This category is about all aspects of Holiday Home Letting and will be of interest to owners of holiday lets across the UK. As Holiday Home Insurance Specialists we are proud to share tips, guidance and articles.

Whether you own an individual holiday home or cottage or a holiday cottage complex our holiday home letting articles are for you. Subjects covered include taxation, online scams and regulations.

Check out these posts: Holiday Letting Terms and Conditions, Registration Schemes for Short Term Lets, Buying a Leasehold Apartment to Holiday Let, Holiday Lets and Tax – what you need to know.

UK Second Home Owners Warned Of New Arctic Weather Set For February

UK Second Home Owners Warned Of New Arctic Weather Set For February 2010. Winter is far from over yet, if todays news headlines are to be believed. Having already experienced one of the coldest winters for decades, arctic weather is set to return next week.

Quality Holiday Home Insurance will give holiday home owners peace of mind, although prevention is better than cure. The last thing that any second home owners wants to discover in their holiday home is collapsed ceilings due to burst pipes. Even the most well managed water damage claim can still be traumatic for owners. 

Read our recent posts regarding burst pipes and advice on preventing Holiday Home Insurance claims here 

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The 25 best iPhone apps to help home owners manage your money

The 25 best iPhone apps to help home owners manage your money. The popularity of the iPhone has been fuelled by the huge range of applications available for users to download.

More than a million “apps” will find the nearest cash point, teach you french or provide the latest news headlines. There are also hundreds of apps that promise to help you manage your money. Here Times Money has put together a list of the 25 best financial iPhone apps. Read on here

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“Be Prepared For The Thaw”, Boshers advise their holiday home insurance clients.

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“Be Prepared For The Thaw”, Boshers advise their holiday home insurance clients. We are here and ready to help.


To make a claim, call us Monday to Friday 8.30-5pm on 01237 429444 or Ecclesiastical on 0845 603 8381, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
The cost and personal inconvenience caused by a burst pipe claim can be considerable with claims often running into many thousands of pounds. Just a small fracture can release hundreds of gallons of water into your property; damaging carpets, walls, ceilings and also personal items.
The chance of suffering these losses can be reduced and we would recommend taking the following steps to do this:

General tips:

Check the location of your stopcock.

Check whether your boiler needs servicing.

Check the insulation on your water pipes and cold water tank, those in the attic or other vulnerable spaces should be lagged or similarly protected.

Modern methods of insulation can be so effective in keeping heat within your property that attics can become very cold, this could cause a pipe to freeze. We therefore recommend you keep your loft hatch open if you have pipes in the attic to keep this area warm.

Keep doors between heated and unheated rooms open to allow warm air to circulate.

Keep cupboard doors open below sinks to allow warm air to circulate around the plumbing.

Seal any holes or gaps that may be letting cold air into your property.

Make sure any valleys and gulley’s on your roof are kept clear and free from debris.

Make sure any external taps are turned off and disconnect any hoses.

If you discover a frozen pipe don’t wait for it to burst. Turn off your water supply and then slowly thaw the affected pipe by introducing gentle heat to the area e.g. hair dryer, space heater, hot water bottle. DO NOT attempt to thaw the pipe with a blow torch or other open flame such as a cigarette lighter or matches.


What if you are going away or the property will be unoccupied?

Keep your property heated to reduce the chance of a pipe freezing.

If you are going away for an extended break drain and shut off your water system.

Ask somebody to check on your property daily. This may not prevent a loss but early identification of an escape can help reduce the ultimate cost.


Ensure you have complied with any unoccupancy conditions or warranties listed in your policy. If you need any clarification call Boshers on 01237 429444.


What if the worst happens?


Turn off the water supply at the stopcock. This should prevent any more water escaping into your property.


Where practical try and catch any excess water in a bucket or other container.

Do not use any electrics if you believe these may have been affected by the escaping water. You will need to have these checked by a professional electrician.


Call Boshers Monday to Friday 8.30-5pm or Ecclesiastical on 0845 603 8381 (24/7) immediately to report your claim. Ecclesiastical have to a wide range of specialists who can assist with the drying out and clean up of your property and also the necessary repairs or replacement.


We are here and ready to help.

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Furnished Holiday Lettings – read the Members of Parliament briefing

Furnished Holiday Lettings – read the Members of Parliament briefing. Under the Furnished Holiday Lettings rules, income from furnished holiday accommodation may be treated as income from a trade for tax purposes, although generally the letting of property is not a trade. In the 2009 Budget the Government announced that FHL rules would be repealed from April 2010, raising about £20m in 2011/12. Despite representation from home owners, landlords, and the tourist industry, the Government confirmed this change would go ahead in the Pre-Budget Report in December 2009. This parliamentory briefing note discusses the background to this measure. Read on here

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Holiday Cottages Group Launches TV Campaign

From the news – source Travolution

Holiday Cottages Group (HCG), the UK’s number one holiday cottage rental agency with more than 10,000 properties in the UK, is launching its first TV campaign in three years. The advert will premiere on Boxing Day and run throughout quarter one.

Holiday Cottages Group has reported sales of domestic holidays are up by 12 percent on 2008 and following this success it is looking to strengthen its position further in 2010.

The campaign promotes the cottages4you brand and aims to highlight the benefits of a self catering holiday by focusing on the experiences guests take home with them. Customer research carried out by HCG showed that the main features of a cottage holiday were relaxation, freedom and enjoying being ‘back with nature’. The scenarios depicted in the 40 second advert reflect these feelings and capture the essence of a cottage holiday.

The creative approach will be carried across all marketing channels including direct mail, email and website design. London Underground card panels, newspaper display and online display will also feature within the campaign.

You can see the first cottages4you advert from Saturday 26th December.

