Switching Holiday Let Owners

So, you’ve got a holiday home, but you’re thinking of switching agencies

For your holiday let to be a success, you need an attentive team to maximise returns on your property. If you’ve been experiencing less than dazzling service recently from your current agency, and you’re seeking fresh new thinking, here’s how Bloom Stays can support you.

A buyer’s guide to switching holiday let agencies

Why switch holiday letting agencies? Aren’t they all the same?

In short, no. In the UK right now, there are hundreds of holiday lettings agencies, most of which are owned by huge parent corporate companies, while only a select few (like us!) are independent. The larger agencies are mostly formed of smaller brands that were merged together for financial efficiencies, which sadly has meant that in some cases they have lost their focus on their most important asset: the owners who supply them with houses.

At Bloom Stays, we do things differently. Firstly, our independence, our freedom from a larger corporate structure, means we have the ability to be truly honest. We take all our 30+ years’ experience and make it useful on an individual basis to you, the owner. Unlike other agencies, we operate only in Kent & Sussex because it’s where we know best. Others may sound like they know their local areas, but in reality their teams are based in call centres many miles away.

How easy is it to switch holiday let agencies? And what can I expect when I do so?

The process of switching your holiday let agency should be fairly straightforward, so long as you’re not changing or updating the property in a major way. However, any new agency should cast fresh eyes over the property and reassess it.

Exclusivity

Like other agencies, Bloom Stays prefers its properties to be exclusively available to them and their guests. Some agencies are happy to share, but we find it causes confusion for owners and guests if they see it listed on multiple sites. We’re always willing to compromise, however, so please don’t hesitate to communicate your own preferences with us.

Making changes

Understandably, fresh eyes on your property may raise some issues that you may not have previously considered. For instance, we know that Bloom Stays guests request hot tubs and dog-friendly features in the houses they rent, so it almost goes without saying that it’s worth considering providing a dog bed, bowl, and leads for your guests to use. We also know how much guests prefer hotel quality bed linen, with high thread counts contributing to return bookings.

Standards & regulations

Of course, the UK has respected nationwide standards for holiday letting that cover everything from fire alarms to accessibility. As you’d expect, we ensure every property we rent meets and often exceeds these standards. Agencies should all have their own processes for assessing and recording these vital statistics, and be able to share them with you as and when required. Each agency will carry out their own checks on taking over the property, so please expect to have to supply figures, photographs, and possible face-to-face inspections.

Your revenue

Changing agencies will typically be driven by a desire to understand how to maximise returns on your holiday let throughout the year. One of our pride points at Bloom Stays is that we keep every house under constant financial review through our use of the most modern software packages, which track individual revenue against the market. We always recommend adjusting prices week to week, month to month, if necessary, and we use our wider network of like-minded independent cottage companies to gain a wider view of market trends. If something looks amiss, then we’ll always dig deep to understand why.