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holiday letting property images

More wow factor for your holiday letting property images

holiday letting property imagesMore than 400 million people login to the photo sharing app Instagram every single day, and as a result one thing that a growing number of us will take for granted is the ability to quickly and easily edit our photos, add a filter and improve their quality, all with just a few flicks of our finger on a smart phone screen.

It’s not just reserved to our own personal photos either; many of the photographs gracing glossy magazines and daily papers are now enhanced to ensure they’re looking their best.

This is however no modern phenomenon; the process of enhancing photos has actually been around for decades, but is now becoming increasingly common in estate agency, and more recently in the marketing of holiday letting properties.

So what are your options when it comes to making sure that your photos really are doing your holiday cottage justice?

Why would you need to enhance your holiday letting property images?

The online world in which we market our cottages is becoming increasingly instantaneous; more than 50% of all traffic will now arrive to a cottage site from a smart phone.  People want information and they want it quickly; this places a perennial pressure on the instant impact that a great photograph can make.

A photograph really can make or break an online booking decision.

We also need to bear in mind that the great British weather won’t always play ball; how often do cottage owners book in that professional photographer only to be scuppered by dark skies and rain?

So what can you do to make your holiday letting property images as good as they can be and just how much can they be altered to do you justice?

What sort of thing might you want to change?

It’s important to state here that you’re not going to be able to alter things beyond recognition, nor are you going to want to when it comes to managing the expectations of paying guests.  There are, however some aspects that can be tinkered with in order to tip the booking balance in your favour.

Interior issues

Getting great photos of the interior rooms of a property is notoriously tricky and why a specialist professional photographer is worth their weight in gold when shooting them. A photo enhancing service will be able to easily adjust exposure, shadows, colours and the saturation of your photo.

Rooms can essentially be made to feel as light and airy as they are in real life, which is great if the rain clouds arrived along with your photographer.

Handling those rain clouds

Once they’re finished inside, you’re still going to want some external shots of your cottage. A blue sky adds something to every holiday home, and the good news is that the sky can easily be changed to slightly sunnier times.

Visitor cars and other large objects

For most cottages, you’ll want to take your photos in the summer when the leaves are green, the grass is cut and everything is looking at its very best. There-in lays an age-old problem; how do you take the best photos you can when there are guests around?

Issues such as cars parked in the drive, children’s toys scattered across the lawn or wetsuits splayed across a fence are all things that will detract from the perfect picture. The good news again is that these can be edited out of your photo by enhancing services, providing you with the perfect combination of taking a photo at the best time of the year, whilst not having to worry about your guests.

There are a number of photo editing solutions and services out there; as always make sure you get a few quotes to ensure you’re getting the best possible price, and also ask to see some examples of their previous work (including before and after shots). 

If this all sounds like too much trouble all good holiday home letting agents will be able to offer these services as part of their package. This tends to be either in house or by using professional freelance photographers and editing services.

Boshers offer specialist holiday home insurance to owners across the UK. For information on how we can help and support your holiday home business call us on 01237 429444.

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holiday letting blog

7 easy ways to boost your holiday letting blog

holiday letting blogFor a long time now we’ve been told that content is king; not only does Google love it, potential guests enjoy reading it and engaging with what you’re sharing in your holiday letting blog, whether that’s information on places to go in the local area, images of the latest stunning sunset or sharing a few guest reviews.

You don’t need to be an expert in online copy to create great content, you just need a bit of knowledge on what your existing and potential guests like to read about. Alongside this, you’ll need attention grabbing headlines.

If you currently have a blog for your holiday cottage business, we know it is more than likely that you spend hours labouring over a fantastic post then rushing a headline without giving it too much thought. You may not realise, but this could cost you visits to your holiday letting blog and as a result fewer bookings.

Research has shown that 8 out of 10 people will read the title of your blog, whilst 2 out of 10 will read the whole post. So it is worth spending time on a great headline and making a first impression that grabs attention.

