Getting started with your new Holiday Let business can be both daunting and exciting. It is of course a booming industry and a great one to get started in. But where should you start?!
What are the main benefits of starting a Holiday Let business?
- An extra source on income, ideal if you already own a second home you would like to rent out for some of the year.
- A flexible source of income, although it takes a lot of work it is work that can be fit around another full time career.
What you should consider before starting a Holiday Let business
So, you own a property or a glampsite and you are ready to start your Holiday Let business – but what are some points you need to consider which you may not have thought about previously?
- You will need to make the decision of whether you will accept pets into your property or not. With Bookalet, optional extras such as an additional fee for dogs is a very easy option to set up, but before you do this you’ll need to decide whether you want it! Many people looking to book a holiday let in the UK are doing so because they want to take their dog on holiday with them. Not allowing guests to bring a fury friend along will cut down your market potential and is something that needs to be considered.
- If you don’t live locally to the property – who will be your guests emergency contact? If the shower breaks or a light stops working – make sure you have a local person available to help if something goes wrong during a stay.
- Organising who will be doing the housekeeping, whether this is you or a professional team – they need to be able to clean your property to a high standard.
- Deciding your changeover days will depend on the flexibility of your housekeeping staff. If they are always available, Short Break pricing with check-in days being any day will be fine. However, if you can only get a housekeeper in on a Friday; your changeover day will have to stick to a Friday only.
- Ensure that all gas appliances have been checked by a registered professional.
- Get a professional fire safety assessment taken before you welcome any guests.
- Plan and create marketing strategy – from an email mailing list to your Facebook page; create a plan for how you are going to promote your new business.
