Our efficiency, experience and support create outstanding results for our
property Owners.
We were founded in 1977 by Tony and Clare Tregoning. Starting with just twelve
holiday homes in the first year, the company has grown to the point where we
now let over 700 holiday homes throughout the West Country. It has passed to
the next generation so it is still ‘in the family’, and the team
now consists of over 30 people, with the majority having been with the company
for more than five years and over a third for ten years or more. That body of
experience is the company’s greatest asset.
It is all very well for us to extol our own virtues, but we have had the
occasional ‘pat on the back’ so here are some of the awards we have collected
over the years:
| 2009 |
Green Tourism Business Scheme Gold Award (www.green-business.co.uk). |
| 2008 |
South West Tourism Awards: Best Web site. |
| 2008 |
The Cornwall Tourism Awards: Best Web site. |
| 2008 |
Cornwall Business Awards: Best Web site. |
| 2007 |
The Guardian Observer Best Brochure award. |
| 2003 |
Cornwall Tourism Awards: |
1. Tourism Marketing Initiative of the Year.
2. Winner of Winners.
3. Outstanding Contribution to Tourism awarded to Tony Tregoning.
|
| 1999 |
HRH The Princess Royal visits Classic Cottages.
|
| 1998 |
Cornwall International Business of the Year: Tourism and Leisure
category. |
| 1990 |
The English Tourist Board 'England For Excellence': Marketing
Self-Catering Accommodation. |
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We are very proud of our portfolio of holiday homes. Since the earliest days we
have been determined to build a reputation for offering only the very best
properties. Success has been built on the fact that our customers feel that
they can trust us with each and every holiday they take. The quality of the
properties is an integral part of our success, the best marketing in the world
will fall flat if the customer is not delighted with the product. Like any
other business, we only thrive if our customers return.
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From your first enquiry, one of our six Property Managers will be assigned to
you to discuss all aspects of holiday letting and will remain with you once you
have signed up with us. Each has extensive knowledge of the business and their
particular region. They are always contactable during the working week and we
have a Duty Property Manager on call at weekends. They do have holidays but we
have an excellent team back at the office who will invariably have the answer
to your question or know where to find it.
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We will advise you on every aspect of holiday letting from your statutory duties
to colour co-ordination. There is not much we do not know about our business
but, if you do find a gap in our knowledge (some of the intricacies of VAT can
be complex), we will help you to find the answer. On the first visit we will
give you a full and honest appraisal of the suitability of your property for
holiday letting, including any changes we would request before marketing the
property. We will advise you on the right rent band to maximise your income,
and will give you an estimate of the season length you might expect in order to
arrive at a projection of your annual net income. Your Property Manager will
also be happy to advise on other matters like design, decor, accepting pets –
even the duties of your housekeeper should you need to employ one. Our Property
Managers do not receive a commission for adding new holiday homes to our
portfolio, so you can be assured that the advice is impartial. Once your
holiday home is up and running, we will meet with you at the very least once a
year to discuss the previous year’s bookings and make plans for the following
year.
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These days the consumer is king and it is important to be available to your
customers when they want you. Our Booking Office is open every day of the week
and until 8.00pm on weekdays. The Web site works even harder; it is available
to take bookings, brochure requests or just to browse 24 hours a day, every
day.
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An important part of the trust placed in us by Owners and guests alike is our
efficiency. It is no use to you handing over all the administration if you
still have the hassle of checking up on us. Intelligent use of computers
ensures that we handle all the routine administration punctually and
accurately. In addition, having an in-house IT team means that we are
constantly developing and improving our systems so that our operation is not
welded to the computer – we do not allow our computer to say ‘No’!
We also pride ourselves on attention to detail in every aspect of our business,
from preparing property descriptions to dealing with a complicated booking
request. Sometimes it can border on the obsessive, but we are very aware that
we are dealing with your property and your guests’ holidays, both are important
and mistakes can be expensive.
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Our marketing conjures up ideas of idyllic holidays, but the business end of
letting a holiday home demands that the right money is collected at the right
time, the relevant confirmations are sent and all the contractual details are
covered. We take care of all that and make sure that the guests get full
instructions on how to reach the property and get into it – even if they are
booking at the very last minute.
We always stick to deadlines whether it is for a direct mailing piece or our
monthly payments to you. We understand the importance of cash flow and regard
prompt, accurate payments as a ‘fundamental’ of our service – we have never
missed a payment in 30 years and do not intend to do so in the future.
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When you sign up with us you will also get log in details for our Owners’ Web
site which allows you to see bookings as soon as they are made, all the
financial details of those bookings and the guests’ feedback questionnaires as
they come in. There is also a newsfeed where we keep you up-to-date with the
latest information.
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You will receive a statement with every payment
which provides a breakdown of each booking including our deductions. The
financial statements are even presented so that they are ready to be passed
straight to the taxman or your accountant. When you sign up with us you will
also get log in details for our Owners’ Web site which allows you to see
bookings as soon as they are made, all the financial details of those bookings
and the guests’ feedback questionnaires as they come in.
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One of the unique facets of our company is the amount of time and money we put
into ensuring all our communication with our customers is beautifully designed.
It certainly costs more than mainstream marketing, but we believe that
investment is a crucial part of building the trust and reassurance that keep
our guests loyal.
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Paradoxically our other core skill is in information technology. Our in-house
team of three programmers ensure that the administration runs as smoothly and
efficiently as possible and also provide us with an edge in the dynamic and
fiercely competitive world of on-line marketing. Our IT team have developed and
maintain our Web site which means that it is always being assessed and
improved. But our Web presence goes beyond our core site, we also have a site
specifically for property Owners and a site called the Classic Guide (www.classicguide.co.uk).
The latter helps our guests to decide what to do and where to go in the West
Country whilst at the same time extending our ‘reach’ on the Web.
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Imaginative marketing and outstanding service attract new clients and keep them
coming back.