To help you get started, we’ve compiled a list of 7 tips on creating the perfect blog title for your brilliant post.

  1. Use power words

Adding words such as ‘brilliant’, ‘easy’, and ‘fun’ lets the reader know that your post is interesting and worth reading. They target human emotions which makes people more inclined to take the time to read your blog post.

  1. Include a number

Research shows that blog post titles get a much higher click-through rate on search engines when it includes a number. This is because we have short attention spans, particularly when it comes to browsing online. A quick skim of a blog title and we can find out that we’ll get 7 fun family activities in North Cornwall.

  1. Make it odd

Experts aren’t entirely sure why, but odd numbers in blog post titles are more popular than even numbers.  Research from The Content Marketing Institute found that titles which included an odd number led to 20% more clicks. We may not know why this happens but it is definitely worth doing!  We seem to have seven points in this one!

  1. Show you can help

Readers are always after blog posts that will benefit them in some way. From the headline, they need to know that what you have written can help them and benefit them in some way.

Instead of a simple title like “Devon coastal walks”, add in a benefit (and an odd number and power word!) to make it more appealing. Something like “6 beautiful Devonshire coastal walks for the whole family”.

  1. Keep it short

Google can currently only show 65 characters in its search results (which are taken from the title of your blog), so a long title will be cut off and your hard work will be wasted.

We recommend keeping it below 45 characters for maximum impact. If you really can’t get it any lower than this, make sure your key words are at the start of the headline so that if some is cut off by Google, readers will still know what your blog post is about.

  1. Read around

If you want to know how to be successful with blog headlines, then take a look at those at the top. By spending just 10 minutes looking at popular blogs, you can start to see what techniques they use with their headlines.  Before you know it the creative juices will be flowing and you’ll be inspired to write some great headlines!

  1. Test it

If you think you’ve done a great job but want to double check, then try out this great free headline analyser tool. CoSchedule  checks your headline and scores it for relatability and emotion.

Boshers offer specialist holiday home insurance to owners across the UK. For more information on how a specialist insurer can help and support your holiday home business, please give us a call on 01237 429444.

 

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promote your holiday let as a destination

How to promote your Holiday Let as a destination

promote your holiday let as a destinationDestinations are the places we all fall in love with; the home to our holidays and the areas we all want to visit and experience. The word ‘experience’ is the key here; it’s not just about a holiday home, it’s a long weekend, a school holiday or a week-long retreat packed full of experiences, some large, some small, but all incredibly important in building the overall destination experience.

So how should you promote your holiday let as a destination?

Given that your guests will spend the majority of their time away from your holiday home, we take a look at a few of the areas you should be promoting in order to get them to your door…

Access

The first thing any would-be guest is going to need to do is get there, meaning accessibility is going to play an important role in the holiday booking process, particularly if they’re going away with young children.

So how easy is it? Have you got the facility on your website to give them directions or an inkling as to how long the journey would take?

If you have good travel links then highlight these.

Also consider where the majority of your visitors come from; is there additional information you could provide for those travelling from the midlands as an example?

Attractions

We’ve already said that your guests will spend the majority of their time outside of your holiday cottage, and even more so in the summer months.

What is it they’ll be doing when they’re out there?

Know your market and highlight the attractions that are going to tick the boxes; if you’re appealing to the young family market they’re going to want to know of local family days out.  Based near the sea, on a moor or in an area of outstanding natural beauty? You’ll want them to know of all the best beaches, hiking routes and killer views!

A common mistake can be to highlight attractions too far from your holiday home. If there are some large attractions that are more than 30 minutes from your cottage ensure you make it clear how far they are in order to manage your guest’s expectations.

Eateries

Great food, fine wine, a relaxing atmosphere; these are things that many visitors will be looking to enjoy in local pubs and restaurants during their stay.

