DREAMS OF TRAVELLING

Mallorca is one of the most popular family holiday destinations in Europe. Families love to stay in holiday homes on this beautiful Mediterranean island which is full of stunning natural beauty. It is possible to rent magnificent holiday villas with swimming pools that have spectacular views and are beautifully furnished.

The island of Mallorca has a beautiful coastline that is full of secluded coves and bays. Many families come on vacation to Mallorca staying in one of the many self catering apartments or holiday homes that are available to rent direct from their owners.

Mallorca has the advantage of a hot summer sun whilst still often being blessed with refreshing sea breezes. In the winter the weather is mild, although night times can get quite cool. The islands are in an ideal geographical position, in terms of weather. The Mediterranean climate is pleasantly moderate. Winter weather in Mallorca is surprisingly mild and dry.

Summer months are still comfortable thanks to the influence of the sea, even during the maximum temperatures. Mallorca enjoys around 300 days of sunshine throughout the year. These ideal weather conditions make it an ideal year round holiday destination for families on vacation staying in holiday homes.

Mallorca is the largest of the Balearic Islands with over 500 km of coastline. Dotted all the way along this stunning coastline are holiday villas and holiday cottages that are available to rent. Further inland lie some traditional holiday farmhouses that are extremely popular with families staying in holiday homes.

Mallorca’s landscape is very varied, due to its geological formation. The Tramuntana mountain range is made up of a line of mountains running parallel to the north west coast, the highest of which is Puig Major. The mountains drop down around the coastline which is made up of tiny villages, sand, pebble and rock beaches. Each in turn surrounded by the imposing mountain range. It is now possible to stay in self catering accommodation in many of these small villages.

Lovers of the outdoors go hiking in the mountains and many tourists stay in one of the many rustic holiday farmhouses that are available to rent direct from their owners. The mountains are the main source of the island’s fresh water which snakes its way down to the island’s

Mallorca’s north east coast has a beautiful bay which is home to the popular resorts of Can Picafort and Alcudia. Many tourists stay here in self catering apartments or holiday villas. Nearer the island’s most northerly point at Cap de Formentor is Puerto Pollensa. Many tourists stay here in some of the self catering cottages and holiday farmhouses. They then use these holiday homes as bases to explore the local countryside. This part of the island is extremely popular with cyclists, walkers and birdwatchers.

Mallorca is now a very popular holiday destination for family holidays. It has a tremendous selection of self catering accommodation available to rent and there are holiday homes to fit almost all budgets.

Greece is one of the best family holiday destinations in Europe with many families going back there on vacation year after year, staying in holiday villas with swimming pools or self catering apartments.

Greece is such a popular family holiday destination due to its tremendous variety of holiday sports, beautiful beaches and stunning scenery. It is a truly romantic holiday destination that never fails to take your breath away.

The Greek islands are full of secluded coves perched at the bottom of beautiful pine-covered hillsides. Many tourists stay in holiday homes and breath in the pine scented fresh air and marvel at the sight of the preserved ancient ruins.

Many families choose to stay in a holiday villa or self catering apartment to sample the true culture of Greece. They find that these holiday homes act as good bases to explore the local countryside. From these holiday villas they can visit the ancient sites, sun bath on the stunning beaches during the day and at night sample the local food and vine at traditional tavernas.

Many holiday makers stay in Athens, the spectacular capital city of Greece. Many people on vacation to Athens stay in self catering accommodation in one of the many pretty apartments available to rent from their holiday home owners. Athens is one of the most vibrant and dazzling cities in Europe and its blend of old and new architecture has made it a very popular holiday destination for people wanting to stay in holiday homes.

The peak holiday season in Greece is from early July to the end of August when the temperatures tend to be higher. Many families come to Greece on holidays in these months and stay in holiday villas with swimming pools. They like to have a relaxing holiday and spend most of their time sunbathing or playing on one of the many beautiful clean beaches.

Greece truly is a country of enchanting contradictions with many people on vacation regarding it as a journey through time where they are able to see the past with the present. Whether holiday makers stay in a luxurious stunning villa with its own private swimming pool or rent a self catering apartment, they are enchanted by Greece. It is a country offering many contrasts in lifestyles and architecture.

Greece is a country of idyllic coastlines with golden beaches and secluded coves. Many can be found in Corfu, Crete and Halkidiki, offering a haven for relaxation. Tourists come to see the turbulent history and rich culture that get their roots from many of the archaeological remains which can be found in Kos and Kefalonia. Others simply sun bath and visit the lively bars and clubs in the busier towns in Zante or Rhodes.

