Casamireya, I know nothing about the Spanish holiday property market either, but this is irrelevant because the laws of economics apply anywhere!casamireya wrote: To answer Paulos question, I had around 15 enquiries from HR last year 3 of which i turned down due to size of party, the others did not materialise. I would say that most of the enquirers tried to get the price down.
Looking at what you said in the above quote, I believe you have answered your own question concerning lack of bookings and the answer is... PRICE!
15 enquiries is good going. The fact that these people contacted you tells me that:
1. There is nothing wrong with the advert.
2. They liked your villa and the location.
3. They wanted to book a holiday with you.
4. They thought that you were too expensive.
If I cast my mind back, my old economics teacher, Mr Davies, told us that 10 units @ £5 each is a lot more profitable than 2 units @ £8 each, (there is a whole lot more about price elasticity of demand which I won't bore you with, you get my point).
No doubt there are things about your advert which can be improved. I would suggest that calling a villa in a built up area a hideaway is likely to be counter productive - those that are looking for a 'hideaway' will follow the headline and be disappointed, and those who don't want a 'hideaway' will not bother to follow the link.
I would advise you to set your rates lower than everyone else to start off with, and then raise them after your first year to the level of your competitors.
I would also suggest advertising with 3 or 4 companies for your first year, and then only renew with those that have brought in bookings.
Good luck, Martin.