So, are you utilising local eateries to the fullest advantage when looking to secure bookings and add value for your visitors?

Many holiday home websites will provide plenty of information about places to visit, but sometimes neglect the great local food and drink. If this is a thriving asset to the local area be sure to do it justice. If you’re looking for more ideas on on how you can promote your holiday let by embracing culinary tourism, we have some tips here:

Places to shop

Don’t just think clothes and shoes! They’re going to be staying in your holiday cottage, so if they can’t be tempted by some of the great local pubs and restaurants, where are they able to buy the necessities? Are you near a town or a local village shop that gives them everything you need?

Having said the comment about clothes and shoes, if you’re near a great shopping district, perhaps an area steeped in history and local art then make sure they know everything there is to know.

Events

Events will often bring mass numbers of people to a specific location; think Glastonbury, Run To The Sun or any number of events held throughout the year.

They don’t always need to be large in order for people to travel; if you have an event near to your holiday letting property ensure it’s promoted. Here are some helpful tips on how you can do just that!

Where could you promote your holiday let?

Content makes the online world go round; be sure to regularly update your blog with latest news and information on the local area, as well as having a dedicated area on your website.  Share and team up with local businesses in order to increase the reach you can all gain; your customers are theirs too.

When holiday letting your second home to paying guests it’s essential to take advice on suitable insurance. Boshers offer specialist holiday home insurance to holiday letting owners across the UK. For more information on how a specialist insurer can help and support your holiday home business, please give us a call on 01237 429444.

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Fire safety of furniture and furnishings in your holiday home

Fire safety of furniture and furnishings in your holiday home

Fire safety of furniture and furnishings in your holiday homeThe consequences of a fire in your holiday home can be catastrophic and in some cases fatal; in the last year there were 322 fire related deaths across Great Britain, and whilst this figure is significantly down on the 1988 high of 731, there are on average 39,600 reported dwelling fires every 12 months.

Despite 88% of fires being accidental, it is vital that you remain vigilant in reducing any potential risks in your holiday home in order to ensure your guests can enjoy their stay in the safest possible environment.

What legislation applies to the Fire safety of furniture and furnishings in your holiday home? 

One of the biggest alterations made to the fire safety of furniture and furnishings regulations in recent times was the introduction of The Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988 (amended 1989, 1993 and 2010), which looked to ensure that upholstery components and composites used for furniture supplied in the UK meet specified ignition resistance levels.

These regulations, which do extend to holiday homes, highlighted the fact that prior to their introduction, highly flammable furniture was often becoming an accelerant in the spread of fire throughout a home, and posed a significant risk to those inside.

What do you need to be aware of?

Although the majority of regulations are geared toward suppliers and manufacturers, you do need too be aware of your own responsibilities as a holiday homeowner.

Amendments made to the Regulations in 1993 mean that they now apply to the actual ‘supplier of furniture acting in the course of a business’. With a holiday home this will be the owner of the furnished holiday letting property.

When did you buy your furniture?

Furniture purchased since March 1990 should satisfy the Regulations and be permanently labelled. However, if your furniture was purchased prior to this date it will not necessarily satisfy all of the regulatory requirements.

Any furniture manufactured prior to 1950 is outside the scope of the Regulations.

The six core areas of the regulations are:

  • Filling materials must meet specified ignition requirements
  • Upholstery composites must be cigarette resistant
  • Covers must be match resistant (with certain exceptions as outlined in Section 8.2 and Appendix A5)
  • A permanent label must be fitted to every item of new furniture (with the exception of mattresses and bed-bases)
  • A display label must be fitted to every item of new furniture at the point of sale (with the exception of mattresses, bed-bases, pillows, scatter cushions, seat pads, loose covers sold separately from the furniture and stretch covers)
  • The first supplier of domestic upholstered furniture in the UK must maintain records for five years to prove compliance.

