears /horns or does it perch jauntily ? Just wondering what a goat would look like in a beret


ps- I get fed up with this weeks booked malarkey- I was speaking to someone who was asking me how many weeks we had booked this year,can't remember exact sums but it was something like 19 weeks booked at an average of £900 a week.She was telling me she had 30 weeks booked-her average,once I prised it out of her was something like an average of £300 a week as she let it out at rock bottom in the off season.Horses for courses but I know which I prefer!

[Giddy Goat]

Lies, damned lies, and statistics!

The beret is extra large Frise, and I just stuff my ears inside. It does mean I can't hear quite as well when I'm asked to do something, but I prefer it that way.

[brenda]

Stu + Syb - sensible move in converting your B+B accommodation to an apartment. B+B IS very hard work for the income you can achieve - and trhe more you do for people the more they expect.

We have just changed our accommodation from B+B with a mega Breakfast up in the main house to Room Only accommodation with a Continental Breakfast served in room; have obviously had to cut our prices accordingly. No interest yet but we live in hope.

Good luck to you.

[giofed]

can't remember my second year was 1996... but I can tell you that as of now it stabilized for a full season from the end of March 'til the beginning of november, wit some random low season holes (4 at most)

[Gloria - Casina di Rosa]

we've been very lucky over the first two years. The first year we rented 39 weeks, and the second year 35. This year things were slower, mostly because we had a weird number of cancellations. Weird year. We still got 33 weeks, but it has been a tiring year, full of complications. So we have decided not to rent over the holidays and take a break.

For next year we only have 12 weeks booked at the moment. So we'll see. The big booking season is January and February as you all know.