All self-catering accommodation is different – it could be a townhouse, a cosy country cottage, a converted barn, a castle wing, a flat or a small annexe. Regardless of the type and size of property, here are some tips to ensure your accommodation will stand out from the crowd.
Top Tip Number 1 – Clean…Cleaner…Cleanest!
Never underestimate the value of keeping your property clean and tidy. Encourage occupants to leave the accommodation as they found it, and if possible ensure you always check the property before new occupants arrive. Simple things such as wiping over the coving with a damp cloth, running a mop round the bathroom floor, and ensuring there are cleaning products under the sink is a great way to ensure your occupants arrive to a nice home.
Top Tip Number 2 – Its all in the details!
You can really enhance your property even if you are on a budget. Make sure there is some fresh fruit on view and ensure there is fresh bread, coffee, teabags, sugar and in-date milk in the fridge. If there is a garden or patio area and enough space for one, a BBQ is a great idea, especially during the Summer months. Ensure you provide grilling and skewering tools however. Ensuring a good stock of toilet paper, kitchen roll and other basics would also not go amiss. Also, leave a welcoming note on the kitchen table with a contact number for any problems. You could also consider creating a ‘Welcome Pack’. These small things will help to ensure your guests stay goes smoothly and will help them to associate your property with a feeling of relaxation and calm which will make them want to return!
Top Tip Number 3 – Have a USP!
USP means Unique Selling Point. If you have something, such as a swimming pool, a state-of-the-art kitchen, or you offer stabling for horses, make sure everybody knows about it! If you don’t have a USP, make one – for example, if you have the space add a trampoline to the garden, turn the smallest bedroom into a home gym, or ensure all the cookware in the kitchen is Le Creuset. There are lots of things you can turn into your own Unique Selling Point – look around the accommodation and ask yourself what makes it different from all the others? It could even be something like the addition of black toilet paper (a la Simon Cowell!) to the bathroom!
Top Tip Number 4 - Get Rated!
Having a Star Rating will give you numerous benefits, not least a license to use the official logo on your website and any other promotional materials. It can cost from as little as £247 for one property for one year which includes the joining fee and participation fee. You will also receive an exterior sign reflecting your rating which can be displayed outside your property. Properties in England are assessed and accredited by Quality in Tourism, Scotland by Visit Scotland and Wales by Visit Wales. There are also additional schemes available such as Pets, Families, Cyclists and Walkers Welcome, which can all be joined for an additional fee.
Top Tip Number 5 – Advertise!
This seems an obvious point but there are lots of accommodation owners who think they don’t need to advertise or they think they can’t afford it. In reality, high quality advertising can be very inexpensive. The Holiday Cottages (www.theholidaycottages.co.uk) start their rates at only £39 for one years worth of advertising including 5 photos and up to 500 words of text. To get the best from your advertising ensure you have good quality, well-lit pictures which show the property off to its best. Include an exterior shot as well as one of the garden, and avoid bathroom photos unless it is your USP! There are numerous websites out there to advertise on, as well as newspapers and specialist Trade magazines you can get involved with, but we think that The Holiday Cottages is one of the best.
By following the points above you will be well on your way to having a property that will out-shine the rest.