For a full guide on the The Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988 please visit this link: 

You may also find the following posts for holiday home owners of interest:

Boshers offer specialist holiday home insurance to owners across the UK. For more information on how a specialist insurer can help and support your holiday home business, please give us a call on 01237 429444.

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Potential of biomass energy for holiday homeowners

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mcz-pellet-biomass-boilerBiomass – the benefits and pitfalls for heating your holiday home

With the summer season approaching it can seem somewhat premature to be thinking about heating your holiday home.  However, those whom have already been proactive in exploring and sourcing alternative heating technologies will be reaping the benefits not only this winter but for many to come.

Keeping a cottage warm is an expensive business; crude oil is a depleting resource and one that has increased in price by more than 80% in the past five years.  These costs have been passed on to consumers and when combined with continually rising electricity prices are seeing the costs of running a holiday home perennially increasing.

Whilst for many cottages occupancy was once traditionally confined to the warmer summer months, more and more now have a heightened focus on filling ‘shoulder months’, transcending from seasonal to year-round enterprises.

This places an increased emphasis on reducing energy bills and the attraction of alternative, more sustainable technologies in order to maintain profitability.

We explore the potential of biomass energy for holiday homeowners.

What is biomass?

Biomass is a renewable energy that uses biological material from living, or recently living organisms in order to generate energy or to produce heat.

In the context of holiday homes this will most commonly be in the form of wood chips, pellets or other wood waste, with a boiler being placed inside a cottage, or in an external building from where larger boilers are able to heat multiple holiday homes.

What are the benefits of biomass energy for holiday homeowners?

Clean and carbon neutral

Biomass is a clean energy and virtually carbon neutral.  It is estimated that by replacing a coal or electric heating system with biomass the average household can reduce their carbon dioxide output by around 9.5 tonnes per annum.

Being green and sustainable is an area increasing numbers of visitors are not only interested in but passionate about; the World Tourism Organisation recently found that one in three people now consider the environmental credentials of their potential destination, with 40% willing to pay a premium to stay in such accommodation.

Less susceptible to price increases

As we’ve already said, oil is a depleting world resource and trends indicate its price is going to continue to rise over time.  As biomass fuel is largely taken from waste wood it doesn’t share the same price volatility as oil or electricity; it’s estimated that the forestry industry across the world is wasting enough biomass each year to heat 1,500,000 homes.

Cost saving and the Renewable Heat Incentive

The Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) is the world’s first long-term financial support programme for renewable heat and pays participants that generate and use renewable energy to heat their buildings.

The tariffs have been set at a level that reflects the expected cost of renewable heat generation over 20 years, meaning that whilst price fluctuations and rises are less likely than with oil and electricity, you’ll be protected from any potential increases.

In addition to the RHI it’s also worth noting that those adopting biomass have seen drops in heating costs in direct comparison to previous electricity or solid fuel bills.

The potential issues with biomass

Whilst biomass is a cleaner and greener alternative to other more carbon intensive heat sources, there are some disadvantages to its adoption for holiday homeowners.

Large implementation costs

Whilst potential cost savings can be made the initial outlay for the biomass boiler itself can be significant.  It’s estimated that the payback period is somewhere in the region of five to seven years.  This can be cost prohibitive for some to implement, although the longer term benefits will outweigh this issue if cash flow is available to implement the technology.

Higher levels of maintenance

It’s also worth noting that biomass boilers will need more space and care than traditional systems. The fuel will need to be stored either in a hopper or in bags, meaning that regular checking or refilling will need to be carried out by yourself or by your guests.

In order for the biomass boiler to perform at it’s upmost efficiency it will also need to be regularly cleaned; if this isn’t carried out the potential payback period for your boiler may lengthen.

