Self catering Norfolk Holiday Cottages from Norfolk Hideaways

Thinking of Letting your Property?

Now is a great time to consider offering your Norfolk home to the holiday rental market. With the anticipation of the UK holiday market boom as a result of the somewhat chilly economic climate, why not capitalise on your most valuable asset and open the doors to paying guests? If this is the first time you have thought about letting your second home or you are currently letting it through a different agency, you should find the answers to some of your immediate questions below.

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Will paying guests look after our home?
This is probably everyone's biggest concern. In our experience, you can expect your property to incur normal wear and tear as a result of being occupied (much as when you are staying in it). By the same token a well-presented, clean and cared-for property generally commands the greatest of respect. To ensure peace of mind we require a security deposit for eachbooking which is refundable subject to no loss or damage following an inspection on departure.
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Can you guarantee only suitable guests will rent my property?
When letting your property there are no guarantees. However, Norfolk Hideaways take several steps to mitigate this: we send a comprehensive booking information pack to all guests interested in holidaying with us; this includes a booking form to be completed detailing all members of the party staying in the house, a detailed Booking Agreement explaining Norfolk Hideaways Terms & Conditions and restrictions on occupancy for all houses. We also undertake to speak to all guests on the telephone prior to the holiday commencing to answer any questions or queries they may have regarding their holiday.
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Will letting my property be financially worthwhile?
From our experience of letting our own houses there is always a demand for quality self-catering holiday homes on this beautiful stretch of coast. There are a variety of tax benefits available for offering your second home as a Furnished Holiday Let (see the Homeowner Information Pack for more details). Together with the rental income, this can significantly help with the general running costs of your house and towards achieving a healthy return on your investment.
Norfolk Hideaways are happy to offer an assessment of the potential rental income achievable from your property. Just give us a call and we'll arrange a visit. There is of course no obligation or cost for this service.
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How much does it cost for Norfolk Hideaways to manage the letting of my property?
We will charge you 20% of the total rental income for each period your property is let by us. We do not charge you any additional percentage for organising and co-ordinating cleaning, gardening, maintenance etc should you require us to. We also do not charge any additional premium for working in tandem with another letting agency.
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Do I have to organise my own cleaners, laundry, gardeners etc?
No. Norfolk Hideaways are more than happy to organise all of this for you, we personally interview and train all of our housekeeping staff to meet our extremely high standards. Of course, should you already have your own housekeeping staff we are happy to co-ordinate changeovers and maintenance with them directly. The costs for all of our managed services are detailed in the comprehensive Homeowner Information Pack.
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What other managed services does Norfolk Hideaways offer?
Alongside the provision of fully managed cleaning, laundry and gardening services; we can also organise essential maintenance, repair and renovation work on your behalf. Similarly, we can arrange the Welcome Packs for your guests to be in place on their arrival (see the Homeowner Information Pack). Our aim is to help in any way we can to ensure that your experience of letting your second home is straightforward and hassle-free.
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When and how do I get paid?
In the first week of each month you will receive an Owner Statement of Account, showing income and costs related to the previous calendar month. Your payment from Norfolk Hideaways will be made at this time by BACS (unless by previous arrangement). All the monies received from guests in the form of deposits and balance payments are kept separately in a Client Account.

Norfolk Hideaways charge a 20% commission rate + VAT of the gross rental value for each holiday period booked. This deduction is made from the funds received when your guests make initial booking deposits. The balance of deposit funds is forwarded to the Owner on the 1st day of the month following the reservation.

8 weeks prior to arrival is when your guests' final balance is due. If we are not providing any managed services to the Owner then the full amount will be remitted on the 1st day of the month following receipt of payment. If Norfolk Hideaways are providing managed services (i.e. cleaning, gardening, welcome packs etc) then 50% of the balance payment is remitted to the Owner on the 1st day of the calendar month following receipt of funds from the guest.

On the 1st day of the month following your guests' departure, we will issue an invoice to the Owner for any managed service costs incurred. This cost will be deducted from retained funds, with the final balance of Owners funds being paid at this time.
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Are there any restrictions on my personal use of the property?

Absolutely not - it is your home and you are free to use it as and when you wish. Obviously, you need to let us know in advance to ensure that we do not book it out to guests at the time you want to stay in it.
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Do I need special home insurance?

In many cases your existing home insurer will cover holiday letting (probably for a small additional premium). You will need to ensure that your policy covers you for sufficient Public Liability. We advise that you check with them for a quote.
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How will Norfolk Hideaways attract bookings?

Our offices are perfectly situated in an unrivalled location on the coast road at Burnham Deepdale, ensuring maximum exposure to visitors. The popular Dalegate Market site incorporates the Deepdale Tourist Information centre, the Deepdale Cafe, the Filling Station & convenience store and several retail outlets including Fat Face. The Norfolk Hideaways properties for let are advertised in the windows of the office and brochures are available to collect from the office during opening hours (we are open 7 days a week).

Your property will be featured on our website, www.norfolkhideaways.co.uk, showcasing photographs of both internal and external views alongside a detailed write-up. Visitors to our website are able to check availability, rates and book online all in the same visit; ensuring that no potential lets are lost due to having to wait until working hours to make enquiries and bookings.

We also undertake internet advertising on popular independent holiday cottage search engines and can arrange and manage a package of internet advertising options on your behalf.

Norfolk Hideaways is extremely well represented in the local and national press, including a variety of glossy Norfolk and National magazines, local newspapers and tourist guides.
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Do I have to sign a legal contract?

We believe that if we are doing a good job for you then you will be happy to continue working with Norfolk Hideaways. Therefore, we do not see any requirement for a legal contract binding you to us for any set period of time or imposing any onerous conditions or restrictions upon you. We do ask that you sign an informal agreement providing for things like correct insurances being in place and that you will honour bookings made by us as your agents. A copy of this agreement is included in our Homeowner Information Pack.
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