This year for the first time we have not got any Christmas bookings...a few enquiries that have fizzled out - but now I have a "live one' that is pushing the price down...is anyone else finding this situation - because Christmas is on a Saturday this year my enquirer wants both the holidays - on a reduced price with a couple of extra days - I looked through web sites with availability charts -I have to say there appears to be a lot of availability out there - would you all be kind enough to let me know what you are all experincing so I can make a decision - take the money or wait!!
Many thanks
Tansy
Christmas
Complete nightmare this year! Both Christmas an new Year's Day are changeovers! I don't live near my house so I have a cleaner. Lucky for me she agreed to do the 25th for double money. For New Year's I won't take any booking before the 3rd, so she can clean on the 3rd which is a Monday.
Not sure what to suggest about your bargain-hunter. Dare you turn him away? There's still plenty of time between now and end of year. If I was happy my prices are correct (I am), then I would turn him away. Don't lkike bargain-hunters anyway. If they start out like that, are they going to look after your property with due reverence, or are they going to bring the attitude 'It's only a rental'?
Not sure what to suggest about your bargain-hunter. Dare you turn him away? There's still plenty of time between now and end of year. If I was happy my prices are correct (I am), then I would turn him away. Don't lkike bargain-hunters anyway. If they start out like that, are they going to look after your property with due reverence, or are they going to bring the attitude 'It's only a rental'?
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Stephen
- Posts: 141
- Joined: Sun Sep 19, 2004 4:33 pm
- Location: Northumbria/Cumbria Border / Florida
- Contact:
Theres still plenty time for christmas bookings, last year I had enquiries upto a week before christmas.
I have just taken a deposit for 3 weeks over christmas for our
home in Orlando and that was the only enquiry we have had for that time of year...phew !!!
Our cottage in Northumberland has been booked for Christmas/New Year since January and I still get about 1 enquiry a week about it.
I have just taken a deposit for 3 weeks over christmas for our
home in Orlando and that was the only enquiry we have had for that time of year...phew !!!
Our cottage in Northumberland has been booked for Christmas/New Year since January and I still get about 1 enquiry a week about it.
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Christine Kenyon
- Posts: 623
- Joined: Sun Sep 19, 2004 10:58 am
- Location: Glenridding, Ullswater Valley, Lake District, UK
- Contact:
As Christmas Day and New Year's Day are both on a Saturday, we have been flexible about the dates as most people won't want to (or be capable of!) travel on Christmas Day and New Year's Day. As a result in one cottage we have ended up with three bookings: Fri 17 - Mon 20 Dec; Mon 20 - Tues 28 Dec; and Tues 28 Dec - Tue 4 Jan. So in a way we have squeezed more days out of a normally busy period.
In the other cottage we have bookings for Fri 17 - 22 Dec; Mon 27 - Fri 31 Dec (possibly a mistake but it seemed a good option at the time!). We have a number of live enquiries for the New Year weekend so we're hoping that will go.
Christine
www.stybarrowcottage.co.uk
www.troutbeckcottage.co.uk
In the other cottage we have bookings for Fri 17 - 22 Dec; Mon 27 - Fri 31 Dec (possibly a mistake but it seemed a good option at the time!). We have a number of live enquiries for the New Year weekend so we're hoping that will go.
Christine
www.stybarrowcottage.co.uk
www.troutbeckcottage.co.uk
Christmas 2004
Hi
We run eight holiday lodges in the north of Scotland. This year, we are renting our lodges from the Wednesday to the Wednesday ie, 22nd to 29th December for Xmas and 29th December to 5th January for New Year. People seem to be happy with this and are booking up fast!
We run eight holiday lodges in the north of Scotland. This year, we are renting our lodges from the Wednesday to the Wednesday ie, 22nd to 29th December for Xmas and 29th December to 5th January for New Year. People seem to be happy with this and are booking up fast!
'Peace, relaxation and comfort in beautiful natural surroundings.'
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Linda Freese
- Posts: 175
- Joined: Sat Oct 02, 2004 9:00 am
- Location: Costa del Sol
thanks for feedback..keep it coming...I too had thought Wednesday/Thursday to following Wed/Thurs....