Families, couples and young holiday makers come to Greece on their vacations to enjoy the sun, water sports, beautiful beaches and truly amazing history and culture. They are able to rent holiday homes to suite their requirements and budgets. There are some stunning holiday villas with swimming pools next to the coast and in the countryside. For those people wanting a busier holiday, they can rent one of the numerous self catering holiday apartments. It is no wonder that families return to Greece on holiday year after year and stay in holiday homes.

Everyone is well aware of the advantages of buying a holiday home so deciding to buy one is the easy bit. Deciding where to buy one is the difficult part as there are so many options available all around the world.

Spain is the most popular country when it comes to buying a holiday home with 66 percent of Britons deciding to buy a home there. The reasons for this include the great weather, interesting culture and the standard of living out there. With so many people interested in purchasing property in Spain it makes a great investment opportunity.

There are currently 3.3 million holiday homes in the sunny country with demand rising by three percent year on year over the last decade. Firstly, this means that there is always going to be a demand for people wanting to rent your property while you’re not there. Secondly, house prices are set to rise with so much demand meaning that when it comes to selling up you are bound to make a healthy profit.

Florida is one of the world’s greatest holiday destinations and there has been a huge growth in the popularity of villas in the Sunshine State. This is no doubt down to the year round entertainment on offer, tropical weather, stunning beaches, sports facilities and of course the all important Disney World.

Another growing hot spot for the number of people buying a holiday home in the area is the Algarve. Notorious for its beaches and weather tourist flock there for various types of holidays such as golf breaks, clubbing sessions and relaxing breaks. The Algarve is a great place to start if you are only just getting into overseas property investments as it’s not as touristy as Spain, France and America so house prices are likely to be a lot lower.

A great investment opportunity if you a looking for a holiday home somewhere a bit different is by the shores of the Red Sea. The town of Hurghada is a unique area where the desert meets the sea and has plenty of spectacular beaches. There is plenty to do in the resorts around the area from desert safaris and diving to golf.

When buying a holiday home the most important thing is to ensure that your destination is somewhere you like and preferably have been there before so you know what to expect. However, once you have made a decision it is unlikely to be one that you will ever regret.

Here I give you a list of my top 10 holiday rental letting tips and advice. Its important that you let your holiday home effectively in order to produce maximum rental income and repeat bookings year after year.

Sell the properties key selling points

Every holiday home rental has its very own key selling points. Its these that you need to sell to prospective guests.

En-suite bathrooms, open fire, wonderful mountain views and good local nightlife are all good selling points. Use these to paint a picture for your guests of how their holiday could be.

A picture speaks a thousand words

A picture speaks a thousand words. Or so a wise man once said. You have a great opportunity to really sell your holiday rentals by taking some great photos of the property. Dont waste the opportunity!!.

Make sure that you use a good digital camera, take the pictures in good light and make sure that your holiday home looks at its best and use them to capture your prospective customers imaginations.

Reply to your customers promptly

It may seem trivial to some but replying promptly to emails and answer phone messages is essential.

Take your time in getting back to your customers and you could very well lose out on a booking. If possible call them back asap so that you can answer all their questions thoroughly.

Special deals and offers

We all love a bargain. Why not offer your customers last minute offers or low season reduced bargain rates to try and fill those gaps in your availability calendar?

Market your property effectively

We believe that marketing your property with Direct Holiday Lets is the most effective form of advertising available. Putting your property on our website in front of thousands of weekly viewers is an obvious and tried and tested method of holiday home advertising.

Our website has excellent search engine ratings and visibility due to the hard work we put into our search engine optimization and marketing strategy.

But it does not stop there. We also advertise in popular magazines such as living spain and A place in the sun magazine. All in all, helping to give your property maximum exposure.

Keep in touch

One very important aspect of generating more rentals is to stay in touch with your previous guests so that you can get referral business and repeat bookings. Why not have a guest book and ask your guests to leave their address or email address in it.

Then periodically you can send them some written correspondence such as promotional leaflets, special offers or an email newsletter to let them know you are still around and have some great deals on offer.

Use a guest book for your visitors

why not leave a guest book in your holiday home to encourage your guests to give you feedback as to how impressed they were with your property and their holiday in general. This is an excellent way to find out the things that you are doing correctly and also the things that you may need to improve on.

Little Touches

When we say “little touches” we mean the little things that you can do to make your guests stay that little bit more special and comfortable.

How about some fresh flowers, welcome pack including milk, butter, bread, jam, coffee, tea and a bottle of wine to greet your guests on arrival? Its these first impressions that can make all the difference. You may also want to leave your contact information, local phone numbers such as police and hospital and also some leaflets with information such as zoo´s,restaurants,country walks and other local events.

