Case Study – Harriett K
December 6, 2023
Harriet came to us with a beautiful holiday cottage in Porthleven that she had just finished renovating. The property was finished to an exceptional standard and she had put so much thought into the guest experience – her knowledge from working in the luxury service industry certainly showed! We knew she would make a perfect partner and were delighted when she chose us to manage the property. Find out more about her story below.
Can you tell us a little bit about your situation and why you decided to short-term let your home?
I always wanted a holiday let investment property in Cornwall and I found the perfect property in 2021. The next thing I needed was to secure an excellent management company. I required the entire rental to be hands off, as I work abroad 6 months of the year and when I am home I am based in Leeds.
As you work abroad, what would you say is the most important aspect of hiring an end-to-end management service?
The most important aspect was to be able to be entirely hands off and not have to deal with phone calls, enquiries, organising contractors and maintenance. I needed to find a company that would happily take on everything and only contact me when needed. I also needed them to be able to use their own expertise and initiative towards the property so I didn’t have to chase them to make sure that XYZ had been done. They organise everything for me and it’s been a dream.
“They organise everything for me and it’s been a dream.”
Why did you decide to work with Guesthoo and how has your experience been?
I spoke with a few different companies but I didn’t like how ‘corporate’ they felt and the fees and rates they were charging didn’t suit my goals. After meeting with William at Guesthoo I could tell they knew what they were doing and had experience setting up rental properties from the ground up. It was clear we would get a great personal service and we signed up with Guesthoo straight away.
What do you think is key to running a successful short-term let?
It’s absolutely your management company. You could have the most desirable property with all the amenities but if you don’t have a good management company in place it can be detrimental to your listing. For example you need prompt and friendly customer service from the moment they book, excellent housekeeping and maintenance staff, someone on the end of the line to deal with any issues in a heart beat. Guesthoo has been key to my rental properties success!
Do you have any final tips for anyone considering letting out their property?
Put yourselves in the shoes of the guest, what would you want and expect from the property and the booking company and the little details don’t go unmissed!