Many holiday cottages across the country have taken a greener approach to tourism in recent times, adopting new technologies such as solar and biomass to power and heat their holiday homes. One approach that has perhaps gleaned less of the media spotlight than it’s renewable energy counterparts is the humble green roof. Popular for more […]
Most holiday homeowners who look after their own bookings will have taken hundreds of reservations from happy guests over the years, but some may not be aware of the legal contract they are forming each and every time they accept a booking, and the legalities they should have in place. Your Holiday Home Booking Contract […]
When someone stays at your holiday home and has a great time you want them to return again and again, but with potentially up to a year before they enjoy their next trip, how do you drive repeat holiday let bookings and make sure you’re in their mind when they come to decide whether to […]
Specialist is a word that is often used but one we take really seriously and to heart. We’ve been specialising in insurance for holiday letting properties for 25 years. With that amount of experience under our belt we understand the industry. Speaking with holiday homeowners every day gives us the knowledge and understanding that allows […]
Holiday Lets and Tax – What you need to know We take a look at some of the tax issues holiday homeowners need to be aware of in this article Holiday Letting ~ A Tax Overview… Have you declared your holiday rental income? When you begin letting a holiday home it’s imperative you tell HMRC […]
One of the most important aspects of successful marketing is identifying where your potential customers can be reached and delivering the right message to them, at the right time, whenever and wherever that may be. Growing your Holiday Cottage Bookings With more than 30 million registered users in the United Kingdom there’s little doubt that […]
If you’re thinking about buying a holiday home, or already own a second home, there are plenty of benefits to opening your doors to visiting tourists. We take a look at a few of the benefits of holiday letting your second home that await those taking the plunge… Gain a return by holiday letting your […]
As specialists in holiday home insurance we’re dedicated to making sure we have our fingers on the pulse of the industry; what’s affecting holiday homeowners, the key trends, and how we can help support you through these. We take a look at some of the developments and Key Trends for Holiday Homeowners in the past […]
Ever wondered how to make more of events and use them to increase bookings? Here are our top ten event tourism tips to increase holiday home bookings by making the most of festivals and cultural events in the locality of your holiday letting property. Is there a Facebook page or group for the event? If it’s […]
When the romantic and swashbuckling television costume drama Poldark returned to our screens not many of the millions of viewers would have been thinking about a 65% spike in visits to the local tourism website, the largest since Cornish sailor Ben Ainsley made his way through the Duchy clasping the Olympic torch a little over […]
There are many different ways in which a fire could start in your holiday home. Having an understanding of the risks that fire poses to your property and your guests is vital to ensuring a safe stay in your cottage and complying with Fire Safety Law for Holiday Letting. Complying with Fire Safety Law for […]
The consequences of a fire in a holiday home can be extremely expensive, disruptive and even fatal. With local fire authorities attending more than 450 household fire incidents across the country each and every day (170,000 in the past year), they are also more common than you may think. There are several steps you can […]
The online world never stands still; here’s our top ten digital trends and tips to increase holiday let bookings to help your holiday home business stay ahead of the game in 2015. Content remains a key to your holiday home marketing The last few years have seen an explosion in the use of the term […]
Technology continues to revolutionise and push the boundaries of how we go about our every day lives. So how can we use it to reduce costs, to add value and encourage visitors to our holiday homes, all without costing the earth? Add value to your holiday home We take a look at some of the […]
If a picture really is worth a thousand words, what is your holiday home photography saying about your holiday letting property? In a marketplace in which decisions are increasingly made quickly and online can you afford for those words to be the wrong ones? We take a look at things to consider when photographing your […]
Great food, fine wine, a relaxing atmosphere; these are things that many visitors will be looking to enjoy in local pubs and restaurants during their stay. The food and drink industry has long been synonymous with tourism and as the burgeoning reputation of British gastronomy continues to rise it’s a synergy that seems certain to […]
Tourism awards; they come around each and every year, so if you’re yet to enter your holiday home and it could have been a winner do you really know what you’re missing out on? Here’s our look at some of the ways in which a tourism award submission or win could give your holiday home […]
It’s official; last winter was the stormiest period of weather experienced by the UK for at least 20 years. No fewer than twelve storms brought with them strong winds and heavy rainfall, battering holiday homes across England, Wales and Scotland well into February last year. The statistics are incredible: 600,000 homes were without power. 7,000 […]
Landlords including holiday letting owners are under scrutiny because the Revenue estimates that £500m is lost every year through underpayment of tax on rental income and undeclared capital gains on second properties. Last year HMRC said that 40,000 landlords were suspected of bending the rules. HMRC has continued to urge property landlords and holiday letting […]
International sporting events have the potential to captivate, engage and inspire a nation. If proof were ever required we need only to cast our gaze back to 2012 and the London Olympics; 900 million people tuned in to watch the opening ceremony of a games that kept everybody on the edge of their seats for […]
When you rent a property it is usually treated as a form of investment activity rather than a trade. For example, if you had a job and owned a second home which you let on a shorthold tenancy agreement, the property would for tax purposes often be seen as you owning it as an investment, […]
Do your guests ever play music through a radio, TV, CD or MP3 player you’ve supplied? If they do you may need a PRS (Performing Rights Society) Licence. We explain what this is and when you may need one as a holiday homeowner. For example are you aware that the PRS do not charge a […]
The first signs of snow are often met with as much excitement as they are trepidation, but for holiday homeowners the falling of the white stuff brings with it a range of different issues and none more important than ensuring the safety of your guests. To view our `Preparing your holiday home for snow’ infographic full […]
If you own and run a holiday home have you ever considered using the support and expertise of a specialist holiday home letting agent? If you haven’t, we explore ten benefits of using a holiday home letting agent that you could enjoy: 1. Saving time Answering emails, the phone ringing off the hook, updating availability […]
Whilst traditionally a time spent with family in the confides of our own home, more and more of us are now packing our bags and heading for a holiday cottage to celebrate Christmas. How to attract guests to book your holiday home for Christmas Here’s our advice on how to attract guests to book your […]
Your responsibilities when employing contractors to work on your holiday home If you’re having work carried out or renovations made to your holiday home that require builders to be on site, these alterations will bring with them a unique set of risks and considerations for your property and the contents within it. Are you aware […]
Top tips for selecting a building contractor for your holiday home Autumn is a time when many holiday homeowners look to reinvigorate or renovate their properties for next season. Whilst some alternations will be merely superficial in nature – updating your decor or the change of an item of furniture for example, other developments may […]
New addition to our specialist holiday home insurance policy – Legionellosis Liability Cover We are pleased to announce that when our holiday homeowners next renew their specialist holiday home insurance policy they’ll be benefiting from even more cover. We will now be providing public and products liability cover as standard, which will indemnify owners against […]
Do you have a television in your holiday home? Many of us will be familiar with needing a television licence for our own home, but as the owner of a holiday let or cottage complex, do you know which tv licence is required? The majority of holiday cottages across the country will now contain at […]
Tips on reducing the risk of chimney fires It’s time to do your autumn sweep! Whilst many of us will revel in the idea of a glass of wine or local ale in front of a roaring fire they do come with safety considerations and risks; there are approximately 6,000 chimney fires in England each […]