Local information leaflets and guides

Why not leave your guests some leaflets and flyers advertising local events, exhibitions and days out to help them decide what to do on their holiday?

Entertainment

DVD´s, videos, books, video games and board games are just a few items that you can have in your holiday rental to help make your guests stay be as entertaining as possible.

It may sound expensive to include these items but your guests satisfaction really is your priority if you want them to return and also recommend your property to their friends and family.

When people think of getting a holiday home they instantly dismiss the idea due to high property prices and interest rates. However, more people are finding ways of making their holiday home pay its way and even make them a nice little profit.

It is likely that you will only be using your holiday home a couple weeks of the year so it makes sense to let it out to other holiday makers for the rest of the time. This is reason enough why so many people invest in properties abroad every year. The money being made from renting your holiday home could be enough to pay off the mortgage of your holiday home or any other costs that you may have.

Another advantage of buying property abroad is that many resort developments are in ‘emerging market’ countries. This means that there has been less development in the past and therefore there is now greater scope for large – scale resorts to be built in prime locations. These are the best places to get value for your money and to make a profit as these resorts are not heavily populated at the moment so house prices should be relatively low. However, as these resorts become more heavily populated and built up there will be more demand for properties which will result in house prices going up. If you get in to these developments quickly you should be able to make a healthy profit when you go on to sell your holiday home.

As well as this, governments in developing countries are becoming switched on to the economic benefits of having many first – world citizens owning a holiday home in their countries because of the transfer of spending that will come with it.

France, Florida and Spain are three of the most popular holiday home destinations amongst Britons as they have lots to offer but are only a couple of hours away. However, as so many people have caught on to this property prices are increasing in these places.

Last year France saw a 15 percent rise in house prices but areas such as Champagne – Ardennes and Poitou – Charente are still good value. However Provence and Dordogne have very high prices so you are not likely to get a good deal there.

Spain is ever so slightly behind with a 14 percent rise last year. Areas with the best value are non – coastal areas outside the cities of Granada, Cordoba and Jerez. Stay away from the entire Costa del Sol and Costa Brava if you are looking for a bargain holiday home as property prices have shot up there.

Gathering information and seeking professional advice is paramount before buying abroad. It is vital to speak to people who own a holiday home in the area you are interested in. It is also recommended that you visit the location out of season.

With property prices continually increasing in the UK and a boom in low – cost airlines competing to offer the cheapest air fares, it shouldn’t really take much persuading about investing in a holiday home.

More people are choosing to stay in a holiday home and villa during their vacations. There are various types of accommodations that are for rent at any time of the year. It is up to you to decide on the location and the budget. Looking at direct holiday home and villa bookings online will provide a vast array of choices. The number of available options may be confusing at first but once you know the exact neighborhood you want to spend your vacation on, it becomes a lot easier.
Freedom
One of the best things in staying in a holiday home or apartment is the freedom it offers. You can use the accommodation as a base to discover the area, meet new people, and enjoy the culture. On the other hand, you are also free to stay in at the villa the whole day if you wish to.
Unlike an inn, you can enjoy a very flexible schedule in this setting. There are no set meal times or restrictions about cooking. Cook a steak or barbecue some fish. No one will bother you in your own space. You can unwind at near the swimming pool without dealing with noisy kids and other tourists as well.
Complete Amenities
A holiday home and villa comes complete with all the amenities you have at home. There are various entertainment options, laundry equipments, and a full kitchen. These facilities enable you to get the benefits of home while living in a new and interesting place.
Space
Families or groups of friends who travel together need a lot of space. If they check in to a hotel, their rooms will be separated and they won’t be able to interact as much compared to a villa. There is no worry that the property will become crowded despite the number of people there because most holiday homes have sufficient bathrooms and attractions that will keep everyone occupied.
Swimming Pool
Majority of holiday home and villas contain a private swimming pool that can be enjoyed by the occupants anytime they wish to. If there are no swimming pools, then it is likely that the villa has access to a communal pool within the neighborhood.
Beach and other Attractions
A lot of holiday accommodations are built near popular or beautiful attractions. One of the most popular features of a vacation homes include access to the beach: the sun, the surf, and the sand. Aside from the beach, a lot of attractions such as theme parks and concept malls are within easy access to the holiday home and villa.
Quality
Most properties that are for rent are well-maintained and individually furnished by its owners. This helps the home retain its value and become attractive for travelers. The owners of homes and villas for rent take pride in providing quality accommodation for its occupants.
Local Knowledge
If you are given a chance to interact with the property owner, they can provide insights about the local area. The first-hand advice you’ll get from them will be invaluable. It helps you know the best places and avoid unappealing ones.

