Men head to Med whilst women stay with friends for big Olympic rent-out

A recent survey conducted by holiday home specialists Owners Direct has revealed that 50% of Brits in the South East who plan to, or have already rented out their homes for the Olympics games are looking to escape the UK for a Mediterranean break.

Owners Direct has also seen almost a 90% rise in enquiries during 2012 to date for the London area and an 80% increase for surrounding areas such as Essex.

And the sexes have been divided. Whilst more men said they’d go abroad while they rented out their property, more women said they’d bunk with friends. Either way, 40% of home owners surveyed said they would be or have already rented out their main residence for the weeks in July and August during which the games take place.

As a result of increased demand for properties near the Olympic sites next summer, Owners Direct have launched a service specifically to cater to the needs of those looking for short term let options. Launched at the end of October last year, it offers landlords a cost effective way to market their homes to people all over the world who are looking for accommodation during the Olympics.

Owners Direct advisers home owners to make sure they do their research before renting out their home.

“We’ve seen a huge increase in demand for properties in the London area and our advice for people considering renting out a holiday property or even their own home would be to ensure that you make it clear to prospective tenants what you are offering within the price – are you providing linen and towels, a welcome pack or any other added extras? Before renting your London property, make sure that you have the relevant insurance required and check that your local council allows short term letting. Once you receive a booking always confirm the booking with a written contract” says Owners Direct Marketing Manager Angela Southall.

46 year old Rochelle Peachey who runs transatlantic dating site www.iloveyouraccent.com and her husband secured a booking last October for their four bedroom semi in the Woodford Green area to a Russian family for a total of four weeks during the Olympics and Paralympics.

“We are super close to everything and the opportunity was too good to pass up. I might send my mother in law on a cruise so we can stay in their flat but something more exotic is calling my name – California maybe!”

With over 50% of people who took part in the study who own a holiday home in the South East already having received enquiries for the 2012 games, Marketing Manager Angela Southall said the company was keen to extend their offering to people who didn’t need to list their properties for a long period of time.

“We have launched a service that will allow homeowners who wouldn’t normally rent out their properties to do so for a short time. We’ve been amazed at how many people are willing to pack up their lives and find a roof elsewhere for a few weeks!” says Angela Southall.

Of those who are renting out their homes or are planning to, the majority are of the 35-54 age group. With options to take a holiday, move in with friends and family or rent elsewhere, some have said they would happily crash on a mate’s sofa or hole up in a converted shed or garage with 30% looking at such options. As well as the Med, popular destinations included Northern Europe and America.

The majority of enquiries regarding rental properties are coming from within the UK, with Brits who were lucky enough to get tickets looking to stay close by and make a holiday of the event. The UK was followed by the USA and France.

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pureholidayhomes.com launches Bidango, the world’s only dedicated holiday rental auction site

For discounts of up to 60% discount on holiday lets, just bid and go!


Bidango is the world’s first dedicated holiday rental auction site where holidaymakers can bid on self-catered properties, harnessing the potential for huge discounts on some of the finest rental homes available. Launched by leading holiday rental website pureholidayhomes.com, Bidango offers a unique and interactive opportunity to secure fantastic discount holidays.

With no agency commissions (typically 20% - 40%) by booking direct with the owner, Bidango confidently predicts that a further 20% - 30% saving on certain weeks can be achieved for price sensitive holidaymakers willing to bid for their break.

Self catered holiday rentals is the fastest growing segment of the travel marketplace and the desire for discounted or bargain deals is as strong in the current financial climate as in any other industry.

The market opportunity for homeowners

• Circa 6 million holiday homeowners in Europe and North America who rent their homes for an average of 14 weeks per year. Creating millions of unsold weeks each year.
• Since 2008 reduction in net disposable wealth and a weaker exchange rate has led to UK based holiday home owners looking to increase the amount of income they generate from their property.
• Until now no specific destination website for holiday homeowners to sell discounted available weeks/short breaks.
Will appeal to: Advertisers looking to sell more out of season weeks, selling last minute cancellations, achieving premium rates for peak weeks.

