Tag Archives: holiday home

The Holiday Home Industry and Brexit

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Greenway – Agatha Christie’s holiday home

Whether you are new to the market or a holiday letting expert, you should be aware of the changes in the political arena that have resulted in a decline in the purchase of family homes abroad.

Staycation is the new vacation as booking a lodge in the lakes or renting a flat it Manchester replaces the annual trip abroad. But combined with increasing competition from owners renting, in order to offset mortgage and maintenance cost, getting those bookings has never been so important in the holiday home industry.

Commercial gas retailers Flogas, give us an insight into the holiday home market and what holiday home owners can do to maximise their profits.

How Brexit has affected the holiday home market.

With the current Brexit vote and negotiations are well underway with the European Union, attitudes towards holidays and purchasing homes abroad are changing.

Homeowners and Brexit

With this country being always welcoming and accommodating to Brits, Spain always appears to be a first choice when UK residents decide that they want to purchase a holiday home. In 2016, UK buyers made up 19% of home purchases in Spain by non-Spaniards – it’s quite an impressive figure considering how many nationalities choose to go there for their holiday. However, this figure has almost halved since 2008 when it stood at 38%, which begs the question why?

With economic and political uncertainty in mind, Brits are becoming more reluctant to take the plunge and relocate abroad. It’s found that recently, the decline of pounds has meant that people cannot afford to buy the holiday home that they’ve had their eyes on.

Holidaymakers and Brexit

The decrease of the pound has also influenced the attitudes of holiday makers. More people of Britain are opting to take a holiday within the country to save money. Although research showed that they are spending less money on their staycations that what they’re use to, so the income is coming in elsewhere. Foreign tourists are coming over to take advantage of the lower rate of the pound and boosting the UK economy in that way.

Because the implications of Brexit haven’t been fully covered yet, holidaymakers are feeling unsure in other areas too. As of now, Brits are free to travel throughout Europe without restrictions and with access to healthcare. However, this could all change and it will further affect our holiday habits.

How can you get more visitors to your holiday home?

If you already own a holiday home abroad, you may be witnessing visitor levels slowing. What can you do to encourage visitors to come and stay in your home?

Online Visibility

If you don’t have a website or blog, you could be losing out on many customers from around the globe that didn’t know about your site. Even a basic website that includes photos, customer reviews and contact information could boost your online presence and revenues.

Consider social media, as it’s  quite a successful way to show off your holiday home and increase interest, you can offer promotions such as competitions to get people ‘sharing’ and engaging with the company.

Creating memories

The atmosphere when a customer enters your holiday home is an important element because it’s something that stays with them and this is often mentioned in online reviews. To improve this; greet guests at the accommodation if you live nearby to provide them with keys and show them around the area, offer complimentary wine and provide a map of the local area and any tips for their trip.

Maintenance cost management

You may be weighing up your options for purchasing a holiday letting property or maybe, you are looking to remain profitable. Either way, it is important to consider the costs involved with maintaining a holiday home. Of course, utility bills and mortgage payments are often considered top of the list however, there are some that are often forgotten about: cleaning fees can be between £40 – £80 per booking, a welcome kit costs £10 – £15 an agency may charge you 20-25% of your monthly income and there are gardening and window cleaning costs on top of these too.

It seems that if you are aspiring to own a holiday home, you should invest in a home in the UK – where tourism is on the rise from both foreign tourists and UK residents. For holiday home owners abroad, ensure you are maintaining your online presence and managing your costs as effectively as possible. Hopefully the effects of Brexit will become clearer soon enough and the holiday home industry will know where they stand.

Sources

http://www.lowlandlettings.co.uk/what-are-the-weekly-running-costs-of-a-holiday-let/

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2017/08/27/staycations-foreign-visitors-provide-brexit-boost/

 

 

Appassionata launch their second phase: Casa Leopardi

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After selling the final share of their first phase, Casa Giacomo, Appassionata are pleased to announce the launch of their second phase, Casa Leopardi, a traditional Italian farmhouse on the 5 acre Estate Giacomo Leopardi in Le Marche, Italy. Incorporating the rugged peaks of the Apennines with 180km of coastline, beautiful sandy beaches and numerous picturesque hilltop villages, Le Marche is the perfect retreat for all seasons.

Boutique and luxurious fractional ownership business Appassionata offers you easy access to an exclusive property of considerably higher value than the capital outlay required through fractional ownership. Appassionata’s fractional ownership model allows you to purchase a share in your property of choice, giving you exclusive occupancy for a number of weeks each year. The property is professionally managed and maintained, with annual running costs shared with co-owners.

