Reading Time: 13 minutes Running a finger over picture frames, checking under beds and inspecting bathrooms for rogue hairs…the number one complaint from guests staying at holiday cottages is along the lines of “…it was dirty.” If your holiday cottage isn’t clean, guests will leave early, demand compensation and/or threaten to leave a bad review. It’s therefore essential to keep to a ‘stringent’ housekeeping …
Reading Time: 6 minutes Flooding is a major risk for everyone. Millions of properties are at risk from both rivers and surface water flooding which can have a devastating impact. Monitoring UK weather warnings and being prepared can help you to limit damage to your property. Here are some tips on what to do during a flood and the steps to take if your …
Reading Time: 2 minutes Little known legislation is coming into force in England and Wales which could affect more than half a million homes with a septic tank, many of which are rural holiday cottages. What’s changing If your holiday cottage septic tank drains directly into a watercourse, such as a ditch, stream or river, you will no longer be able to after 1st …
Reading Time: 4 minutes As a holiday cottage owner, it’s your responsibility to recognise and reduce potential fire risks at your property to protect guests from the risks of fire. If you’re new to holiday letting or haven’t already completed a fire risk assessment it can be difficult to know where to start. For this reason, we have created this useful guide on simple …
Reading Time: 4 minutes If you discover frozen pipes in your holiday home, there is a significant danger that as water thaws and expands, pipes could burst. Leaks may start slowly at first, almost unseen – but could lead to devastating damage and disruption if undetected. How do you tell if your pipes are frozen? If you can see frost on a water pipe …
Reading Time: 10 minutes Each year, extreme winter weather and blasts of Arctic air sends temperatures plunging for prolonged periods in the UK. Subsequently, thousands of holiday homes are exposed to the risk of burst pipes and major water damage which can be horrendous. The cost of burst pipes Water leaks are one of the most common types of home insurance claims in the …
Reading Time: 5 minutes Getting keys to guests, cleaners or maintenance staff can present a logistical challenge and an unnecessary hassle. Furthermore, as a holiday let landlord, you can’t always be sure how many copies of keys have been duplicated by guests, contractors or have been lost. When guests are on holiday they want as few things to worry about as possible and gaining …
Reading Time: 5 minutes Holiday homes are vulnerable Although many of us have a perception that the idyllic rural locations where holiday homes are located are virtually crime-free, this is a mistaken perception that may cost you dear if you don’t take precautions. These factors make holiday homes particularly attractive to burglars and criminals: Most burglaries happen when a property is empty and as holiday homes …
Reading Time: 7 minutes Holiday homes don’t come cheap, in fact, they’re likely to be one of the biggest investment you have. As a holiday home owner it’s vital you keep your property safe or you could be looking at a financial disaster. One major risk is electrical safety. Faulty electrics can result in serious injury, death or fire. If you fail to maintain …
Reading Time: 13 minutes How the design of your property looks will be one of the key factors that will influence holidaymakers to book your property. However, getting the right look isn’t easy. How do you design a holiday home that everybody will like? The simple answer is: you can’t. But are you trying to attract everyone? You’re likely to have a niche or …
Reading Time: 7 minutes Some people are unaware that home insurance is not a maintenance contract and does not cover the cost of maintenance, things breaking down or wear and tear. Insurance covers damage caused by sudden and unexpected events. This is why it’s essential that you take reasonable precautions to protect your property and ensure that your guests have a safe and disaster-free …
Reading Time: 7 minutes Before long, smart devices in holiday rentals won’t be a luxury, but an essential feature, just like Wi-Fi, smart TV’s and surround sound speakers. Research by August Home found that 60% of guests said they would pay more for a rental that is fitted with smart devices. Smart devices aren’t just for entertainment, they improve safety, are helpful and can …
Reading Time: 6 minutes Holiday home extras are often a huge draw for holidaymakers and often make a property more appealing. One feature on the ‘must have’ list for holidaymakers is a hot tub. It’s somewhere people can relax in every season. However, there are some drawbacks. Hot tubs require a lot of maintenance, otherwise they don’t function, and in some cases become a health …
Reading Time: 6 minutes It often feels like changeover days have to be carried out with military precision, or they end up chaotic and stressful. Especially in the high season when you literally have one guest out and the next guest in. You’re up against the clock to do a diligent clean, check for damage, restock the fridge and toiletries, clean the swimming pool …
Reading Time: 3 minutes Rural holiday cottages that rely on domestic oil for heating are warned that they risk clean-up costs running into tens of thousands of pounds if their fuel storage tank leaks, and could face being uninsured. Many holiday cottage owners are oblivious to the fact that cleaning up oil spills can be extremely complex, expensive and time-consuming. Research reveals that homeowners …
