This is my first post on this forum - it looks very informative. We recently moved home but haven't sold our old house yet. I don't need to tell anybody what the market is like at the moment so we are considering letting our property for holidays. We own a villa in Florida and deal with all the bookings ourselves so we know how much hard work it is. The home is a detached 4-bed house with a huge garden located a mile from the South Wales coast in a small town (with a castle)
We would be very grateful for some advice:-
1. Although we intend working hard on bookings we are tempted to try an agency, at least for the first year or so. Some recommendations would be apreciated.
2. What health and safety/legal issues should we be aware of - fire safety etc
3. Does anybody have experience of this area of S Wales - what sort of success could we expect?
That's enough questions for now - I'm sure there will be more.
Thanks in advance!
Nicola
Considering HolidayLet
Rhiden, welcome to LMH - I hope that you have found it as useful as we have over the past nine months or so!
I can't recommend an agency that is good for south wales but would suggest you did a general internet search and see who pops up. This sounds daft but English Country Cottages are very extensive for our area (cotswolds) and I know a lot of people who rent through them and have been very satisfied with the level of bookings - I would imagine they have a Welsh version (they are actually very diverse and also have bookcottages.com and another website I can't remember where the ECC cottages are all advertised so you might want to try them). The problem with a letting agent is that the majority of them require you to commit a minimum number of weeks availability, particularly in the summer peak months, which if you are wanting to advertise yourself may not be compatable. Plus, of course, they charge!
2. Health and safety issues etc. and fire are common sense fire safety including having fire blanket and appropriate extinguisher, plus details for your guests about emergency services. Again, if you contact a number of holiday letting managment companies they send you details of requirements that set all this out. Your local Council will also have that information too. You also need to look at your Council Tax Code as if you let your property out for more than a certain number of weeks a year you are eligible for Business Rate Tax which, despite the onerus sound of it, usually works out cheaper.
Good luck!
I can't recommend an agency that is good for south wales but would suggest you did a general internet search and see who pops up. This sounds daft but English Country Cottages are very extensive for our area (cotswolds) and I know a lot of people who rent through them and have been very satisfied with the level of bookings - I would imagine they have a Welsh version (they are actually very diverse and also have bookcottages.com and another website I can't remember where the ECC cottages are all advertised so you might want to try them). The problem with a letting agent is that the majority of them require you to commit a minimum number of weeks availability, particularly in the summer peak months, which if you are wanting to advertise yourself may not be compatable. Plus, of course, they charge!
2. Health and safety issues etc. and fire are common sense fire safety including having fire blanket and appropriate extinguisher, plus details for your guests about emergency services. Again, if you contact a number of holiday letting managment companies they send you details of requirements that set all this out. Your local Council will also have that information too. You also need to look at your Council Tax Code as if you let your property out for more than a certain number of weeks a year you are eligible for Business Rate Tax which, despite the onerus sound of it, usually works out cheaper.
Good luck!
Bora Da rhidian.
We have "done" South Wales and The Gower a few times, our son was at Swansea University. We always found www.homefromhome.com in The Mumbles to be very helpful from the point of view of a renter. They have a good range of properties, their paperwork was efficient and the office was very busy every time we picked up our keys.
Judith
We have "done" South Wales and The Gower a few times, our son was at Swansea University. We always found www.homefromhome.com in The Mumbles to be very helpful from the point of view of a renter. They have a good range of properties, their paperwork was efficient and the office was very busy every time we picked up our keys.
Judith
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Judith & James
Apartment in Dinard, Brittany.
Judith & James
Apartment in Dinard, Brittany.
[/quote]You also need to look at your Council Tax Code as if you let your property out for more than a certain number of weeks a year you are eligible for Business Rate Tax which, despite the onerus sound of it, usually works out cheaper.
Goosie - how much do you save & how many weeks do you need to rent out for this to apply - many thanks
