Tax For Furnished Holiday Lets | Expert Advice from PFK Francis Clark
If you are looking for important information about holiday homes and tax, we’ve teamed up with Steve York, Tax...
by Janine de Lange / Owner
As a result of the pandemic, and with various cultural, economic and environmental factors at play, travel has changed. Emerging booking trends show that more and more guests are choosing a last minute holiday.
So, with a last minute summer staycation on the horizon, we delve into the motives behind this change in booking behaviour and share our top tips on how to prepare for last minute holiday let bookings.
Read our full guide or use the quick links below to find out about a particular topic.
Last minute stays have always been popular among spontaneous travellers and cost-conscious guests looking for exclusive deals. But since the pandemic and with the uncertainty around the current economic climate, together with the added risk of flights being cancelled and potential strikes, there has been a significant mind shift to last minute holiday let bookings. Added to which, more flexible working conditions and the ease of travelling to staycation destinations like Cornwall, mean people are very often choosing to take last minute getaways, sometimes to make the most of a good weather forecast!
In this changing and evolving landscape, it’s clear that as an owner, it is important to be flexible, adaptive and open-minded about offering late availability wherever possible.
Being open to the prospect of accepting last minute bookings is a must. In 2022, our average lead time from booking to travel was 141 days, which is down from 204 days in 2021, meaning that guests are booking a lot closer to their holiday start date.
During the summer we saw a 76% increase in bookings made within 14 days of the holiday arrival date. With the current uncertainty, people are hesitant to commit early to their summer holidays. The days of all guests booking their week-long holiday twelve months in advance are long gone!
Google search trends indicate that this pattern will continue into 2023, as search volume for ‘last minute holidays in Cornwall’ is up 22% year on year.
The more flexible you are as a cottage owner, the greater the level of interest you are likely to receive. You may be surprised just how lucrative offering late availability can be when you to achieve back-to-back bookings.
Organisation is key to successful last minute holiday let bookings and there are plenty of ways you can make your holiday cottage the perfect retreat for a last minute getaway.
With Cornish Cottage Holidays you are able to offer last minute availability to guests, so you don’t waste any time or lose out on valuable bookings.
Our owners can set what we call an imminent booking window. This is the time before a holiday starts that you are happy for customers to book online, without contacting you to check that the property is ready.
The lower your imminent booking window – for example 0 or 1 days, the easier and therefore more attractive it might be for customers to make last minute bookings at your property.
The importance of having a high standard of cleanliness cannot be overlooked. First impressions count and can really have an impact on how positively your guests start their well-deserved last minute break.
The key to gearing your holiday let for last minute bookings is to prepare for cleaning in advance. Get into the habit of cleaning your property as soon as guests leave, rather than just before new ones arrive. After each booking your property will need to have a comprehensive routine ensuring a diligent clean, beds are made, linen laundered, and property checks done.
Changeovers take time and need to be carried out properly to ensure your property is ready for your next guests. Having a checklist can help your cleaner or caretaker to make sure that nothing is missed.
You can help speed up the changeover process by encouraging guests to take care of your holiday home by leaving adequate cleaning supplies and asking them to lend a helping hand where possible.
By getting ahead of schedule with cleaning and changeover takes, you always have peace of mind that your holiday cottage is ready and all that needs to be done is pop the milk into the fridge and drop off any other perishable items the welcome pack.
It can be a time sensitive issue preparing your property changeovers for last minute bookings. Fortunately, if you are unable to manage these steps because of time constraints, or if you live away from your property, there is a solution.
You can call on the help of holiday let management companies, like Cornish Cottage Holidays who are able to take the hassle out of letting your holiday home. Over the years we’ve established a loyal network of suppliers across Cornwall, allowing us to assist you with sourcing a cleaner or housekeeper, organising changeovers and maintaining properties to the highest standard.
We know how important providing a clean, well-presented property is to the success of any holiday cottage. As with any home, investment in the property is needed regularly in order to maintain standards and encourage repeat bookings.
Our managed housekeeping service is available across Cornwall, to take care of your property and ensure it is ready for guests. This premium service allows our owners a hassle-free solution and complete peace of mind. Working directly with our suppliers, our team can organise and conduct a range of services. From normal changeovers to property checks through winter, our Managed Services team are there to help.
Read more in our blog on holiday home management in Cornwall to decide which service would suit your needs best.
Consider the amenities you provide at your property to make a guests stay convenient and comfortable. Most self-catering properties provide the basics like toiletries, cleaning goods and a few kitchen essentials like tea or coffee capsules. It’s worth having a good back up of these items to avoid running out and having to worry about buying more in a rush. Using the last bin bags mid clean or realising there is no hand soap for the bathroom can quickly derail an otherwise seamless preparation for your guest’s arrival.
Consider keeping ample stock of these non-perishable essentials so that you don’t have to worry about buying them each time you have new guests. More often than not, buying these items in bulk will not only save you time, but often money.
Keeping extra sets of linen and towels are also a gamechanger when preparing a quick turnover. There’s less time wasted on waiting for the washing, drying and ironing, and you have everything necessary to get your property ready.