If your holiday home is likely to be unoccupied for periods during the winter months you would be well to consider combining biomass with other sources of green and sustainable heating such as air source heat pumps which can be left running on thermostats with minimal maintenance. Keeping your holiday home warm whilst unoccupied has the obvious advantage of preventing burst pipes and the added advantage of reducing the likelihood of mold growth. It’s also important that you comply with the heating conditions specified in your holiday home insurance policy document and of course keep your property cosy for the next guests or indeed your own visit.

If you’re looking to implement biomass in your holiday home ensure that you consult a specialist in this area and give full thought to not only potential cost savings but also to implementation and maintenance.

For further information or if you require a quotation from a specialist for your holiday home insurance call our team on 01237 429444.

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Key to protecting your holiday let

Protecting your holiday let infographic

Your key to protecting your holiday let. As claims increase so do premiums. Fortunately there’s lots you can do to protect your holiday let, your guests and help keep insurance costs down. Take the time to read this informative infographic which explains some of the more common claims affecting holiday homes. There are also top tips on how you can protect your holiday let and reduce the risk of having a claim yourself.

If you are having any trouble viewing the interactive version of `Your key to protecting your holiday let’ you can view the original infographic here.

Your key to protecting your holiday let

Burst pipes and escape of water. We paid out more holiday home insurance claims for burst pipe and escape of water than any other type of claim. What can you do to protect your holiday let from burst pipes and escape of water?

  • Ongoing maintenance
  • Regular property inspections when unoccupied
  • Shut off the water when your holiday home is not let and/or leave the heating on
  • Install a leak detection system or auto stopcock
  • Insulate water pipes and storage tanks
  • Regularly service your holiday home boiler and heating system

Click here for more top tips to protect your holiday let from burst pipes and escape of water.

Storm and flood damage caused £400 million pounds of damage to 8000 homes in the UK during 2012 thanks to the wettest weather in a century.  What can you do to protect your holiday let and your guests from storm and flood damage?

  • Maintain drains, gutters and culverts at your holiday home
  • Have a flood plan if your property is vulnerable
  • Turn off gas and electricity and move items upstairs

Click here for more top tips to protect your holiday let and your guests from storm and flood damage

Theft and escape of oil and pollution claims payments have averaged £12,781. The cost of heating oil claims are often inflated by the length of time it can render your holiday home unusable whilst resulting pollution is dealt with. What can you do to protect your holiday let from heating oil theft, escape of oil and subsequent pollution damage?

  • Conceal your heating oil tank
  • Fit a lock, security lighting or alarm device
  • Have your heating oil tank inspected regularly
  • Replace your tank when advised to do so

Click here for more tips to protect your holiday let from heating oil theft, escape of oil and subsequent pollution damage

Fire was the cause of the highest claim paid of any incident on our holiday home insurance scheme. At £281,108 the claim represents more than 700 times our average premium. What can you do to protect your holiday let and your guests from a fire?

  • Review your holiday let fire risk assessments 
  • Ensure electrics are safe
  • Sweep chimneys regularly

Click here for more tips to protect your holiday let and your guests from a fire.

Slips and Trips claims are all to common and emphasises the importance of having holiday home insurance including liability cover which extends to the use of your second home as a holiday let. Slips and trip claims can be inflated by legal costs. The highest claims paid for slips and trips is £31,750. What can you do to protect your holiday let guests from slips, trips and falls?

  • Secure carpets and rugs
  • Install secure handrails for stairs and steps
  • Maintain paths, driveways and patios

Click here for more tips to protect your holiday let guests from slips, trips and falls.

For further information on UK holiday home insurance visit the website page most relevant to you:

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Fire Safety Assessment

Complying with Fire Safety Law for Sleeping Accommodation Providers in England & Wales

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This article offers guidance on fire safety law for sleeping accommodation providers. Almost six years have passed since the law known as the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, was introduced in October 2006. Despite the passing of time, Fire Safety Risk Assessments for holiday home owners remains, if you will excuse the pun, ‘a hot topic’.

