Posted by admin on May 10, 2010 under Holiday Property Management & Maintenance | 
Managing Holiday Homes in Cornwall can be a real juggling act, whether you have a letting agent or not, particularly if you don’t live in the local area.
To help give holiday home owners peace of mind and provide a one stop shop for all the services that are required to look after a holiday home, as well as the paying guests, we offer all services, except for the lettings. Even then, we can help owners choose the right letting agent, that can deliver the level of bookings required, based on our experience of their performance, in most areas across Cornwall.
Our Holiday Home Property Management Services includes the following core services which are:
- Empty Property Checking
- Key holder Services
- 24/7 Guest Helpline
- Access Management
- Legal Compliance
In addition to this, we can also provide everything else thats required to manage and maintain your holiday home or second home, including:
- Property Maintenance
- Window Cleaning & Gardening Services
- Electrical, Plumbing & Heating Services
- Fire Risk Assessments & Fire Fighting Equipment
- Pest Control
- Wireless Broadband Support
- Manage Small Projects
- Furnishing
- This list is not exhaustive
Our other specialist holiday home services in Cornwall include; Housekeeping, cleaning, linen & laundry services, linen hire, key management, welcome gifts and meet and greet services if required, to name but a few.
For more information on our holiday home and second home services, please visit our website on www.perfectexample.co.uk
Tags: -, 2010 holiday lettings, Cornwall holiday homes, holiday home management, Holiday Home Services, holiday home services cornwall, holiday lifestyle services, luxury self catering, perfect example, property management, property management in Cornwall
Posted by admin on July 6, 2009 under Holiday Home Owners, Holiday Property Management & Maintenance |
A vital element of holiday home property management is effective property maintenance, to make sure you avoid unnecessary costs and maximise return on your investment.
If you run a holiday home letting business, you face a number of property maintenance challenges, some of which are quite different from those you face regarding maintenance of your own home.
Something as simple as a displaced roof tile can lead to water damage and a huge bill as well as possibly lost revenue if you need to carry out remedial work during the holiday letting season. So it is important to follow strategies for effective property maintenance of a holiday home or second home.
The biggest challenge you will face is keeping on top of property maintenance if you live a long way from the property, as many holiday home owners do. It is vital to appoint someone you trust to keep a regular eye on the house, from the point of view of property maintenance. You cannot expect the same people who are delivering cleaning services or key holder services to check for property maintenance issues, unless this has been specifically agreed, and you cannot expect a neighbour, however helpful, to alert you to everything that may need to be done either.
So an essential strategy is to appoint someone that is an expert in property maintenance to keep an eye on the property for you. This could be a specialist holiday home property management company or it could be a trusted individual with the right skills. Either way, make sure they know exactly what is expected of them and agree a mutually acceptable fee for the caretaking service. Some owners of second homes and holiday homes resist paying a caretaking fee, preferring a more informal arrangement with a friend or neighbour but this is not a wise move. It is only if the arrangement is on a formal business footing that you can reasonably expect the job to be done well.
Once you have appointed someone to be in charge of property maintenance, draw up a list of all the items that need to be checked and agree how often and when. This should include checking the roof tiles, the guttering, any signs of damp or water ingress, damage to the paintwork, functioning of locks and so on.
It may help to walk round the house as you draw up the list to remind you of all the areas that need to be checked. By spotting any problems as they arise, you can avoid problems getting worse or causing secondary damage. You can also carry out remedial work early and keep costs to a minimum.
Don’t forget to include a check of all outside areas and fencing as well.
As well as checking for any property maintenance problems as they arise, there will be a number of regular maintenance jobs to be carried out on a weekly, monthly or annual basis. This could include decorating, exterior painting, septic tank drainage and servicing of electrical equipment.
By planning these regular property maintenance jobs well in advance, you will be able to select times that avoid periods of peak customer demand, so you never have to turn down a holiday booking due to a property maintenance emergency.
You will also be able to secure tradesmen well in advance, avoiding having to waste time phoning around trying to find a decorator or a plumber at short notice.
If you decide to contract a holiday home services specialist, you will benefit from their broad experience in holiday home property management and you can relax, knowing that your property is being well maintained.
However, if you decide to make your own arrangements, you should adopt the same disciplined strategies that a holiday home services specialist would to make sure that your property maintenance runs smoothly and that your holiday home rentals business delivers maximum yield.
Posted by admin on under Holiday Home Owners, Holiday Property Management & Maintenance |
With interest rates falling and the value of your savings being eroded, many people are looking for alternative ways of getting a good return on their investments.
This is leading some to consider holiday home property management for the first time. In some cases, this may be people who have a second home that until now they have kept for use by their own family but who are now considering renting it out as a vacation home to make additional income.
In other cases, it may include people who have snapped up property at bargain prices in the weak real estate market, and who are now looking to establish high yield holiday rental properties.
However, although there are many advantages of renting out holiday homes, including the prospect of good yields, there are also pitfalls that can trip up the unwary.