The opportunity for holidaymakers

• Year on year rise in late bookings, in July 2011 pureholidayhomes.com saw and increase of 36% in last minute enquiries compared to 2010, according to Hotwire.com reports 49% of their users will book only two to four weeks before travel
• A 67% increase in holidaymakers asking for deals or discounts.
Will appeal to: retirees, group holidays, pre-kids, families who like booking late for a deal, flexible short trips and city breaks.

Two examples of great bargains sold in the past 7 days

1. Farmhouse with swimming pool in SW France Sept 3 for 1 week sleeping 8 sold for £145 or £2.50 per person per night.
2. 5* apartment in Spain Sept 24 for 1 week sleeping 6 sold for £345 or £8 per person per night.

Example Lots available

1. 1st – 8th October in the Bay of Kotor, Montenegro. Sleeps 6. Current bid £40 or under £1 per person per night. Click here to view lot.
2. 17th – 24th September in beautiful Calvados, France. Sleeps 9. Current bid £200 or £3.17 per person per day. Click here to view lot.

Sean Collins, Joint CEO of pureholidayhomes.com, the company behind the launch of Bidango, points out: “The self-catering market globally is worth circa $100 billion annually and yet no destination website exists focusing on the best available deals. We see this as a global market opportunity that is wanted to by homeowners and holidaymakers alike.

"Our research and consumer feedback is telling us that that Bidango is arriving at exactly the right moment. We intend to soft launch until the end of October to allow us to adapt to the early user experiences and then we will be investing heavily in the growth of this exciting venture.

Bidango is simple to use. Holidaymakers simply search available auction lots by location, date, theme or ‘lots ending soonest’, register to bid and then continue to bid as high as they like to ensure success. For homeowners it is equally as easy. Simply register the details of your property, set a minimum price, a ‘buy it now’ price and time period for the auction lot to run and watch the bids come in. When the lot has finished, Bidango will alert the homeowner as to who the winning bidder is. For further details, view the Bidango video guide here.

Bidango is a new holiday rental auction portal offering unique self-catering properties at home and abroad for holidaymakers seeking the best value, more flexibility and greater choice. Bidango is owned and operated by leading holiday rental portal pureholidayhomes.com, which represents more than 24,000 properties in over 85 different countries.

Until 31st October 2011 bidango is waiving all listing fees and operating a reduced 5% commission on all successful lots.

For more information please visit www.bidango.co.uk

25% of holiday properties not let this summer

3 out of 10 travellers reported having struggled to find suitable holiday properties when booking their holiday. Could this be the reason for so many let’s being left empty?

Research has revealed that a startling proportion of holiday properties have been left empty this summer. Following the recent pull-back in prices, an increasing number of investors are buying properties in prime locations around the UK and globally in the hope of making money from holiday lets. Unfortunately many of these new entrepreneurs make the mistake of failing to develop a suitable marketing strategy and are left with an empty investment property.

In a survey commissioned by www.PromoteMyPlace.com –a site which enables holiday accommodation owners to create their own professional quality website – it was found that 25% of holiday lets have been left unoccupied this summer.

44% of respondents said that they had stayed in a hotel on their last holiday and 39% of Brits said that letting a holiday property had not even crossed their mind when planning their holiday. Perhaps most worryingly, the survey also revealed that 32% of new holiday property investors didn’t know how to market their property effectively.

Peter Connon, co-founder of PromoteMyPlace.com said that “New investors need to understand that renting out holiday lets is a business like any other. The fundamental requirements are a good property, good sales literature and one or more channels to market”.

“Property investors need to consider not only how desirable a property is, but also how they will tell people about it. A professional quality website to showcase your property is essential, as is a listing on at least a handful of popular holiday let websites. Without these basics, owners will continue to face the prospect of an empty investment property.”


It seems that many people are falling into the trap of assuming it will be easy to find customers for their new holiday property, but this survey has revealed too many property owners are underestimating the importance of a sound marketing strategy and are losing money as a result.