With beautiful coastlines, scenic countryside and charming market towns, it's no surprise that Suffolk is one of the UK’s most popular destinations for holiday homes.
But once you've bought your property and decided to rent it out to holidaymakers, then comes the tricky decision of whether to take on the responsibilities yourself or hand the reins over to a professional letting agency.
“There are numerous reasons to use a lettings expert, most of all because it allows owners to reap the benefits of renting out their holiday home without the hassle of having to be available at all times of day,” says Abi Charter, marketing manager at award-winning holiday cottage lettings agency, Best of Suffolk.
Here, Abi shares seven benefits of using a local agency to manage your holiday home and maximise bookings:
1. Expert local knowledge
Perhaps the biggest advantage of using a Suffolk-based lettings specialist is their in-depth knowledge of the local area and events calendar. From nearby attractions to places to eat and drink and even where to park, having access to this expertise can enhance your property’s listing as well as the guest’s overall experience.
“Our team all live in Suffolk, and we’re truly passionate about the county and want guests to love it too,” says Abi. “We also know in advance when popular local events are happening, such as Latitude Festival, Southwold Arts Festival and Aldeburgh Carnival, which we use to base our price structure around.”
2. Specialist marketing support
A successful marketing strategy is crucial if you want to secure bookings for your holiday let. Best of Suffolk offers a complete marketing service for property owners, from launching the holiday cottage on their bespoke website to advertising it through social media and email campaigns.
“It’s our attention to detail that makes us stand out,” says Abi. “We use professional photography and interior staging to attract the right customers and ensure that your holiday home is seen by as many people as possible.
"For properties that would benefit from national and international exposure, we can also launch it on online travel agents such as booking.com or Airbnb to maximise its reach. You don’t have to choose between local and national or international with Best of Suffolk,” she adds.
3. Guest liaison
Letting out your holiday home can be stressful and time-consuming, especially if you don’t have hospitality or customer service experience. After all, it’s not just about making sales – you'll also need to make sure your guests have an enjoyable holiday.
Once interest is generated in your property, Best of Suffolk has a dedicated customer service team to manage bookings before, during and after the stay. “We’re available around the clock to ensure excellent customer service – happy guests mean happy owners,” says Abi. “We deal with everything from arrival details to checking out, providing feedback and changeovers so the property is in top condition for when the next guests arrive.”
4. Good return on investment
Using a letting agent is the best way to maximise the income from your holiday home. Whereas a lot of national letting agencies focus on low value, high turnover bookings at reduced rates to ensure solid occupancy, Best of Suffolk takes a different approach.
“Back-to-back bookings at reduced value can lead to problems such as wear and tear on your property and housekeeping costs that the prices charged do not cover,” explains Abi. “By focusing on luxury cottages and holiday homes, we use our expertise to achieve the highest value bookings. This means there’s plenty to cover housekeeping costs plus any wear and tear. Long term this will generate maximum return on investment.
“There are also no hidden costs that you find with other agents, such as admin fees, which makes us great value for money,” she adds.
5. An emergency point of contact
Have you thought about what you would do if the boiler breaks, or if there’s a leak in the bathroom? “A letting agent is an emergency point of contact if things go wrong,” says Abi. “Although issues are rare, we make sure there’s someone on hand at all hours to ensure it can be resolved as quickly as possible.”
If a guest feels they haven’t had a good experience, Best of Suffolk's guest experience manager can handle disputes and take the stress out of the situation.
6. A local network of support
A team of experienced tradespeople, housekeepers and other specialist services are essential to the daily running of your holiday home. For no extra cost, Best of Suffolk introduces owners to local services they have worked with before, including housekeeping, gardeners, handymen, interior designers and builders, so that all your holiday letting landlord needs are taken care of.
7. Expertise in letting legalities
Although not as fun as kitting out your holiday home with a hot tub or choosing a colour scheme, keeping up to date with the latest rules and regulations is nonetheless an important part of owning a holiday let. "The legal side is often overlooked during the initial stages and can be tricky to navigate without the right expertise,” Abi tells us.
“We know your rights as a property owner and the guests' rights, and can ensure that your property is fully compliant – you won’t necessarily have that sort of support when listing with a national agent.”
Best of Suffolk can help with legalities such as insurance, gas and electrical safety certificates and fire risks assessments.
Visit bestofsuffolk.co.uk for an appraisal and to find out more about letting your Suffolk holiday home.