If you want to run a holiday letting business, you will face new issues and challenges, some of which are quite different from those associated with owning a second home for private use or long term lets.
Many people let out second homes, but it is vital to realise that the rules change significantly when you are letting out your second home to members of the public as a holiday home. There are legal Health and Safety obligations that you must understand and comply with, as otherwise, you run the risk of prosecution.
In the UK, you must check that the electrics, the gas and all furnishings in a holiday home are fully compliant with the latest legislation and that installations are checked regularly. Take expert legal advice if you are renting out a holiday home abroad as each country has its own laws. The whole area of public liability is fraught with pitfalls, so do not fall into the trap of being unaware of your responsibilities, as ignorance is no defence in a court of law.
You must have specific holiday homes insurance, including public liability insurance. Make sure that you read all the small print in the insurance policy as you will need to make sure that your policy covers the specific needs of your holiday home and failing to do this is a pitfall that trips up many.
Another potential pitfall is failing to supply the details and items your guest may need if their holiday does not go according to plan. Think through the kind of things your guests may need in an emergency and supply these at the holiday home. Such items could include contact details for hospitals, police and so on, as well as items such as a first aid box, fuses and torches. Failure to do this could mean that an emergency could become even more serious than necessary.
You will also need to decide if you are going to use the services of a holiday home property management company or whether you wish to manage the property yourself. The latter can be problematic, especially if you live some distance away.
If you decide to secure the services of a holiday home services specialist, you will benefit from their years of expertise in avoiding pitfalls and making sure that the holiday home rental runs smoothly.
Remember there is a long list of aspects you need to consider and arrange. You will need to arrange professional cleaning services, keyholder services, customer liaison, maintenance and repairs, gardening, inventory checking and so on.
Each of these items include their own specific risks and pitfalls, not least the risk of being let down by friends and neighbours, if you ask them to help with these tasks. So there is a big advantage in handing all of these responsibilities over to a holiday home services specialist.
With effective planning and specialist guidance, you can avoid the pitfalls and establish a profitable holiday letting business.
Posted by admin on under Holiday Home Owners, Holiday Property Management & Maintenance |
Just like any other sector of business, holiday home property management needs to keep abreast of changing market conditions and continue to innovate.
It is only through staying one step ahead of the competition that any business can succeed and holiday home rentals are a competitive market like any other.
However, many vacation homes are not managed in a professional way and this has a negative effect on the returns that their owners can expect to make on their property investment.
Here are essential strategies that will help you make maximum returns.
Firstly, ensure that the property is in a good location. Potential customers will usually choose their preferred destination area first, before then selecting accommodation in the area, so you will make greatest returns if you are letting holiday homes in an area that is popular with tourists.
Secondly, target your potential customers. Think hard about what kind of person is likely to want to take a holiday rental in your holiday home and then target them through advertising in the right media to reach them effectively.
For example, some holiday homes are best targeted at couples looking for a romantic hideaway, some are best targeted at families with young children, some are best suited for country walkers and so on. Once you have decided on your target market, be consistent in the the language you use to describe the property in your promotional materials, and also the selection of any extras you may supply, such as toys, games, DVDs, food or toiletries.
Thirdly, make full use of the Internet. Nowadays, the worldwide web is the first place most people look to research holidays. Most holiday home property management companies will recommend that you have a good website for your property, showing it in its best light and providing all the information a prospective customer will want. It is also well worth including an online booking facility on your website.
You should also consider making the most of any other website features that will help your holiday rental stand out from the crowd. For example, webcams are reasonably inexpensive and a webcam showing live views from the property can make a very appealing feature on your website. The use of video on your website can also increase your sales conversions.
Fourthly, plan the furnishings and interior design with care. Today’s holiday home rental customers are generally discerning and they expect high standards. Fresh, neutral colours are usually well liked. Leather furniture can make a very good choice for rented holiday accommodation as it is durable and easy to keep clean and many designs look contemporary and attractive.
Of course, cleaning and keyholder services must be of the very highest standards, with everything going absolutely according to plan at all times as today’s customer will not tolerate any shortfalls in service standards. So plan effectively and have contingency plans ready too.
Next, aim to exceed your customer’s expectations during their stay. This will lead to a greater likelihood of repeat bookings and also positive word of mouth, which again will lead to more customers. To make sure your customers are delighted, you will need to ensure that every single aspect of the organisation goes smoothly and also that all of their needs are anticipated.
To help achieve this, it is a sound strategy to engage a holiday concierge company as they can arrange any extras the customer may want. For example, they could arrange for a cordon bleu chef to come to the holiday home or arrange outings or spa bookings.
This kind of added value can really make a difference to customer satisfaction.
Another thing to remember is that vacation home rental customers are not necessarily into self catering these days! Property management companies report an increase in the number of holiday homes that offer daily housekeeping, as some customers opt for a higher level of service.
So make sure your strategies provide for the needs of these increasingly discerning and demanding guests.
If you follow these strategies, you will significantly increase your chances of successful and profitable holiday home property management.
