Maximising Holiday Let Bookings Out of Season

As a holiday home owner, you might be wondering how to maximise holiday let bookings out of season in the Cotswolds.

Out-of-season runs from the week after schools have October Half Term through until Easter. This seems like a long period for owners to assume they’ll earn little or no income from their asset.

Read on for the Manor Cottages guide on how to maximise bookings out of season.

The region

Booking a holiday home in the Cotswolds out of season is an appealing idea to many. The region is easily accessible from both the north and south.

Most importantly, the Cotswolds retains its charm and appeal all year round, whatever the weather. A house or cottage with a roaring fire and the opportunity for beautiful walks. With villages tucked away in picturesque valleys, it provides the setting for a perfect weekend away.

Short breaks

The first thing you can do to help maximise out-of-season bookings is to accept short breaks.

Property owners see fewer week-long bookings out of season, however, there are a very good number of bookings taken for long weekends. Most Manor Cottages owners book more than 90% of their weekends throughout the off-peak season.

Dynamic pricing

During the off-peak months you can offer last-minute discounts. At Manor Cottages, we aim to take as many bookings as we can for all our properties.

Rather than having them lie empty at weekends in the autumn and winter, our dynamic pricing model can help with bookings. If a property remains available during certain dates, the closer it is to those dates, the less expensive it will be.

This has generated Manor Cottages owners continued income during what are perceived to be less lucrative months.

Flexibility

Another aspect of being successful out of season is making sure you are flexible. You may need to book time over the winter for property maintenance on your holiday home. Or, perhaps, you’re looking to make some owner bookings for your own winter break.

It’s important to consider what weeks of the calendar to book these. We’ve established that by allowing short breaks it generates out-of-season bookings. So, if you need to book time into your holiday home, ensure you’re doing it on either side of short break bookings.

Features

When visiting the Cotswolds out of season, guests will be looking for your holiday cottage to retreat from the elements. By installing features such as a log fire or hot tub, you’ll make your property more desirable.

By installing high-speed WIFI and Smart TVs, your guests will be happy to spend more time in your property than out, resulting in great feedback.

Starting your holiday letting journey

If you are planning to let your holiday home, there is absolutely no need to wait for a particular time of year to get started. It can take less than four weeks to get a property completely ready to let and to start generating valuable income.

Whether in season or out of season, your Cotswold property will be very much in demand.

About Manor Cottages

Manor Cottages specialises in helping second homeowners generate substantial profits, whilst still enjoying the benefits of owning a country retreat.

We enhance the traditional holiday let process, by providing guests with first-class customer service and flexibility in hand-picked, luxury country homes.