🏠 Make your guests' furry friend's stay more memorable.

As we formally enter Spring and wait for the weather to catch up with the season, how has your week been?

A view from Key Data suggests that UK April bookings are down on last year, however this summer is looking more positive compared to this time last year.

How are bookings for you?

Read on to find some dog friendly stay tips and for an insight into the average percentage of return bookings for owners.

See you in your inbox next Saturday at 5pm?

Phil

Founder, My Holiday Guide

IN THE NEWS

UK Associations are continuing to highlight the potnetial impact of the proposal to abolish FHL allowances. STAA, PASC, ASSC are all engaging with the UK Government and Agencies and encouraging owners to also take action.

If you haven’t done so already, you can sign the petition organised by PASC and send a letter to your local MP. The petition currently has over 12,000 signatories.

An article written by Rob Oliver from Dudley Building Society is buoyant on why investing in holiday lets is still a good idea; especially for expats. His key points are:

• Despite the potential changes in tax regulations, holiday lets remain a lucrative investment option with the potential for good returns and tax benefits

• Holiday lets offer a profitable investment opportunity, especially for expats looking for regular income and a place to stay when visiting the UK

• The staycation trend post-Covid has significantly increased demand for holiday rentals in the UK

• Holiday lets can provide a higher return on investment compared to long-term rentals, with potential for substantial revenue even if rented out for only part of the year

The overall consensus at the moment is to not make hasty decisions and to sit tight to see how the proposed changes pan out!

An interesting article highlighting how guests can save by booking direct rather than via Airbnb.

Although not directly FHL related, I thought this article made for interesting reading as, at some point we will all need to sell or pass on our properties.

LISTING PERFORMANCE & GROWTH
Tips and strategies to enhance the visibility and attractiveness of your holiday let.

I recently ran a poll to gain owner’s opinion on what percentage of their bookings are year on year repeats.

From the 127 responses, 55% of owners highlighted that less than 5% of their bookings were repeat visitors. Although there are many factors that go into what drives repeat bookings, I am sure gaining more repeat bookings would be of benefit!

In a future newsletter we will explore what else you can do to achieve a higher level of repeat bookings.

This week I am looking at how you can make your dog friendly property more inviting for your guests and their furry friends; and how providing a simple dog welcome pack can improve your guests experience and help secure repeat bookings. We also explore additional no/low cost tips you can implement to provide a warm welcome to your guests and their favourite pets.

If you currently don’t accept dogs, did you know that making your property dog friendly can increase your bookings by up to 11%?

You can read the full article here:

FEATURED RESOURCE
Highlighting useful tools and resources for your holiday let.

Having a brand for your holiday let property or business can contribute to a more memorable experience for your guests and provides a consistent feel through your property and across your website and social media - increasing the chances of guests remembering you property(ies), and achieving repeat bookings.

I came across Jill Heaton recently who can help you create a brand for your property or portfolio of properties. You can contact Jill via her property website or via [email protected]

FEATURED ARTICLE

With Easter just around the corner here’s a short article that provides some ideas on what you can do to improve your guests stay over the Easter break; especially if your guests have young children.

SAVINGS
Here's a quick round up of discounts and deals we are aware of from providers to the holiday let industry.

• Mitre currently have a ‘spend and save’ with up to 30% off if you spend over £350 using the code MITRESAVERS at checkout. Expires 25th March

• Dusk have a flash sale with up to 75% off. Ends Sunday

INTERIOR DESIGN
Interior design inspiration and decor tips.

PROPERTIES OF THE NEWSLETTER
We all love looking at and getting inspiration from other properties so here’s our top pick for this edition.

FUN FACTS

It may not come as a surprise to you that I’m a bit OCD and my task tracking is pretty on-point!

I saw my daughter using this website the other day that is a ‘wheel of fortune’ for your to-do list. You can virtually spin it and it will randomly stop on a task for you to complete!

If you’re always struggling with what task to do next this might be the tool you need!

NO FOMO
Missed last weeks newsletter? Here’s one thing you might like.

In last weeks newsletter we highlighted the different options available to hosts for creating a website, from simple drag and drop website builders to bespoke designs and everything in between.

If you’re thinking about creating or updating your website checkout our article for some practical tips.

SHARE AWAY
Do you find our newsletter useful? Feel free to forward it to your host friends so they can benefit too.

If a friend sent you our newsletter, you are welcome to subscribe to not miss next weeks edition.