[Closed] Holiday cottages - so expensive nowadays

Scotland. Voted last year as the Most Beautiful Country in the World by the Rough Guides readership. Currently attracting huge media attention due to the North Coast 500 (Clarkson and co were up here last week)

Busy? Nah.

As you've found, most of the West Coast, Lochaber, Skye (and even the Islands) are already fully booked. Don't worry about the occasional "over-priced" cottage - they'll make their money.

I’m going to go back and have a look at Wales which is where we normally go. We had a great holiday on Mull last year which wasn’t too badly priced but I think we might have to look elsewhere now.

Been talking to a colleague - we’ve always wanted to go to Barcelona and that might actually be cheaper!

Prices have definitely increased over the last 5-10 yrs.  I think partly because the Internet makes it easy to see what others are charging, partly because without being on an Internet promotion site  it’s hard to attract clients and so you are paying their fee, and partly because of changes in things like council tax on second homes, but to let mortgage prices etc.   There has also been a bit of a shift in market expectation, and I suspect more people expect to leave it not completely spotless so you have a cleaning cost that certainly 20 yrs ago may not have existed.  Add on the fact that now most include gas and electric whereas a while back they were extras and I can see why.

I’m not sure how cheap you were hoping though.  Many hostel and bunkhouse type offerings if you don’t want to camp (hosteling has changed a lot in the same time frame).  Then static caravans fill the next price slot.

Finally is it just for two?  Many places are bigger and priced on the principle they are full.  Whilst air bnb isn’t always cheaper it’s worth a look - they are often great for those little places.

I was looking at around £450 for 2 people for one week. Always seemed to get somewhere nice for that but I’ve been trawling round the decidedly ropey end of the market the last week. Need a nice comfy bed and lounge, somewhere to put bikes too.

Maybe we shouldn’t have been so nice over the years and made sure we left a place clean before we left it, seems like no one else does if they are having to put prices up so much.

EDIT: I think my wife would rather stay at home than go in a bunkhouse or hostel!

Just had a cancellation on ours. West Coast of Wales - 1st week in June other than that we are full until October.

Just had a cancellation on ours. West Coast of Wales – 1st week in June other than that we are full until October.

Errrrr. Thanks?

Errrrr. Thanks?

I think he's pointing out that it's not just Scotland

It is mind bogglingly difficult to find anywhere as well, there are a million websites showing places to stay, some were designed in the 90's and not been updated since (like the houses themselves too), the availability options are all over the place too so you have to send off loads of emails.

just do air bnb, those old type sites where you have to email to find out they aren't available are so annoying.
I've been loking along dorset and devon coast and there are tons available down there.

@newrobdob - try the Southern Uplands. It's a beautiful area and generally pretty quiet. Or Northumberland - it's great but don't tell anyone!!!

@jekkyl - For balance AirBnB are not that great. I booked a cottage in Northumberland for my parents in May and the same cottage with AirBnB was about 25% more expensive for the same week.  Similarly I've booked one in the Pyrennes in September and AirBnB were about 45% more than HomeAway. I think that AirBnB still have some bargains but they are harder and harder to find nowadays.

Since the financial crash in 07/08 more and more people have holidays in the UK, combined with the crap £:€ and £:$ exchange rates you can see why there is more demand, hence price hikes. I reckon cottages have gone up about 25-35% in the last 5 years.

Errrrr. Thanks?

Sorry written in haste on phone.

Cottages are busy, it's been a real learning curve for us as we never plan and always go last minute but we're full and have booking for 2019 also. We don't actually make any much money out of the cottage (1st 2 years have been a small loss) but prices for some weeks seem like a lot even to me as an owner. The agent takes 20% + VAT so 25% goes straight away, a change over costs about £100 for linen & clean. Add power / heating / repairs upkeep and £300-400 a week is gone.

But also if you do change your destination to Wales, we have last minute space due to a cancellation, we're not that expensive. 🙂

I dunno.

We're booking a place which sleeps 6 for a week over the August Bank holiday - it costs somewhere north of £500 which I think isn't too bad.

North York Moors, though.

They have availability for a week in May, too.

Have a look for Sykes Cottages if that would interest you.

It is mind bogglingly difficult to find anywhere as well, there are a million websites showing places to stay, some were designed in the 90’s and not been updated since (like the houses themselves too), the availability options are all over the place too so you have to send off loads of emails.

I agree. You want me to take out a mortgage to book a week in your cottage but can’t even set up a decent website to tell me availability and pricing and reply to emails more slowly than a second class postcard.

You want me to take out a mortgage to book a week in your cottage but can’t even set up a decent website to tell me availability and pricing and reply to emails more slowly than a second class postcard.

And yet, everywhere is booked up, so maybe they're doing something right? And maybe they've got the pricing right too.

I think it’s difficult for 2 people like us. For a family £500 isn’t so bad but there are very few places that cater for 2 people and they aren’t any cheaper when they are avallable.

Family of 4 and we holiday in west of Scotland/Cairngorm/Northumberland a few times a year. Going rate for a decent 2 bedroom cottage seems to be around £650 a week, or closer to £900 for a more luxurious one/School holiday/prime location. The pricing seems right as they are all fairly fully booked.

I’m not looking in school holidays, it’s mid May.

Wtf?

