Holiday rentals may just be the cream of investments. For professionals with a sizeable bank balance but no time to spend on additional enterprises, a second property can represent a home-away-from-home to get away to, as well as a firm long-term way to grow their savings and a short-term additional income from holiday rentals. For larger property owners and portfolio holders, holiday rentals represents a market with strong growth and the potential to comprehensively change the future of the hospitalist and tourism industry at home and abroad.
And financial aspects aside, there is no denying that an investment or portfolio in attractive properties situated in beautiful or buzzing touristic areas is a wonderful thing to have under the belt as well. So, with so much to be said for the industry, it is not surprising to see that the online marketplace is becoming more and more of a sophisticated one. As the industry grows, of course, so will the competition – so it is worth considering how you can get the most out of your investment in what might just be the ultimate industry for investors large and small.
An important early consideration is the question of ‘where’. One has to be careful with property – because, as much as there are areas of strong, steady growth and areas of booming property value, there are equally areas of stagnation in property value – and even of decline. It is important that one puts a good amount of thought and research into choosing the best place to purchase property. Of course, if you are buying a first property (and/or one which has a primary function as an out-of-the-way getaway for you) this question will hinge pretty much entirely on where you would personally like to own a property. If not, though – or if you do not have a specific area in mind – it is well worth reading up on the best places to buy property. And not just in the short term – try to find out about the long term as well. You’ll be glad you did.
Having found your property, there is of course the matter of advertising it as a property let. This used, in times gone by, to be a matter of putting an advert into the local paper and hoping for a phone call (or letter). Times have spectacularly changed. It is now a quick and easy task to register your property on some incredibly well-known websites which, for fees of varying sizes, will list your property and potentially also advertise it. These sites are worth comparing, because if your property is going to be in demand, you may be able to avoid some of the many ‘middle man’ fees out there. Managing these listings is also worth consideration – using a professional piece of holiday rentals software is a great way to do this without too much additional paperwork. The idea is that your software database should be able to synchronise automatically with your agency listings – saving you a lot of time and keeping all your listings 100% up-to-date.
Finally, there is your website to think of. Professional software is a quick and easy way to do this – most incorporate features like vacancy calendars, integrated bookings and check-in functions, and secure payment options – but if you are enjoy working with technology, there is no reason not to try taking on this task unaided. Just expect it to take rather a lot longer.
And after all – remember the number one USP of the holiday rentals industry. It’s supposed to be fun.
Property Website
