Another school holiday week not let!

[harcourtv57]

February half term we struggled for bookings, with two of our three properties empty. Easter bookings were slow and we ended up with several short breaks (6 changeovers in one week!). Now another school holiday is looming and we don't have a single booking, although we are booked either side of it. We have some summer holiday bookings but less than usual - although June is fully booked and also July pre school hols. Is anyone else finding the same?

[apexblue]

Only with August Bank Hol week. We have gone with flexible changeover days and minimum 3 night stays this year. Have you checked out your competitors? One of ours is undercutting us at 2006 prices but we still have more weeks booked

[harcourtv57]

Yes, of 20 in our immediate area, 10 still have that week unbooked. I've also had it on late availability special offer for the past few weeks with quite a few enquiries but no bookings.

Some are undercutting but don't appear to be doing much better on bookings than we are

We have always done short breaks and flexible arrival days and finds it works very well - although thats why we ended up with 6 changeovers over the Easter period which was very hard work

[apexblue]

Don't know where you advertise but get the majority of ours from holidaylets.net if that's any help.

[Windy]

Hard to comment without knowing where you are or what sort of property you have H.

[Margaret]

We are finding the short school holidays a bit better for our UK property than for Bavaria - but impossible to compare really because we only have one property in the UK - when it's let, it's let.

But our observation is definitely that Brits are sticking with their main holiday - summer, and I think skiing will be OK too. But they are cutting out the 'Let's go away for Easter/half term/Christmas' trips, which were spending the time away from home rather than holidays, if you see what I mean. Easter was a wash out for us. May half term likewise (we have some bookings but not families from the UK for the week). Summer school holiday period is looking good at the moment - with quite limited availability for the main weeks. So far, nothing for October half term and almost nothing for Xmas, although New Year is OK, but that is mainly skiing.

UK property still has most of August empty though.......

[la vache!]

I haven't found that at all, Easter and May half term holidays are/were full, I have bookings for October too, so I think there are some people still having shoulder holidays. July and August have been booked for ages, but June was slower to fill and I think September will be the same.
I was listening to the radio yesterday and there was a man on there saying that the interest cuts have meant his mortgage had decreased from £843 to £480 a month, so there are some people who are a lot better off, despite the crisis.

[Margaret]

But do you think those bookings are as well as summer holidays? We have plenty of shoulder bookings but last year they were extra trips. This year they are just people taking their holidays out of the main season.

I am sure France is a better destination for short holidays from the UK because of being closer, easier and cheaper to get to, as always.

[la vache!]

These are definitely extra holidays, a few of the bookings were repeats and they did the same last year. A lot of them were from people who live close to or within easy reach of the ferry ports, I think it is fair to say that I've never had any Scottish guests for the shoulder season holidays.

[J&J]

I would agree with Susan that these are "extra" holidays. Amongst our teaching friends people have got to the stage where they just want to grab a break at half term, but a lot of them have left it too late from the travel point of view. Even those with their own properties in France or elsewhere are finding the flights full or far too expensive for this weekend, and it's hardly worth going out on Tuesday and coming back on Thursday. Same for the ferries this bank holiday.

Judith

[harcourtv57]

Well I have come home from work today to five enquiries for last minute short breaks next week! All from HL funnily enough. So have answered them all, fingers crossed

Thats a good point LV - I know times are hard, but there are lots of people who have benefitted from the low mortgage rates - myself included.

Windy the link to our property is below

Not posted it before as we are currently having a new website done which I was going to post details of, but its taking longer than I expected.

http://www.holidaylettings.co.uk/rental ... mouth/6005
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[J&J]

Seeing your location (which I thought was France) makes my comments about flights and ferries a bit redundant! But I still maintain there are plenty of people out there wanting to snatch a quick break this coming week.
Judith

[Ju]

Nice looking property!

I think people are definately still taking half term breaks. It is always one of our most popular weeks, booked up months in advance. A friend who is coming out to her second home is having to come via train because the ferries have no cabins left and the flights are all booked.

My own experience of booking for October half term show that that is still popular too.

I think the main issue is where to advertise. Good properties in good locations will always rent provided people can find them.

[harcourtv57]

Well today I have taken two short term bookings for next week, one for the house and one for the apartment

Both only for three nights, but hey, its all good!

[goosie]

We still have two weeks at the start of July free, but otherwise are fully booked for the rest of June and then from 18 July right until September. Then September is booked for either weeks of weekends .

I'm wondering whether to drop July prices - we tested it higher this year and have already dropped once. Strangely we are now just £100 more than last year and it was clear that last year we were underpriced for much of our season (it was our first). Any views?

ps I think we will be featured in a broadsheet this weekend though not quite sure what the format will be, so I'm hopeful it might get something coming out of it!