Guide to Choosing your UK Holiday Let Location

A terrace of brick and flint cottages - geograph.org.uk - 969366 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

So, you are thinking about investing in a holiday let property?

Are you also a bit unsure about top locations and holiday home mortgages etc.?

Well, here are a few helpful top tips about that perennial subject of location, location, location:

• established holiday resorts and destinations are always a relatively safe bet in terms of location. On the downside though, bargain opportunities might be rather thin on the ground simply because everyone knows it is a great area to buy holiday let property in. So, if your budget is tight, try to think outside the box a little in terms of less well-known holiday destinations;
• there is something romantic about the coast for many people and that means properties in coastal locations might always be a relatively good bet;
• however, remember that the coast won’t appear particularly romantic if your property happens to overlook a major industrial complex in the distance. Whatever the nature of a holiday property, people typically want it to have reasonable outlooks in all directions. That doesn’t necessarily mean stunning views, as cute village rooftops might be fine - but industrial chimneys and cranes are never likely to be;
• tiny and quaint properties may be visually attractive but they might be seen by many families as being totally impractical. Be cautious about such investments unless you happen to be targeting the market for romantic weekend breaks for couples;
• surprisingly, significant numbers of people don’t have a car or do not like using it on holiday. You may keep your options open with properties that are accessible via reasonable public transport services;
• by the same logic, it might be sensible to find somewhere that is at least within realistic driving distances of shops and facilities;
• think about access and parking. Town centre flats in major tourist locations may be fine but if parking locally is virtually impossible or very expensive then you are going to put off a significant number of your potential customers;
• although some people may wish to shut themselves away for the entire duration of their holiday, most will welcome the chance to get out and about in the evenings where possible. Therefore, holiday home lets that are within walking distances of pubs and restaurants may be particularly attractive;
• much as a holiday in the wilderness might appeal in theory, many people after the first day or so will be climbing the walls looking for some sort of entertainment. So, locations that have easy access to things such as fishing, cycling, swimming, sports and so on, will be more attractive than those that do not;
• investigate potential noise pollution in the area carefully before buying. You won’t want to discover after you have purchased that there is a local railway line only a few hundred yards away which is a hive of activity with gravel wagons going up and down at 4am;
• remember that very isolated locations a long way away from major urban centres of population may be difficult for people to reach on long weekend type breaks, as they won’t want to spend the bulk of that time travelling. This might be a major component of your target marketing outside of July and August - so be cautious about excluding yourself from it by virtue of where your property is located. 

A few basic tips but they might help you avoid you doing the equivalent of painting yourself into a corner with your holiday let property!