Things you should know about holiday letting

The hidden costs and legal pitfalls Owners need to know about

Operations Manager, Mary Harlow, advises on a couple of things to consider when investing in a holiday home.

Always check planning permissions before marketing a holiday home that has yet to be built and take plenty of time in your own planning process. It is surprising how many times a holiday home is marketed for six months prior to being finished, only for the layout to be changed substantially before the project is completed. This can obviously lead to extra costs when guests who have already booked have to be refunded or moved to an alternative property when their expectations are not met. Once the purchase of a holiday home is complete, seeking advice from holiday letting agents such as ourselves about layout and design before conversion or restoration can save on expensive mistakes and help to maximise bookings.

Other hidden costs include breakages and wear and tear of the property – be sure to obtain good holiday home insurance cover which takes into account specifics relating to holiday letting. This will also ensure that you avoid certain legal pitfalls. Utilising good holiday letting agents is another way of gaining sound advice on all aspects of holiday letting, from proposals on layout and design to advice on dealing with guest complaints.