As a lifestyle investment fractional ownership makes sense. The purchase is forever, so owners can choose to sell their share, rent out the property for the duration of their weeks or pass it on to family and friends at any time. Appassionata’s Estate Giacomo Leopardi is situated in 5 acres of sweeping Italian countryside, with panoramic views of the Apennine Mountains and Adriatic Sea. Set close to the medieval hilltop village of Montrefiore dell’Aso in Le Marche, Italy, the estate consists of two lavish properties – Casa Giacomo which has now sold its final share, and the newly launched Casa Leopardi.

Appassionata’s second phase, Casa Leopardi is a spacious, 420m² traditional Italian farmhouse which has recently been restored to the same high standards as neighbouring Casa Giacomo and is now available for viewings. Boasting five uniquely designed, en-suite bedrooms, a huge hand built kitchen and a sumptuous living – dining area set across three floors, this property exudes Italian style with terracotta tiled floors, traditional brick archways, beamed ceilings and open fireplaces. Original art, antiques, modern furnishings and high quality fittings are all combined to create the perfect balance of modern and traditional design. The perfect home away from home, the property also has its own sun terrace, private outdoor pool and a small gym as well as access to the estates landscaped gardens and all-weather tennis court.

Casa Leopardi has just one share remaining at the special launch price of £155,000 for a 1/10th fractional share, five weeks per year (normal price from £175,000), so Italy lovers will need to move quickly to take advantage of this once in a lifetime opportunity.

For a true taste of Italy, purchasing a share in this beautiful property includes a stake in the olive oil produced from the olive groves around the property, wine from the estate’s vineyard, Périgord black truffles from the newly planted orchard and essential oils from the lavender plantation. Escape to your Italian dream with Appassionata.

For more information on Appassionata’s fractional ownership opportunities visit www.appassionata.com.

LAUNCH OF BLUEBELLS & SEASHELLS: ONLINE GUIDE TO ACCOMMODATION ACROSS GREAT BRITAIN

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A new comprehensive online accommodation guide for Great Britain which will feature all types of places to stay, from bed & breakfasts, hotels, holiday cottages, yurts, campsites, boats, glampsites and even a converted Shepherds Hut has been launched. The website: www.bluebellsandseashells.co.uk, has been named to represent all that is typical of Great Britain’s beautiful countryside and stretching shorelines.

The advanced search page offers one of the most comprehensive search facilities available ensuring that users of the site are able to find accommodation suitable for their individual requirements, such as with wheelchair access, eco-friendly accommodation, or places that cater specifically for vegetarians. Alternatively, holidaymakers can consider trying something new during their break, by searching for accommodation providers that offer workshops and courses, for example cupcake making classes or crash courses in keeping chickens!

Visitors to the site are also able to view up to ten large images of the accommodation, view feedback from other guests, check availability of holiday cottages and see details of popular local attractions and things to do locally as listed by the property owner rather than advertisers. The news section carried on the www.BluebellsandSeashells.co.uk home page and monthly newsletter also features stories on places to go and things to check out around Great Britain, for example places to take children during the half-term break.

Joanna Thorne, Founder of Bluebells & Seashells commented: “There are 2.9 million bedspaces* available to guests in the UK every night, including hotels, B&B’s, guest houses, through to holiday dwellings and tourist campsites with an average occupancy rate of 55% for all serviced accommodation**, suggesting that the flow of traffic and money into the British tourism industry is still very much alive and open for business. London remains the most popular destination for overseas visitors (14.2 million), who collectively spent over £8bn in 2009, representing 50% of all inbound visitor spending***.”

“We launched this site to counter all of the items we found most frustrating from our own experiences at looking for accommodation and we’re delighted that we already over 1250 properties of all shapes and sizes, atmospheres and locations registered with us. We’ve ensured that images are displayed as large as possible and the search does not limit browsers to select one property type or another unless they choose to, as we all know that when looking for a bed for a night when attending a friend’s wedding for example, choosing a hotel, guest house, B&B, converted mill or boat is not what’s important; but the price, warm welcome, décor, cleanliness and location are.”

“Furthermore, many of the holiday cottage letting companies around Great Britain have been purchased by overseas corporations, and as a result the consumer ends up paying considerably more for their holiday, including the compulsory insurance than cottages owners receive. This is neither fair for the owner, or traveller, but perhaps worst still is that this money is leaving our economy, when it has never needed it more. Bluebells and Seashells is aimed at providing those independent accommodation owners, with an affordable and fair platform to share what they to offer and with Royal Wedding and the 2012 Olympic Games only months away, the outlook for accommodation providers looks extremely prosperous.”