He's not wrong. My mother has a holiday cottage between Nairn and Carrbridge. Sleeps 6, 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms. I did the maths with her - in the low season in the winter it's very hard to justify making it available. The going rate folk expect to pay at that time of year barely covers the added cost of having it open rather than moth balling. Unless your location is properly unique you are unlikely to be full every week in low season so you have to put a lot of energy into get it back up to temperature. The other odd thing is that if you don't give punters access to room temperature control they moan. If you do they take the piss, having it way hotter than they would at home because they are on holiday. She ends up putting an extra week's worth of wear on everything internally and spending a full day cleaning and changing beds and another half day doing laundry for £50 tops. Just not worth it.

Newrobdob, id be amazed if you can’t find a 1 bed place in May for sub 500, albeit you’ve left it late - so the best properties will be gone.

I wonder what your wife thinks hostels are like?  Some have private En suite rooms, double beds, TVs in rooms...  basically very relaxed hotel/bnb where you can use a communal kitchen.

I think it’s difficult for 2 people like us. For a family £500 isn’t so bad but there are very few places that cater for 2 people and they aren’t any cheaper when they are avallable.

Newrobdob, £500 is £500. It’s not like my 1 year old and 5 year old are paying their own way. Believe it or not we have less money now than when it was just the two of us!

Just go in February and forget about sun and stuff.

have a look  on ebay

Newrobdob, £500 is £500. It’s not like my 1 year old and 5 year old are paying their own way. Believe it or not we have less money now than when it was just the two of us!

Sorry i I didn’t mean when you have kids you have more money - the exact opposite! It’s just that there are a lot of 2/3 bedroom houses catering for families. When there is 2 of you you end up paying for that extra space you don’t need. Doesn’t seem to be many that are just for 2 people, and they are rarely cheaper anyway.

A few here.

http://www.unique-cottages.co.uk/cottages/west-coast

http://www.scottish-cottages.co.uk/late-bargains

Sorry i I didn’t mean when you have kids you have more money – the exact opposite! It’s just that there are a lot of 2/3 bedroom houses catering for families. When there is 2 of you you end up paying for that extra space you don’t need. Doesn’t seem to be many that are just for 2 people, and they are rarely cheaper anyway.

Similar situation - it is luxuriant but I have learnt to consider the extra rooms as toy rooms! A room full of photography kit and another of sport kit. I could even have a naked room....not thought about that! Then a lounge with 2 big sofas for us to spread out across.

Agreed though, cottages costed per bed or £s per square metre of floor space get more expensive the smaller they get.

Recently started using national trust cottages - not cheap but locations tend to be 'epic' rather than adequate and very well specced so for me good value for money. NT obviously not in Scotland though and never looked to see if Scottish NT has them.

Yup, now pricey.

Always go in October - 6 adults, 2 dogs and a small child or two.

£800 a week in The Lakes last year, £600 in our favourite place in North Yorkshire before that, now off the market sadly.

Ok with six contributing. Can you get a few more people to join you?

Some places with the poor websites may not care too much as they might be pretty full with repeat customers so not need to input on their web site too much. We used to go to a place in Cornwall, website was not great at updating prices/availability, but it was pretty full (over 6 months of the year anyway). We went same week for 4 years in a row as most other weeks were booked by the same returning people. The owner was very relaxed about it and kept you your week for a small deposit.

Yup Andy that’s the case with the one we use, it has a very tiny basic website they pretty much book up regular customers and will not let others back if they abused the place. We’re going back in August it’s not cheap but then it does sleep 8 of us.

Convert National Trust For Scotland do have self catering accom.  Not cheap.  But actually do sometimes do late deals if things are empty.  Quality OK.  Locations special.

You can usuallymake direct contact with the owner and make an offer if you think his prices are too high.  I let a holiday home and sadly the people paying the least expect the most.

The above comment re low season rates is correct, its just not worth letting at low season rates.

And yet, everywhere is booked up, so maybe they’re doing something right? And maybe they’ve got the pricing right too.

You are right about that. My POV is having a family of 5, and of having a household income of exactly the national average. We can rarely justify these cottages when comparing the cost to going abroad.  Obviously there are plenty of people who can, as evidenced by the cost of absolutely everything in our local beauty spot, Gower. (A bunch of us riding the trails through Gower last weekend, on bikes ranging from £1200-£3500, refused to stop at any of the cafes en-route because they are so expensive and mainly crap. 😁 ) And this may be a problem as well - we don’t have to travel far to be in a tourist hotspot, literally just a few miles. So we struggle to justify spending on a cottage in a place which is almost guaranteed to be less nice! (Scotland has been considered but is as far away and expensive as the warm bits of Europe.) Anyway, just thinking aloud sorry.

If you think cottages are expensive, ffs dont ever price up a campervan. ..

We pay 569 for a week in our favourite little bay on one of the islands, sleeps 4, stunning views. And No, I ain't telling.... 😉

Oh aye, that wee secret place ..... 😀

"If you think cottages are expensive, ffs dont ever price up a campervan. .."

Tbh it was the cost of accomodation these days that made me buy my own.

I meant hire costs Terry, as I'm sure you know! 😉

Managed to get a place in the end! SE side of Loch Awe, 3 bedroom (sleeps 6!) reallt nice looking place with views over the loch for £436 - they had taken off £109 for a late booking.

Result!