Thinking about letting your holiday home for the first time can feel exciting and slightly daunting in equal measure.
You may already be imagining the bookings and the lovely guest reviews. Then the practical questions begin. What needs to be in place? How much involvement will it take? What should you charge? And how do you know whether the property is really ready?
Honestly, there is quite a lot to think about. But it becomes much more manageable when you take it one step at a time.
Start With What You Want From the Property
Before thinking about photographs or booking platforms, it helps to be clear about your own goals.
Do you want the property available for guests throughout most of the year, or will you still use it regularly yourself? Are you hoping to create a steady income, cover some of the running costs or build the property into a longer-term business?
There is no right answer.
Every owner is different, which is why I do not believe in a one-size-fits-all approach. The right letting plan needs to work around your property, your finances and the amount of time you want to give it.
Check the Practical and Legal Foundations
This is probably the least exciting part, but it is one of the most important.
Before welcoming paying guests, you need to check that holiday letting is permitted and that the property meets the rules that apply to it. Depending on the home and how it will be used, this can include planning, mortgage or lease conditions, specialist holiday let insurance, fire safety, gas and electrical safety, tax and local authority requirements.
The requirements can change, and not every property is the same. I would always suggest speaking to the relevant professionals rather than relying on an old checklist or assuming that ordinary home insurance will cover paying guests.
It is much easier to work through these points properly at the beginning than discover a gap after bookings have opened.
Think About How the Property Will Work for Real Guests
A beautiful home is a very good starting point, but holiday guests use a property differently from an owner.
They arrive carrying bags, often after a long journey. They need to understand the heating, find the Wi-Fi code, cook without searching through every cupboard and settle in without having to ask lots of questions.
It is worth walking through the whole stay from their point of view:
– Is arrival simple, including after dark?
– Is there enough practical storage?
– Is the kitchen genuinely equipped for the number of guests?
– Are the beds comfortable and the linen good quality?
– Are instructions clear and easy to find?
– Is there anything fragile, personal or difficult to replace that should be removed?
Guests do not necessarily expect everything to be brand new. They do notice when a property feels clean, comfortable and thoughtfully prepared.
Decide Who Will Handle the Day-to-Day Work
Holiday letting is not just putting a property online and waiting for bookings.
There are guest questions, cleaning and laundry, changeovers, pricing, maintenance, reviews and the unexpected things that tend to happen at inconvenient times.
Some owners enjoy being involved in all of that. Others want to keep control of certain parts but need help with marketing or guest communication. Some would prefer someone local to manage the whole process.
It is worth being honest with yourself about the time you have available, how close you live to the property and whether you want to be contactable while guests are staying.
Knowing that early will help you choose the right sort of support rather than trying to do everything and feeling overwhelmed later.
Price for the Market, Not Just the Property
Pricing is rarely as simple as choosing one nightly rate and leaving it there.
Demand in the South Hams changes throughout the year. School holidays, weekends, local events, the weather and even the difference between one village and another can all affect what guests are looking for.
I think new owners sometimes worry that a lower price will guarantee bookings, but that is not always the best answer. Pricing too high can leave gaps, while pricing too low can reduce income and set the wrong expectation around the property.
A sensible starting strategy should reflect the home, its location, the time of year, comparable stays and your own goals. It should then be reviewed as real booking patterns begin to emerge.
Good Marketing Is More Than Being on Airbnb
Airbnb, Vrbo and Booking.com can all be useful, but simply appearing on a platform does not mean the property will automatically stand out.
Good photographs matter. So does a clear description that helps the right guest understand what the stay will actually feel like. The order of the images, the headline, the practical details and the way the property is positioned all make a difference.
Every property deserves its own strategy. A family house in Salcombe should not be marketed in exactly the same way as a quiet couples’ retreat near South Milton or a cottage in Hope Cove.
The aim is not to appeal to absolutely everyone. It is to help the right guests recognise that the property suits them.
The Guest Experience Starts Before Arrival
Guests begin forming an opinion from their first enquiry.
Clear communication, helpful arrival information and quick answers create confidence before they have even reached the property. Once they arrive, cleanliness and the small practical details often matter more than expensive extras.
That experience affects reviews, recommendations and whether people choose to return. It is one of the reasons I see holiday letting as much more than filling a calendar.
You are looking after someone’s holiday, but you are also protecting the reputation and long-term performance of the owner’s home.
You Do Not Have to Work It All Out Alone
There is a lot to consider when you let a holiday home for the first time, but it does not all need to happen at once and you do not need to know every answer on day one.
For me, the best place to begin is with an honest conversation about the property, how you hope to use it and what you would like holiday letting to achieve.
From there, we can look at what is already working, what needs to be put in place and what level of support would actually be useful.
If you are thinking about holiday letting in Salcombe or the South Hams and would like to talk it through, I would be very happy to have an informal, no-obligation chat.
It can feel overwhelming, but you do not have to work it all out on your own.
Not sure how well your current approach is working? Complete our free Owner Performance Review for personalised insights and practical next steps.
Internal Links
– Let Your Holiday Home
– About Quay Holiday Lettings
– Contact Clare
– Why More Holiday Home Owners Are Choosing a Boutique Letting Agency