It’s important to understand who your target audience in order to tailor your offering according to their needs. The likelihood is that your guests will be those who have relatively flexible schedules. It’s possible they’ll comprise of couples, young families who don’t have to stick to school holiday periods or those who can work remotely from a holiday home. Even past guests who have stayed at your property and know what to expect, or small groups of friends and family who are able to catch up last minute.
With these things in mind, consider adapting your property to include amenities like a highchair and cot, or good WiFi and technology which will work well at preparing and promoting your holiday let for last minute bookings.
Providing detailed check-in instructions for your guests in a timely manner is an essential part of making their arrival a positive experience. As well as check-in times, provide them any arrival instructions, location details, directions or any other information they will need before arriving at the property.
If you are not able to greet your guests or do not have a designated caretaker who can assist, you can provide a lockable key safe for a self-check-in.
Consider that if a booking occurred at the last minute, your guests may arrive late at night, so ensure there are clear instructions where the key safe is and there is sufficient lighting for them to navigate. A smooth check out is equally as important. Make sure the departure times are clear to avoid misunderstanding and having to wait when you need to do a quick turnaround clean.
These days there are plenty of easy to control home appliances that can be managed remotely by an app or using a digital timer. By using these remote applications you can get your property ready for guests.
A perfect example of using technology to help get your holiday cottage ready for guests is a smart heating device which can be controlled via an app on your phone. It allows you to give a warm and cosy welcome even if you aren’t there.
There are plenty of smart speakers with virtual and app assistance that can be set up to facilitate a ‘smart home’. From lights, plugs to thermostats and locking doors, you can set up your devices to switch control these and other connected accessories.
Even if you can’t be there to greet your guest it’s still important to make a good first impression. Providing a welcome pack for your guests is one of the most important parts of making sure their visit starts off on a positive note.
We often forget that our everyday appliances may seem complicated and difficult to operate. From how to use the shower to programming the timer on the oven. A welcome pack is a go-to guide for your home and ensures your guests have all the information they need for a relaxed holiday. Creating a welcome pack is also a good opportunity to provide information on the surrounding areas like great places to eat, the closest stores and even numbers for the local taxi firm.
Including a few essentials and home comforts like tea, coffee, biscuits, bread and milk can go a long way to leaving a lasting impression and doesn’t’ necessarily need to be too costly.
Read our blog on how to put together a guest information folder for your holiday home.
It is clear that last minute bookings will be a key trend this year and making the most of this trend will help your holiday home stand out from the crowd and secure bookings in a competitive self-catering market. Here are a few tips on how to make the most of this increase and grow your share of last minute bookings.
When it comes to attracting last-minute bookings, pricing is critical. Using a dynamic pricing tool like our ‘income maximisation’ system is a great way to boost your revenue. It works by automatically adjusting prices in line with demand. In times of high demand, prices will inflate, whilst in periods of low demand we will make reductions. This results in the maximum number of bookings for the owner, with the best income possible across the year.
Our dynamic pricing tools use data to help us understand demand for certain weeks, locations and property types, giving us more confidence in when to hold our prices vs when to make reductions.
Lots of people who are booking last minute may only want short break, so being inflexible and asking your guests to visit for a minimum number of nights may lead to missing out on potential bookings. For owners that are more flexible with changeover days, offering a flexible short breaks option is another great way to enhance your income and attract bookings. By being flexible not only are you maximising your bookings, but you might even get better reviews.
Key to your holiday lets success is finding the right holiday letting agency in Cornwall for expert advice and support. With a team of industry experts like Cornish Cottage Holidays, who specialise in the self-catering holiday market can make all the difference to help secure those last minute bookings, maximise your property’s potential and make a profitable return.
With a local office in Redruth, plus a wider team at our national parent company, Sykes Holiday Cottages, we offer a winning combination of both local and national marketing. We really get to know you and your holiday property, meaning we offer an incredibly personal service.
We want letting your holiday home to be as enjoyable and effortless as possible for you, so we’ve created some helpful guides to answer any queries that you may have. Simply visit our Owner Advice Page to find out more.
Looking for more expert advice on holiday letting and last minute bookings? Give us a call on 01326 336773 (option 2) or download our free owners guide for more information.
*Statistics provided by Sykes Staycation index 2022
Discover how a local brand with national reach can work for you. With over 50 years of letting experience, we pride ourselves on delivering the bookings you deserve.
Find out how we can work together. With over 25 years’ experience, our local expertise will give you peace of mind and bring you the bookings you deserve.
by Janine de Lange / Owner
I’ve had the privilege of living in the beautiful South West since 2010, and in my opinion there’s no better place in the worl...
Read More About Author
Sign up to receive exclusive offers, competitions and the latest news to your inbox, and you'll be entered into our monthly prize-draw 3 times!
If you are looking for important information about holiday homes and tax, we’ve teamed up with Steve York, Tax...
New to holiday letting, or looking to better your marketing strategy and maximise your holiday cottage bookings? Read our...
As one of the fastest-growing holiday locations, Cornwall tops the list of desirable destinations to own a holiday cottage....
