There are many different ways in which a fire could start in your holiday home. Having an understanding of the risks that fire poses to your property and your guests is vital to ensuring a safe stay in your cottage and complying with Fire Safety Law for Holiday Letting. Complying with Fire Safety Law for […]
The consequences of a fire in a holiday home can be extremely expensive, disruptive and even fatal. With local fire authorities attending more than 450 household fire incidents across the country each and every day (170,000 in the past year), they are also more common than you may think. There are several steps you can […]
The online world never stands still; here’s our top ten digital trends and tips to increase holiday let bookings to help your holiday home business stay ahead of the game in 2015. Content remains a key to your holiday home marketing The last few years have seen an explosion in the use of the term […]
Technology continues to revolutionise and push the boundaries of how we go about our every day lives. So how can we use it to reduce costs, to add value and encourage visitors to our holiday homes, all without costing the earth? Add value to your holiday home We take a look at some of the […]
If a picture really is worth a thousand words, what is your holiday home photography saying about your holiday letting property? In a marketplace in which decisions are increasingly made quickly and online can you afford for those words to be the wrong ones? We take a look at things to consider when photographing your […]
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. The food and drink industry has long been synonymous with tourism and as the burgeoning reputation of British gastronomy continues to rise it’s a synergy that seems certain to […]
Tourism awards; they come around each and every year, so if you’re yet to enter your holiday home and it could have been a winner do you really know what you’re missing out on? Here’s our look at some of the ways in which a tourism award submission or win could give your holiday home […]
It’s official; last winter was the stormiest period of weather experienced by the UK for at least 20 years. No fewer than twelve storms brought with them strong winds and heavy rainfall, battering holiday homes across England, Wales and Scotland well into February last year. The statistics are incredible: 600,000 homes were without power. 7,000 […]
Landlords including holiday letting owners are under scrutiny because the Revenue estimates that £500m is lost every year through underpayment of tax on rental income and undeclared capital gains on second properties. Last year HMRC said that 40,000 landlords were suspected of bending the rules. HMRC has continued to urge property landlords and holiday letting […]
International sporting events have the potential to captivate, engage and inspire a nation. If proof were ever required we need only to cast our gaze back to 2012 and the London Olympics; 900 million people tuned in to watch the opening ceremony of a games that kept everybody on the edge of their seats for […]
When you rent a property it is usually treated as a form of investment activity rather than a trade. For example, if you had a job and owned a second home which you let on a shorthold tenancy agreement, the property would for tax purposes often be seen as you owning it as an investment, […]
Do your guests ever play music through a radio, TV, CD or MP3 player you’ve supplied? If they do you may need a PRS (Performing Rights Society) Licence. We explain what this is and when you may need one as a holiday homeowner. For example are you aware that the PRS do not charge a […]
The first signs of snow are often met with as much excitement as they are trepidation, but for holiday homeowners the falling of the white stuff brings with it a range of different issues and none more important than ensuring the safety of your guests. To view our `Preparing your holiday home for snow’ infographic full […]
If you own and run a holiday home have you ever considered using the support and expertise of a specialist holiday home letting agent? If you haven’t, we explore ten benefits of using a holiday home letting agent that you could enjoy: 1. Saving time Answering emails, the phone ringing off the hook, updating availability […]
Quality accommodation is a critical element of any stay in a holiday home. In a commitment to championing quality, all of Britain’s major tourism organisations (including VisitEngland, VisitScotland and the Wales Tourist Board) work together to agree, support and develop common standards for assessing the quality of self-catering accommodation. So what are they really looking […]
Whilst traditionally a time spent with family in the confides of our own home, more and more of us are now packing our bags and heading for a holiday cottage to celebrate Christmas. How to attract guests to book your holiday home for Christmas Here’s our advice on how to attract guests to book your […]
Your responsibilities when employing contractors to work on your holiday home If you’re having work carried out or renovations made to your holiday home that require builders to be on site, these alterations will bring with them a unique set of risks and considerations for your property and the contents within it. Are you aware […]
Top tips for selecting a building contractor for your holiday home Autumn is a time when many holiday homeowners look to reinvigorate or renovate their properties for next season. Whilst some alternations will be merely superficial in nature – updating your decor or the change of an item of furniture for example, other developments may […]
New addition to our specialist holiday home insurance policy – Legionellosis Liability Cover We are pleased to announce that when our holiday homeowners next renew their specialist holiday home insurance policy they’ll be benefiting from even more cover. We will now be providing public and products liability cover as standard, which will indemnify owners against […]
Do you have a television in your holiday home? Many of us will be familiar with needing a television licence for our own home, but as the owner of a holiday let or cottage complex, do you know which tv licence is required? The majority of holiday cottages across the country will now contain at […]
Tips on reducing the risk of chimney fires It’s time to do your autumn sweep! Whilst many of us will revel in the idea of a glass of wine or local ale in front of a roaring fire they do come with safety considerations and risks; there are approximately 6,000 chimney fires in England each […]
With the UK basked in what is fast becoming an Indian summer and one of the warmest July’s on records fresh in the memory it can be difficult to adjust the mind to look forward to more inclement times. The devastation caused to homes and holiday property across the Westcountry and South coast of England […]
Exploring the eco benefits of replacing your old light bulbs with newer LED equivalents Do you know how many light bulbs there are in your holiday home? A strange question perhaps, but for many holiday property owners, one that has already been answered or will need to be in the near future. In September 2012, […]
Boshers are delighted to announce that we’re supporting Gas Safety Week (15th – 21st September) Gas Safety Week is an annual safety week to raise awareness of gas safety and the importance of taking care of the gas appliances in your home, holiday home or buy-to-let property. It is co-ordinated by Gas Safe Register, the official list […]
Marketing a Listed Holiday Home and telling a story As a nation we’re a traditional bunch; committed not only to celebrating our history but also protecting our heritage. One challenge for owners of heritage holiday homes and holiday cottages is how to approach marketing a Listed holiday home to attract more bookings. From 17th century […]
Communicating Gas Safety to your Holiday Home Guests Carbon monoxide (CO) is a highly poisonous gas produced by the incomplete burning of gas, liquid gas, oil, coal and wood. It has been the cause of 40 injuries and deaths in holiday accommodation across the UK in the past two years and is something that many […]
The Dog Friendly Holiday Home Market A dog has long been regarded as a man’s best friend and for a nation of pet lovers it doesn’t stop there; from your pampered pooch to the fastidious feline, an estimated one in three UK households now has a pet to call their own. The question for owners […]
Promoting your holiday home to walkers online In 1988 the Proclaimers confidently claimed they would walk 500 miles and may well be prepared to walk 500 more. Whilst that’s far enough to arrive in Barcelona from our North Devon base and still have a few miles in the tank, many of us have followed them by […]
Information for Holiday Home Owners Supplying BBQ’s to Guests June 2014 was one of the warmest and driest in the past decade, worthy of a blog on BBQ Safety for Holiday Home Owners. Whilst in recent times the words ‘barbecue summer’ have become somewhat synonymous with an unfortunate Met Office prediction of a return to the summer […]
HMRC launch tax initiative open to holiday homeowners As a holiday home owner does getting the best possible terms on the tax you have to pay on your property sound like an attractive proposition? HMRC Let Property Campaign allows those who haven’t declared letting income to do so! We’re currently highlighting the ‘Let Property Campaign’ […]