Read more here

Mark Lavington, Director of Boshers Ltd | Specialist Holiday Home Insurance advisers, comments; “HCG’s high profile marketing campaign highlighting the benefits of UK holiday cottage vacations is likely to have a knock on effect, thus hopefully increasing web traffic and enquiries for smaller bespoke  holiday letting agents who maximise their Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) and Pay Per Click (PPC) campaigns during Q1 of 2010.”

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Holiday Let Restoration Projects Sought By Holiday Cottages Magazine

Holiday Let Restoration Projects Sought By Holiday Cottages Magazine. Are you thinking about turning an old barn, brewery or bakery into a holiday let? Or any other pre-1945 building? If so, and you would like free advice on the project, read on.
In conjunction with Robert Hill of the Historic Building Advisory Service, Holiday Villas and Cottages are planning a new ‘house doctor’ series that welcomes questions from readers about any aspect of planning, building or related matters, and which may interest other readers. In addition Holiday Villas and Cottages are looking for one proposal where an owner is considering a conversion or restoration project that could be used as a case study. If you have either a particular question or a property that has an interesting background and needs expert advice and opinion, please e-mail details and images to info@merrickspublishing quoting ref: Boshers Blog. Should you require advice on holiday home insurance in connection with a conversation please contact Boshers Ltd who will be happy to advise you.  
Click this link to read an article about Historic Holiday Homes in a recent issue of Holiday Villas And Cottages Magazine.
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Pre – Budget Report 2009 | Furnished Holiday Lets | Rules To Be Withdrawn

The Chancellor has confirmed that the Furnished Holiday Lettings Rules will be withdrawn from 2010/11. The Chancellor has confirmed that the Furnished Holiday Lettings Rules will be withdrawn from 2010/11. Self-catering industry bodies continue to lobby the government. In the meantime Boshers Holiday Home Insurance clients can purchase a copy of Furnished Holiday Lets – your Emergency Tax Planning Guide at a 30% discount via a link at boshers.co.uk/articles   
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Furnished Holiday Lets – Emergency Tax Guide – by Carl Bayley BSc ACA

Here is another Tax Guide written by renowned property tax expert Carl Bayley and published by respected Taxation advisors, Tax-Cafe.co.uk. 

Holiday Home Insurance Specialists, Boshers Ltd have negotiated a 30% discount off the purchase price of £24.95 + £1.95 P&P for our clients and friends. For discount code details and information on how to purchase a copy click this link: Furnished Holiday Lets – Emergency Tax Guide – 30% Discount 
Tom Entwistle of www.landlordzone.co.uk recently published the following review: “Given Carl’s extensive knowledge of UK property taxation rules, this guide is about as good as it gets in regard Furnished Holiday Lettings taxation, coming up to the major changes in the law after 6 April 2010.

Despite the many uncertainties as to the exact situation after 6th April, as we are still waiting on detailed guidelines from HMRC, Carl gives some very relevant insights into the future and some valuable pointers as to what you can do in the short-term, if you are in the Holiday Lettings business.

Carl starts by comprehensively recapping the rules as they stand today; examining each of the main tax reliefs available until 5th April next, in turn.

One by one he considers what action landlords can take in the short-term to maximise the reliefs they can claim before the abolition of the current regime.

Having considered the short term, Carl goes on to consider the potential future landscape after 6th April next. Using lots of practical examples the guide is easy to follow for the layman and professional alike.

Interestingly, chapter 8 considers a possible “work-a-round” in the form of a Trading Status alternative to Holiday Lettings Businesses, similar to that of guest houses and hotels.

Chapter 9 considers the issues around adopting property as holiday lets in the time left, and Chapter 10 looks at the temporary extension of the Furnished Holiday Lettings regime to the European Economic Area (EEA).

This tax guide is a must for any landlord with Holiday lets.”

Buy your copy of Furnished Holiday Lets – Emergency Tax Guide – by Carl Bayley BSc ACA at a 30% Discount here. 


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It’s Official – Exchange Rates Help To Fuel UK Tourism

The Minister of State, Department for Culture, Media and Sport (Margaret Hodge) recently reported to the House Of Commons. “The number of overseas tourists who visited England in each of the past three years is as follows: in 2006, 27,586,288; in 2007, 27,794,425; in 2008, 27,291,584. Figures for 2009 show a downward trend in numbers, reflecting the global recession and particularly a downturn in business tourism. However, spend by those tourists is up by 2 per cent. compared to last year. In the month of July, domestic tourism increased by 20 per cent. compared with July 2008, which is the best figure we have had for quite a long time.” 

With no sign of Stirling strengthening significantly against the Euro this trend looks set to continue for the 2010 Furnished Holiday Letting season.

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Boscastle Flooding

Ten Tips For Holiday Home Owners Or Guests Affected By Flooding

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Ten Tips For Holiday Home Owners Or Guests Affected By Flooding

  1. Gather essential items together either upstairs or in a high place.
  2. Fill containers such as kettles and saucepans with clean water.
  3. Move your family and pets upstairs, or to a high place with a means of escape.
  4. Turn off gas, electricity and water supplies when flood water is about to enter your holiday home if safe to do so.
  5. DO NOT touch sources of electricity when standing in floodwater.
  6. If possible keep listening to local radio for updates or call Floodline on 0845 988 1188
  7. Flood water can rise quickly, stay calm and reassure those around you. Call 999 if you are in danger.
  8. Avoid walking or driving through flood water.
  9. Keep children and vulnerable people away from floodwater.
  10. Wash yourself thoroughly if you touch floodwater.

Report any flood damage to your holiday home insurance broker or insurer as soon as you are able. Claims line numbers can be found in your Policy Document or by phoning your trusted holiday home insurance adviser.

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Thank you for reading Ten Tips For Holiday Home Owners Or Guests Affected By Flooding.

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