Do I need planning permission for my holiday home?
Assuming that you have an existing building, you only need planning permission if the building is not currently a dwelling e.g., see our case study on how we managed a garage conversion. This ‘change of use’ planning application is for ‘full planning’. A local architect can help you with this or we offer the service for £499.00 which includes site and block plan drawings as well as a plan layout and all elevations of the building. A site visit and thus a measuring service are not included and neither are the planning office fees.
finances
Budget
The budget should always follow any new venture. However, you will want to return to this and make alterations as you read through these guidelines.
Will my council tax be affected?
Will I have to pay business rates?
Funding
If you need to raise capital, you must present your potential lender with a business plan. You can find templates online to help you or we can take care of this for £149.00. You then need to present this to one or more of the following (in order of preference):
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A person you know with the capital and potential interest in the project.
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The government business start-up loan service.
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A bank or other private lender.
The UK government currently offers a flat 6% interest rate on start-up loans. This may sound a lot compared with mortgages or even personal loans but it is much cheaper than what the banks will give you.
Projections & Pricing
When deciding how much to charge, your first port of call should be researching the local area for your competitors. Get on to Booking.com or TripAdvisor and see what you’re up against. Although you will initially want to be less expensive than the local market, be wary of what other homeowners may consider as brutal undercutting; the last thing you want is for them to reciprocate.
You can also use this same technique to give you a rough idea of how many weeks you will fill and at what time of year.
marketing
Target Market
First, who is your target market? A couple on a romantic retreat. A family escaping the city. For better or worse, the answer is determined for you by the both the property’s size and location. The size is obvious; a couple only requires a single bedroom. However, the location both matters in the immediate vicinity of the grounds of the property and nearby locations of interest. Firstly, is the area secluded? Is there room for a swing set? Is there a lake on the property that could be a danger to small children? In the wider area, are there scenic public walks or bike rides?
Interior Design
Now you know who your selling holidays to you can start to look furnishings. Modern or traditional? What we didn’t cover in ‘Target Market’ was age demographics. Should you target young professionals or retirees, or both? A large dining table may be necessary. A hot tub? It may be tempting to pick colours and styles as though you are moving in, but it is best to follow schemes that are generally accepted. Although you may loave the thought of paying for an interior designer, they are professionals and will, extremely importantly, create an environment that photogenic. If instead, you fancy the challenge, look online at one of the staycation sites and use a popular home that you like as a starting guide. When it’s all done, a professional photographer will be a worthy expense.
Unique Selling Point(s)
If your house is in a tree, you can skip this section. Otherwise hop on to any of the good booking sites and look at what your competitors do and don’t have. What sets them apart? Most of them will have hot tubs but what about one in a secluded forest? Sometimes even a log burning stove is all it takes to win someone over and it’s something that is becoming rarer all the time. This is where you need you blow your competition out of the water and will definitely have a big impact on how successful your venture will be. Spend your time and money accordingly.
Digital Marketing / Web Presence
Booking.com and TripAdvisor are the 2 most popular places for booking staycations in the UK.
You can check out their fees at these links:
You can also set up your own website and take bookings easily and cheaply. There are many website developing packages to choose from and, from making this website myself, I can recommend Wix.com.
building regs
If you’re having to submit a planning application, the planning office will need to see a copy of the plan. This will also be forwarded to the fire service who will assess the risk.
health & safety
General Risk Assessment
If you’re having to submit a planning application, the planning office will need to see a copy of the plan. This will also be forwarded to the fire service who will assess the risk.
Fire Risk Assessment
As part of the property’s health & safety plan, you will need to complete a fire risk assessment. If you have used our layout plan service, we can complete this for a further £49.00. We’ll also be able to tell you exactly which fire extinguishers to use and where to locate them, which we’ll show on a layout plan.