Free or best listing sites for UK, Wales in particular?

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helen
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Location: North Wales, UK
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Free or best listing sites for UK, Wales in particular?

Post by helen »

I have read other threads on free listing sites, and recommended sites that you have to pay for, but most of these are for properties abroad. Can anyone recommend sites that are good for UK properties?
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Windy
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Post by Windy »

Hi Helen

I have only been doing this for a year, but my experience is that you get what you pay for - or to put it another way, free listing sites just haven't done much for me, but the 2 that I pay for Let's Stay ,and to a lesser extent, Holidaylets have generated some business.

It's not a straight line equation though. I pay about £100 each for these, but there are some pretty shoddy looking sites who have suggested that they would advertise for me for £500 or £600! they get short shrift from me.

Best wishes

John
Joanna
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Post by Joanna »

We've had bookings through holidaylettings.co.uk - not free but the bookings over the last year more than made up for the £149 +vat. Please mention our property reference if you go to them - 15523, Jo Cunningham (we might get an Amazon voucher - although that isn't why I'm recommending them!).

Also gocoastal.co.uk at £36 per year. We aren't particularly near the coast - about 30 mins drive, but it still gets us bookings.

A useful free one is selfcatering-directory.co.uk. Looks a bit amateur but we've had bookings through them.

If you're in walking country you could try walkingworld.co.uk it's about £17 for annual membership and then you can advertise for free and your ad will automatically appear next to walks in your area, plus you can download walks to leave in your cottage for guests to use. We haven't actually had any bookings through them but we do use the walks.
Jo

Joint owner of Baker's Cottage in Chester & Chandler's Cottage in Sidmouth
Joanna
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Post by Joanna »

The way I found suitable listings sites was to go to Google and search for self-catering chester and holiday cottage chester and anything else my potential customers might try. Then I visited all the sites that came up on the first 3 pages. I got free listings with any that offered them and free trial listings with some of the others. I've stayed with the ones that brought in bookings.

I must add that most of our enquiries come through our own web site - in my experience if you can get that right then listings sites are less important.
Jo

Joint owner of Baker's Cottage in Chester & Chandler's Cottage in Sidmouth
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Mountain Goat
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Post by Mountain Goat »

Hi Jo,

Good advice.

MG
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Giddy Goat
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Post by Giddy Goat »

Joanna wrote:The way I found suitable listings sites was to go to Google and search for self-catering chester and holiday cottage chester and anything else my potential customers might try. Then I visited all the sites that came up on the first 3 pages. I got free listings with any that offered them and free trial listings with some of the others.
That's the formula in a nutshell - if only I'd known it when starting out!
Nostalgia isn't what it used to be
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