When you look at these caravans for sale in Cornwall, you will see that they are the most luxurious living that you can have for a very reasonable price and you have a lot of choice with these holiday caravans. They come with an option on the number of bedrooms and there is a lot of living space within; all the comforts of home are included for your family to enjoy while you are on holiday.

Planning a holiday every year is fun until you start considering where you are going to stay. You are often all set with getting away from work and bringing the family on a luxurious trip, until you begin considering the expense of staying in a hotel and spending your money on meals out for the entire trip. When you own one of these holiday caravans, you will have a place to stay that you own, as well as a place to prepare your family’s meals without having to spend a lot of money on meals. It’s also a great option for those who are travelling on a budget.

You have the peace of mind of knowing that your holiday caravan is always there waiting for you whenever you are ready for your trip. The caravans for sale in Cornwall are some of the most stunning holiday homes that you will find available anywhere and for a reasonable amount of money, you will own your own holiday home.

Next time you are planning a holiday with the family, take a look at the amount of money that you will be spending on a place to stay. When you realise the amount of money that you actually spend on your holiday, you will see the wise economic decision you will be making when you choose to buy one of the caravans for sale in Cornwall.

Take a tour of one of these caravans and you will see how comfortable your family will be in one of these holiday homes on your next trip. Getting a good look at the homes will help you to realise the benefits of owning your own holiday home; it is like your home away from home whenever you are ready to take a trip.

The benefits of owning your own holiday home are no longer just for the very wealthy and you can own one of these holiday homes as well. The holiday caravans for sale in Cornwall will convince you of the reasonable price that you will pay for the joy of knowing where you will be holidaying every year. Getting away from your home on your holiday is something that everyone needs to do to recharge the batteries and unwind. Owning your own caravan in Cornwall will give you a place where you can do that, away from work, away from your daily grind and in your own luxurious holiday caravan.

Holiday Homes Portugal are a great option for those who have decided to visit Portugal to see its local beauty. No matter which part of the country you are in, holiday homes Portugal are available everywhere.

Especially in tourist places like Costa Verde, Algarve and Costa de Lisbon, holiday homes Portugal are quite in demand and easily available. In fact, you may even deal with the owner of holiday homes Portugal directly in this part of the world. It’s such a simple process that would captivate any traveller for not including the pain of visiting a travel agent and getting duped.

If you are a holiday home seeker, you may easily contact the owner of holiday homes Portugal and do the payments through your credit card, without any hassle and painlessly. These holiday homes Portugal owners can easily be located from one of the travel website. Otherwise, you may even get the contact information of owners of holiday homes Portugal through one of the country travel guide.

Once you locate one holiday homes Portugal that is located in the part of country you would want to visit, contact its owner and have a ball by getting captivated by the beautiful country and their warm and friendly welcome.

Country side Holiday Homes

There are many fishing villages in Portugal that are worth visiting due to their beautiful, splendid settings that you may not have in any other country. The narrow cobbled lanes of these villages are enthralling and these places even hold a strong historic background to narrate its visitors. Even along such beautiful countryside, you may easily get holiday homes Portugal.

The holiday homes Portugal towards this part of the country are perfect for those who want to escape the fast and furious city life. They are located adjacent to a lake or next to a golf course, where you may just relax and admire the natural beauty. So if you are a nature lover, holiday homes Portugal in country side is a must to book.

In fact you may even get good holiday homes Portugal next to sandy beaches, where you may enjoy a stroll next to the clear Atlantic Ocean. The pure air would intoxicate you in your holiday homes Portugal. The local market on the cliff top visible from your holiday homes Portugal, will make your stay in Portugal even worthwhile.

The local people, their experiencing culture and traditions and the welcoming and friendly atmosphere will make your trip a lifetime experience.

Holiday homes Nelson is a great place to stay and enjoy your holidays. Almost all the holiday homes Nelson are situated in such a manner that you can have spectacular views of the sea. Such is the brilliant location of holiday homes Nelson.

Holiday homes Nelson are also constructed near areas which are in close vicinity to the market and the shopping area. Even the major attractions of Nelson are not far away. The prime location of the holiday homes Nelson makes them one of the most amazing places to stay.

