One factor to ease your worries Tansy - holiday-rentals are probably the most expensive major listing site, and the 'pig-sties' will baulk at the cost of advertising with them.
That's an interesting observation, Paolo. I looked at using Holiday Rentals but (as I think I've already said somewhere on these pages) I found that similar properties in my area were advertising rental rates that were rather lower than mine, and lower than properties using other listing sites. This suggested to me that users of HR were actually slightly more down-market....
Sorry but I don't think HR prices are too expensive...obviously more than the free sites! As Chalky says they are creeping on to HR...so I don't know what the answer is.
According to their latest newsletter, the founders of holiday-rentals are leaving for pastures new. The same has happened at cyberrentals. So the deal with WVR was more of a 'takeover' than a partnership.
The rest of the team are staying and there will be a new addition - a 'Brand Manager', whatever that is - who will "drive forward the continuing stream of new products and services" The dogs are going too.
If anyone wants to know why holiday-rentals is the phenomenal success that it is, consider the following: since Marcelle (one of the owners) is leaving h-r, she has nothing to gain from answering any personal mail she now receives in her capacity as co-owner of h-r.
I wrote to her yesterday - a personal mail - and guess what? She didn't reply "Thanks for wasting my time", like another web site whose name I won't remind you of (and from a commercial point of view my mail was a complete waste of her time). She took the time to write me a personal mail, remembering details from the past that only she knows about.
Three cheers for courtesy and honesty in business: in this case it has led to a great success story.
Well, yes, I have a comment Deb . . . it's all a bit American-based isn't it? I know you are American, so maybe you know how to 'work the market' but, apart from a few enquiries, the only actual result I've ever had is one booking from Canada in 3 years, so I can't see these sites helping me at all.
Anybody thought about how SIPPS are going to affect us once they change the rules in April '06 and a glut of 'baby boomers' will have the wherewithal to go into the 'buy-to-let' business?
Feeling a little despondent this evening . . . does it show?
Anybody thought about how SIPPS are going to affect us once they change the rules in April '06 and a glut of 'baby boomers' will have the wherewithal to go into the 'buy-to-let' business?
