We recently caught up with Mark and Caroline, owners of Woolbrook Reservoir, a completely unique holiday home in Sidmouth, to hear their holiday letting story. They shared what inspired them to begin their letting journey, how they prepared their home for guests, the freedom it gives them to travel, and their top tips on being a successful self-catering property — with support from Luxury Coastal along the way.

What inspired you to venture into holiday letting, and how did you come to develop Woolbrook?

We found Woolbrook Reservoir when we wanted to downsize after our two boys left for university. The property had been converted 10 years before we bought it. The finish wasn’t great, so we spent about a year and a significant amount of money renovating it to its current standard.

We went into holiday letting because we had both had enough of work and decided it was time to retire and travel the world. We now spend about 300 days a year overseas. As our boys say, YOLO! Utilising our asset to provide us with income seemed sensible. We also chose not to sell because we love the property and plan to return one day.

Were you met with any challenges or obstacles on the way through getting Woolbrook guest-ready? And how were these overcome?

I’m pleased to say that we met no real challenges partly because the work we did was cosmetic and partly because we have done this several times before. We did however find ourselves in a position with no bathroom as it had been ripped out just before Covid lockdown and the plumbers were unable to return until lockdown was removed. I suppose one of the challenges was the garden. I personally planted every plant in the garden, which was like a jungle of brambles when we first got there.

What makes Woolbrook Reservoir so special to you and your guests?

I think what makes our property special is that it is quite unique but also very workable as a family home or as an entertaining venue. We love the view from the upper garden and we love entering through the entrance hall, which we call a tunnel, which basically takes you from ground level to the underground entry point of the reservoir. The vast amount of glazing makes the property very light and the open plan nature of it both inside and the outside courtyard make it very liveable and suitable for a large crowd or parties or entertaining.

Why did you choose Luxury Coastal?

We chose Luxury Coastal because my wife had been recommended to talk to them by another client of theirs. My wife was an agent for Stags in Exeter, in their ‘holiday complex’ department. What made us actually make the decision was the complete flexibility Luxury Coastal were able to offer and how friendly everybody was – nothing was too much trouble. I’m pleased to say that none of this has changed after having been with them for nearly 2 years now.

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

The process of boarding was a gradual one. We had about a year’s notice up to the time we would actually rent. The process started with an initial meeting and some advice which we then took forward and used to start preparing the property for guests. We also undertook a fair bit of work to prepare the administrative side of the holiday letting, and we had several meetings with Luxury Coastal along the way to seek further feedback and advice. Anything or any advice I needed was never too much trouble. A really good example of this is the online touch stay guide which the team was able to convert from my printed version to the online digital version – a tool which has proven very successful.

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

Luxury Coastal are always there to provide the support we need. This ranges from very simple, practical advice to more complex issues about tax, VAT, pricing regulation changes such as fire regulations. They’ve also been able to professionally assist whenever there’s been a problem with guests.

Are you happy with the visibility of your property to attract guests, and the occupancy achieved for your property?

I’m very happy with the visibility of our property. Not only is this on Luxury Coastal‘s website but it is also with Airbnb, Booking.com and VRBO.  There have also been several marketing initiatives like some YouTube bloggers who did a podcast on our property, an article on the Grand Designs website, and one in Country Life magazine.  The design of the Luxury Coastal website is magnificent, with tremendous photos and videos which were paid for by them – each took over a day to complete and the outcome is fantastic.

Looking back, what have been the most rewarding aspects of owning a holiday let?

I guess the reason we holiday let our property is to receive income and this has certainly been the most rewarding aspect. It has allowed us to support our sons in ways which we never thought we could and also allowed us to travel with no concern about finance. It has also allowed us to set some money aside for our future days.

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

My top tips would be to get the property in tiptop condition and then make sure you have a good solid guide for guests. Good quality, helpful cleaners is a definite must, finally I would say communication and listening to guest feedback is critical.

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

Yes, I would definitely recommend Luxury Coastal based on the level of their fees, their willingness to help, and the quality of everything they do.

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

Ready when you are.

You have to sea this

@luxurycoastal

Let's stay in touch...

Sign up to the Luxury Coastal newsletter to find out about our latest properties, competitions and holiday inspiration.