Reading Time: 5 minutes One way of breaking free from the price war in the holiday letting industry is by adding more value to your rental than your competitors are offering, therefore helping yours to stand out from the crowd. Adding value to your holiday home means you can ask for higher rental rates, attract more guests and get a better selling price for …
Reading Time: 3 minutes (Post updated December 2017) If you’re locking up and leaving your holiday home during the wilds of winter, it’s important to winterise your property by taking precautions to prevent and minimise damages while you’re away. A little time and effort now can save a lot of hassle, and money, further down the line. Here are some top tips to make sure …
Reading Time: 2 minutes There is nowhere more beautiful than the UK in winter, especially when it snows. Picture perfect white-washed scenes attract thousands of tourists to self-catering rural holiday cottages in winter – with the promise of blue skies, snow capped mountains and fresh air. However, once snow starts to thaw, pathways are left covered with compressed ice for weeks as temperatures remain …
Reading Time: 4 minutes Statistics show that most second home house insurance claims occur during the winter, predominantly caused by extreme weather – frost, snow, flooding, storms, but also break-ins. This is understandable due to the very nature of holiday properties being locked up and left for long periods without inspection. Claims costs: Insurers paid out £1.4bn in ‘big freeze’ insurance claims in the …
Reading Time: 2 minutes Time to batten down the hatches. The UK is experiencing one of the stormiest periods it has seen for several years, with heavy rain, high winds and snow. Storms have an enormous impact on properties – causing flash floods and structural damage. The last couple of winters in the UK have been extremely harsh. It’s estimated that insurance claims for …
Reading Time: 3 minutes Winter is approaching fast, with dark cold nights and temperatures dropping by the day. During winter a greater strain is put on central heating and plumbing systems in holiday homes. It is inevitable that boilers will fail and pipes will burst at holiday cottages. As most self catering cottage insurance policies have winter heating warranties in the cover (temperatures must …
Reading Time: 3 minutes There is no denying it, winters in the UK have been consistently extreme in recent years. Snow fall in October, sub zero temperatures from November to January – the unusual occurrence has become more usual and this winter is expected to be the same. ‘Big freeze’ insurance claims Insurers paid out £1.4bn in ‘big freeze’ insurance claims in the UK …
Reading Time: 3 minutes Many parts of the UK have experienced the coldest November in history, with temperatures plunging to -18C. After three consecutive years of prolonged snow and frost, it seems that winters in the UK are getting more severe. Last year, the insurance industry paid out £644 million for water damage that had escaped from burst pipes – and this winter is …
Reading Time: 1 minute The Met Office has issued severe weather warnings for ice and snow in the UK. Consequently, a new wave of burst pipe insurance claims is likely. There are fears that this winter will see a repeat of last year’s unprecedented levels of water damage insurance claims caused by burst pipes during the cold snap. With the average burst pipe claim …
Reading Time: 1 minute The recent major flooding incidents in Cumbria and Cornwall have highlighted the destruction that floods cause. With the wettest month in the UK being December, the worst could be yet to come. Comprehensive insurance policies cover flood damage, so if you have been flooded contact your insurer immediately to inform them of the situation and to obtain assistance. Below is …
Reading Time: 1 minute Summer is over and for many, visits to your holiday home will be few and far between until the sunny weather returns. So now’s the time to give your holiday homes a health check to ensure they are ready for the winter ahead. Many weather related insurance claims could be avoided with some simple maintenance. Inspecting your holiday home now …
Reading Time: 2 minutes As the summer holidays arrive, many overseas holiday home owners will be off to their properties to relax and unwind. Although some of you regularly visit your holiday homes, many only visit when the temperature rises – leaving the property locked up over winter. Parts of Europe have experienced a substantial amount of rain over the winter – especially France, …
Reading Time: 2 minutes Carbon monoxide poisoning can be lethal. There have been a number of tragedies in this country and abroad in recent years. Most notably the tragic story of the two children who inhaled lethal levels of carbon monoxide in their holiday apartment on Corfu. Carbon monoxide (CO) is a colourless, odourless, tasteless and highly poisonous gas that can kill quickly without …
Reading Time: 1 minute As temperatures drop, central heating systems are put under increased pressure and boilers often breakdown. We occasionally get calls from customers when this happens who have holidaymakers staying in their holiday let – “can we claim for the boiler repair and hotel expenses” they often ask. Boiler breakdowns and heating failures are not covered under a holiday let insurance policy. …
Reading Time: 2 minutes Finally, after weeks of freezing temperatures the mercury is beginning to rise, but be aware, as the thaw begins frozen pipes often burst. Most insurers are experiencing large volumes of claims following the big freeze. In fact, whilst discussing a holiday home burst pipe claim, our loss adjusters commented that one insurer received 3,000 claims on Friday. Have you checked …
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