Schofields Insurance Blog
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Schofields Insurance Blog
1M ago
Reading Time: 7 minutes
An increasing number of holiday home owners are turning to smart devices and technology to improve their holiday letting businesses and deliver a better guest experience. The important thing to determine before investing in a smart device is whether you and your guests would benefit.
Smart devices can make your listing stand out on booking sites, some guests are willing to pay more for a property outfitted with home automation technology, plus they can help hosts become more sustainable.
If you want to incorporate smart gadgets into your holiday let, you don’t have to ..read more
Schofields Insurance Blog
1M ago
Reading Time: 6 minutes
There are many things to consider when booking a holiday cottage, such as which area to stay in, are the dates available, how much will it cost and what is there to do nearby. But there are a lot of extra considerations for those with disabilities that make finding the perfect place to stay complex. Their priority is to find a cottage that’s suitable for their disability before they can tick off the other requirements.
According to disability equality charity Scope, there are 16 million disabled people in the UK. But when it comes to holidays, it’s still com ..read more
Schofields Insurance Blog
2M ago
Reading Time: 5 minutes
As a short-term holiday letting host, maintaining a clean and healthy environment for guests is essential. Therefore, most holiday home owners understandably choose not to permit smoking indoors. Smoking leaves a lasting smell, it can damage your furniture, furnishings and is one of the main causes of accidental fires around the home.
The smell of smoke in a non-smoking holiday cottage is also one of the most common guest complaints and can lead to poor reviews. So how do you prevent guests from smoking in your Airbnb and what do you do if they smoke despite your no-smo ..read more
Schofields Insurance Blog
3M ago
Reading Time: 2 minutesFurnished holiday lets tax relief abolished
Jeremy Hunt, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, has announced in his 2024 budget that he will abolish the furnished holiday lettings tax regime.
Currently, holiday let landlords enjoy far greater tax advantages than buy-to-let landlords who let out residential properties to longer term tenants. They are entitled to deduct more costs including; costs incurred from furnishing properties, mortgage interest, the cost of replacing fixtures and furnishings, ongoing expenses such as cleaning costs, utility bills and the ability to reduc ..read more
Schofields Insurance Blog
3M ago
Reading Time: 10 minutes
They say that “a picture is worth a thousand words”, and nowhere is this truer than when selling holidays. Studies show that you have just 20 seconds for your photos to make an impression before viewers lose interest and move on to a competing holiday let.
Holiday cottage photography is one of the most versatile tools to increase bookings – but only if it’s done well. Do your photos showcase the property features at their absolute best? Do they entice people to stay there? If not, it’s time to take some new photos.
In this guide we’ve put some tips together to help yo ..read more
Schofields Insurance Blog
3M ago
Reading Time: 4 minutes
Holiday home owners dread the thought of undesirable guests, especially those who refuse to leave after their booking has ended. Squatters who target your holiday cottage whilst it’s empty can also harm your holiday letting business. Whether they intend to extort money or stay in your property for as long as possible, the expense and inconvenience caused can be stressful.
There have also been incidents where holiday homes have been rented for a few days and then the guest fraudulently sublets the property long term and disappears with the rental money. The duped renter ..read more
Schofields Insurance Blog
4M ago
Reading Time: 4 minutes
It’s inevitable that as a holiday let landlord you will have to deal with guests who breach your holiday cottage occupancy limits and bring extra guests.
What typically happens is the lead guest doesn’t include young children in the booking numbers, wrongly assuming that children don’t count as they are sleeping on the couch, on airbeds or travel cot. Another example is the guests have friends who are staying in another property or camping nearby, but they spend all day at your property and maybe stay over.
Whether the guests have not realised the implications of over ..read more
Schofields Insurance Blog
4M ago
Reading Time: 4 minutes
The appeal
An open fire or wood burning stove in your holiday cottage can be one of its biggest selling points and one of the most requested features by holiday let guests, especially during the colder months. After all, who doesn’t dream of sitting in front of a cosy log fire on a chilly evening while on holiday.
Installing a wood burner will give your holiday cottage year-round appeal and boost your low-season bookings. They can also be an efficient way to heat your holiday home and reduce energy bills.
The risks
However, compared to other heat sources wood burning s ..read more
Schofields Insurance Blog
6M ago
Reading Time: < 1 minute
Please note our office will close on Friday 22nd December 2023 at 5pm and will re-open at 9.30am on Tuesday 2nd January 2024.
Schofields Underwriting Agencies – UK & Overseas Holiday Home & Let Property Division
PaymentsWe recommend that renewal or new policy payments are made online:
Renewals
New policy payments
How to make a claimShould you need to make a claim please visit our claims page and refer to page 13 “How to make a claim” of your policy wording.
May we take this opportunity to thank you for your continued support and wish you a Merry Chr ..read more
Schofields Insurance Blog
6M ago
Reading Time: 5 minutes
Whether you’re selling your holiday home to retire from holiday letting or are buying somewhere new, there are several steps you need to take to ensure a hassle-free sale.
Why are they buying
Typically holiday home buyers are either looking to invest in a holiday home for family use which will also be holiday let, they are buying a holiday home for family and friends use only, or they are buying purely as an investment for the rental income. Once you identify why the interested party is buying, you can tailor your offering to appeal to their requirements.
Explain why y ..read more