As specialist providers of holiday home insurance for UK lets, this topic is raised frequently during discussions that we have with both holiday cottage owners and holiday home letting agents alike. There has been much confusion and speculation banded around the self-catering accommodation industry about the required frequency and content of a suitable assessment.

Complying with Fire Safety Law for Sleeping Accommodation Providers in England & Wales

Thankfully `The Chief Fire Officers Association’ have produced a leaflet containing information on complying with fire safety law for people who provide sleeping accommodation in England and Wales.

The document is entitled: Do You Have Paying Guests? If so, fire safety law applies to you, and you must take action

It also contains an Example Fire Risk Assessment Form for recording significant findings for small accommodation providers.

This leaflet is concise, written in plain language and aimed at the smaller end of the sleeping accommodation market, such as Bed and Breakfast’s, holiday homes, holiday cottages and holiday let apartments.

These documents will assist you as a holiday home owner to comply with your obligations under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. Click the links below to find out more:

For Self-Catering holiday cottage owners in Scotland, the Scottish Government has produced the following:

You may also find the following posts for holiday home owners of interest:

Follow this link for other useful resources for holiday home owners

Boshers offer specialist holiday home insurance to holiday let and cottage complex owners across the UK. If you need an insurance quote for your holiday let call us on 01237 429444.

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Theft Of Heating Oil

Theft of heating oil from holiday homes

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The cost of heating oil has increased significantly recently and this has resulted in more thefts of oil from holiday homes and elsewhere.

The first indication that a theft has taken place is usually when a holiday home’s heating system fails to work. The assumption is often made that the boiler is at fault, but regrettably the problem is often simply no oil. Thefts vary from small amounts being stolen, to the whole tank being drained. The methods used by the thieves can be very crude, including drilling or punching holes in the side of the tank and then filling jerry cans. Resulting pollution of the ground and water by oil is a costly business and can lead to your property being unavailable for holiday letting to guests whilst the environmental damage is put right. It’s not hard to see how a few large claims like this can result in higher premiums for all to cover the costs.

Theft of heating oil from holiday homes

So what can holiday home owners do to prevent such losses?

  • Monitor the level of oil in your tank regularly and ask your housekeeper, caretaker and/or a friendly neighbour to do the same in your absence.
  • Conceal the location of the tank by using hedging, fencing or walling.
  • Securely lock doors at all times if the tank is situated within a building.
  • Install security lighting to cover the tank if the holiday home is overlooked from nearby buildings.
  • Ask nearby residents to be vigilant and report any suspicious activity to the police.
  • Encourage high occupancy rates, which reduces the time available to thieves.
  • Padlock the valve. This may not always be the correct course of action, as thieves may smash the valve completely, but it can deter a less determined thief.
  • Install an alarm devices which creates an alert if the oil level suddenly drops or if the lock is attacked.
If you are unfortunate enough to have a theft of oil at your holiday home, ensure that you report it to the police immediately and inform your holiday home insurance provider of the incident. Check your policy carefully to ensure that you have sufficient cover for loss of oil and adhere to any inspection warranties.

Follow this link for posts similar to theft of heating oil from holiday homes and other useful resources for holiday home owners

For further information on UK holiday home insurance visit the website page most relevant to you:

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Guide To Holiday Home Insurance

Guide To Holiday Home Insurance. Letting your holiday home commercially has many benefits, however as with running any business it isn’t without risk. It is therefore important to get the right holiday home insurance cover. Many holiday home owners may unwittingly be relying on normal home insurance cover or even more disconcerting have no cover at all.

Insurance brokers like Boshers understand the demands and needs of owners of commercially let UK holiday homes and have negotiated a specialist holiday home insurance policy with a leading insurer. Read our Guide To Holiday Home Insurance

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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.

Follow this link for posts similar to `Ten Tips For Holiday Home Owners Or Guests Affected By Flooding’ and other useful resources for holiday home owners

For further information on UK holiday home insurance visit the website page most relevant to you:

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