There are various kinds of holiday homes Nelson to suit the tourist’s requirements. Some are cottages; some are small apartments while some are big villas with even a swimming pool inside. Mostly the holiday homes Nelson are available in:

one bedroom two bedrooms three bedrooms twin bedroom suit style

All holiday homes Nelson have extraordinary sea view and they offer complete tranquility and privacy, which not even a top hotel can offer. There are so many tourists who come to Nelson all alone to stay away from the hectic city life and enjoy sometime for themselves. Holiday homes Nelson, with their beautiful landscapes offer them the same peace they have been looking forward to. There are some such holiday homes Nelson, where the only noise you can hear of are from the bird life.

Apart from the quite quarters, you may even opt for big spacious yet cozy holiday homes Nelson near the city which offers everything you may think of a flamboyant and vivid life. These holiday homes Nelson are the best place to hold business trips, wedding parties, conferences and even your school and college reunions!!!

Holiday homes Nelson are not only cozy but cost effective as well. Their prices are not too high and when you will compare them to their counterparts in other countries, you will realize how affordable the holiday homes Nelson are even during heavy tourist seasons.

The best deal about holiday homes Nelson is that they are fully furnished with every feature you may require to stay during your vacations. They have best of the furnishings, attached private bathrooms, modern kitchens, DVD, stereos, BBQs, free local phone, washing machines and dryers. Some holiday homes Nelson even offer the services of television, SKY TV, spas, internet broad band, trampolines, etc.

With all the basic amenities present, all you have to do is just move in with your suitcase and you will get the most relaxed and warm and friendly settings ready to pamper you.

So, you have a holiday home or vacation rental and you need to advertise it in order to increase your rental revenues? Where do you start and what is the most effective way of achieving this?

By far the fastest, cheapest and most effective way to advertise your holiday home is by utilising the power of the internet. In todays modern high tech world you have the ability to advertise your holiday home to thousands if not millions of people from all corners of the globe in a matter of seconds. It has many advantages over the older style methods of advertising such as magazines, shop windows, and newspapers.

Firstly, printing costs are extremely high and this all adds up to incredibly high prices for even the smallest of lineage adverts in your local newspapers and magazines. Secondly, try changing your images or text at short notice. Not a chance. Once that ad has gone to the printers its to late. You then have to wait for days if not weeks before your advert is published only to find out that you have made a mistake with your weekly rates, photo´s or property description. The result is potentially a loss of enquiries and ultimately this leads to a loss of bookings and rental income.

There are literally hundreds of holiday home advertising websites on the internet charging anything from nothing to a couple of hundred pounds a year for the pleasure of putting your holiday home advert out there in front of millions of web users just looking to find their next holiday home rental.

But which ones are the best to list your holiday home on? With so many around, the choice is difficult but there are some tips and pointers that you should look for before taking the plunge.

Firstly there are 3 main types of holiday rental listing websites Paid, commission based and free. All have their own advantages and disadvantages which we will now take a look at.

Paid Listings: These are the holiday rental listing sites that charge a yearly or monthly fee to advertise one or more of your properties on their website. Prices can range from as little as £25 to £150 per year with extra reductions for every subsequent property that you add. Features include the ability to control your ads 24hrs a day, ability to upload numerous digital pictures to your ad, and availability calendars to keep track of bookings. A good example of an excellent paid holiday rental listing site is www.directholidaylets.com

Most holiday home owners who use these paid sites normally use a number of them to advertise their properties as these on average produce the majority of their bookings throughout the year. Holiday home owners generally use around 3 listing websites in order to produce as many bookings as possible.

Commission based: These are the holiday home listing sites that charge around 10% for each booking that is made via the website. There is not normally a subscription or sign-up fee charged but in the long term these can prove to not be so cost effective as every time you make a booking you are losing 10% of your rental revenue.

Free sites: These as the name implies are free for you to list your holiday homes on. No commission or percentage of commission is normally charged. Sometimes these sites offer a free service with the option to upgrade to a paid account which will include extra facilities and benefits. Free sites sometimes make money through advertising and affiliate programs, arrangements in which an online merchant Web site pays affiliate Web sites a commission to send them traffic. Around 80% of holiday home owners use free sites as well as paid as part of their advertising campaign and in my opinion this is a good approach as it wont cost you anything other than a few minutes of your time.

Conclusion: If you are the owner of a holiday home or vacation rental and are looking to maximise your rental income by using the internet there is no doubt that using at least 3 paid and as many free holiday home listing sites as possible is the best route to take in order to generate enough exposure to gain maximum return. To advertise on 3 paid listing sites may cost around £300 per year but when you consider that just one booking will probably exceed this amount, your yearly advertising is covered automatically. Everything else is profit. Which is what we all want at the end of the day. Happy renting!