‘I felt looked after from the beginning’

We love discovering the stories behind the homes we represent and the people who bring them to life. We recently caught up with Philippa & Adam, owners of Number Eleven in Brixham, to hear how a passion for property renovation led them into the world of holiday letting. They share the journey of transforming a once-derelict house into a stylish coastal holiday home, experience moving from a large national agency to a more personal partnership with Luxury Coastal, and the rewarding results that have followed.

What inspired you to venture into holiday letting, and how did you come find your property?

We renovate property usually for long term let, so when the house came up so locally we thought we’d have a go!

What makes your property so special to you and your guests?

The view, easy access to town, multi generational guest options, mixture of furnishings – upcycled old, with lovely fabrics and all mod cons, parking

How did you approach marketing your property initially, and what obstacles did you encounter in attracting guests?

Naively I thought that employing a large holiday rental company would lead to endless bookings! How wrong I was! I tried to run the Booking.com and AirBnB myself, and did ok, but didn’t have the skills needed to tweak the pricing/length of stays. It took 10 days to make any changes with the larger national agency that I was previously with…

Why did you switch to Luxury Coastal specifically?

Desperation! Felt it had to be easier than the experience I was having. Wanted to work with a company who had a different mindset and “can do” attitude.

Can you describe the process of onboarding with Luxury Coastal and how they assisted in setting up your property for success?

I reached out to Luxury Coastal as a neighbouring property was run by them. James promptly got in touch and met with me. I was impressed by his professional and non pushy attitude. Also impressed by the fact they weren’t going to charge me to be part of their portfolio which I felt spoke volumes about their confidence.

I wasn’t as impressed by the fact that I’d have to give up my Booking.com and AirBnB control as I’m a control freak! James gently confirmed that we couldn’t work together if I didn’t. I reflected on it and decided to give it a go!

How do you feel that Luxury Coastal give you the support you need throughout your holiday letting journey? 

From the beginning I felt looked after. Emily and James returned to see me and took some initial photographs to launch the property. The photographer then did the official ones. I was assigned Iain as my Account Manager, who has been completely brilliant from the start.

How has Luxury Coastal helped increase the visibility of your property and attract more bookings? Have you seen changes in your occupancy rates since partnering with Luxury Coastal?

I was impressed that we were launched so quickly, as wasn’t expecting such robust bookings from February. We have been so impressed with the occupancy rates, and eight months in it’s only just begun to slow. I love the Instagram posts that promote different areas and how frequently they are posted.

Looking back, what have been the most rewarding aspects of owning a holiday let, and what advice would you give to others considering this venture?

Saving a house that was practically derelict, and letting others enjoy it! I would advise others to partner with Luxury Coastal as they really know what they’re doing and make you feel so included in the process.

What are your top tips for others thinking of letting a holiday property?

Think about your market, furnish accordingly, don’t make it twee!

Finally, would you recommend Luxury Coastal as a holiday letting agent?

100%

It’s such a relief not having to worry about this side of the whole business.

Thank you to Luxury Coastal’s top team! Philippa & Adam

 

Find out more about Number Eleven here

We’d love to hear from you

If you’re a holiday let owner in the South West and are looking for the next steps in your holiday letting journey, we’d love to speak with you. You can find out more about us here at Luxury Coastal and the long terms partnerships that we form here – Let Your Property

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