Let In Wales

Marketing your Property

1. Make your property look hot!! Consider using a professional photographer – properties with the best photos have higher occupancy rates.
2. Increasing numbers of potential guests search online. Consider having a website for your property and using online booking services.
3. Be realistic about what you charge - we are happy to give you help on what we think you should charge, but also look at other websites such as www.holiday-rentals.com and www.latelets.com for some guidance.
4. Try to include everything in the price that you charge. People find it irritating to have to pay extra for electricity, heating, linen, and the like.
5. If people like your apartment they will come back – happy guests mean repeat business and word-of-mouth recommendations.

Equipping and Furnishing your Property

1. Equip the property as well as you can afford to. Cheaper items do not stand up to regular use and it is irritating to have to constantly replace them. Most visitors expect items such as dishwashers, tumble driers, microwaves, a good kitchen etc - though intriguingly they often don't use them.
2. Consider installing a phone line and broadband for the use of visitors - quite a few visitors mix business with pleasure.
3. Expect less wear and tear than traditional lettings. However keep china and glassware plain and make sure that they can be replaced easily. For some reason people get through a lot of wine glasses!!!
4. Make sure that you have a fairly simple colour scheme and keep some of the paint for instant repairs.
5. Consider ease of cleaning when purchasing - for example nylon carpets tend to get grubbier much more quickly than a good 80-20% wool carpet.  Very light furnishings also tend to show dirt much more quickly.
6. Make sure that beds have waterproof mattress protectors and pillow protectors.  These, and towels and linen, can be purchased much more cheaply than in the shops at www.musburyfabrics.co.uk
7. Keep sleeping arrangements as flexible as possible. E.g. if you have space for two single beds which can be joined together to make a double this is well worth it.  If you can provide a cot or good fold up bed or sofa bed then these items are worth having.

Welcoming your Guests

1. Make your guests feel welcome by providing something such as a bottle of wine, flowers, chocolates or useful breakfast items.
2. Provide tea, coffee sugar, salt, pepper and a few herbs as well as making sure that there is a selection of toiletries.
3. Provide information on how to use heating, televisions and electrical appliances and give the numbers of a doctor and a dentist and your own contact number.
4. Provide a list of good restaurants and home deliveries as well as shops in your area.
5. Check that your insurance company knows that you are holiday letting rather than letting a short assured tenancy basis.  Rates should be cheaper but shop around. One possibility is Schofield’s Underwriting agencies - www.schofields.ltd.uk
6. Have a guest book for visitors’ comments – the feedback is very useful.