Re our bargain hunter...I met his initial enquiry with what I thought a very fair offer which represented 25% discount but he came back with what he was prepared to pay me to stay in my house!! A further 25% off - basically he was offering me 50% of the advertised price. Hook, sling were not quite in the email back to him...I managed to be very polite!
First time in my life a big hearty cheer went up when I saw the first ad on ITV for Christmas.....hopefully someone will start to think now Normandy is wonderful for Christmas!!
Re our bargain hunter...I met his initial enquiry with what I thought a very fair offer which represented 25% discount but he came back with what he was prepared to pay me to stay in my house!! A further 25% off - basically he was offering me 50% of the advertised price. Hook, sling were not quite in the email back to him...I managed to be very polite!
First time in my life a big hearty cheer went up when I saw the first ad on ITV for Christmas.....hopefully someone will start to think now Normandy is wonderful for Christmas!!
tansy - I'm playing the waiting game for New Year too. I've had fizzled out enquiries for Christmas and New Year too and several who want 3 nights for New Year. Last year I was getting enquiries right up until a day or two before so I'm waiting it out for a full week until closer then if not, the cottage is an hour from our place in the city so we'll make use of it and enjoy the fireworks display in the village square.
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Christine Kenyon
- Posts: 623
- Joined: Sun Sep 19, 2004 10:58 am
- Location: Glenridding, Ullswater Valley, Lake District, UK
- Contact:
We had vacancies for the Christmas and New Year weekends at our cottage near Windermere. And it's been like the hokey-cokey, this year. First it's booked and then it's not. In/out; on/off; and left legs doing goodness knows what. But finally it looks like we're fully booked. We think it's some guy in a red suit but we're not sure!
Cheers
Christine
Cheers
Christine
Still nothing booked here - I did a search on availability in France - 2634 houses for rent 1,834 still available...perhaps everyone is staying in the UK this year or there is going to be a mad dash nearer the time! My Flashing santa may be staying in his box this year instead of pride of place in the garden!
Don't give up!
We had a provisional booking made some weeks ago, then heard nothing. I was really disappointed, as she had seemed like such a nice person, but I knew that they were moving house, and thought that they'd decided not to bother with their holiday. However, the cheque arrived yesterday, along with four other enquiries.
Perhaps people are only just beginning to think about Christmas?
Maggie
We had a provisional booking made some weeks ago, then heard nothing. I was really disappointed, as she had seemed like such a nice person, but I knew that they were moving house, and thought that they'd decided not to bother with their holiday. However, the cheque arrived yesterday, along with four other enquiries.
Perhaps people are only just beginning to think about Christmas?
Maggie
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musicmonkey
- Posts: 86
- Joined: Fri Oct 15, 2004 12:37 pm
- Location: Manche
- Contact:
Have you thought about advertising in a regional newspaper? I advertised my parents apartment in our regional paper, and it was booked up for Christmas and New Year pretty quickly.
The only problem we had, just like many of you is that many of the enquiries were from people who were wanting a discount bigger than my parents were prepared to accept.
Darren
The only problem we had, just like many of you is that many of the enquiries were from people who were wanting a discount bigger than my parents were prepared to accept.
Darren
Hi Darren - yes have done that in past - have taken a stand re discount as everytime I have agreed to reduce price it has back fired with quality of people..so we have decided either they can afford it - or don't come...sounds hard but at end of day the one's penny pinching have been the ones costing me money afterwards.
I'd rather keep flashing Santa in his brown wrapper than open up for trouble!
We've gone totally internet....everything is there for folk to read - I do send further info when the enquiry hots up - but ad's in papers I've found have not been able to include everything....than if I've sent info it's cost a lot in postage, printing, time etc. then they've not read it!
We're now looking forward to a really quiet time with no worries of folk in the other houses with anything going wrong! My husband gets fed up when I wake him up at 3 in the morning during Christmas week ...you DID change the gas cylinder...then he can't sleep !
I'd rather keep flashing Santa in his brown wrapper than open up for trouble!
We've gone totally internet....everything is there for folk to read - I do send further info when the enquiry hots up - but ad's in papers I've found have not been able to include everything....than if I've sent info it's cost a lot in postage, printing, time etc. then they've not read it!
We're now looking forward to a really quiet time with no worries of folk in the other houses with anything going wrong! My husband gets fed up when I wake him up at 3 in the morning during Christmas week ...you DID change the gas cylinder...then he can't sleep !