but launched a sister company, Amberley The weakness of the pound has kept with organisations including ARLA and
House Cottage Holidays last June. Headed holidaymakers in the UK, boosting the RICS, and it is used by several hundred
up by Andrew Gardner who moved over lettings sector in 2009 customers. Although our system is used
from the financial services sector, it is by the residential lettings market as a
filling a gap in the market on the South whole, the accountancy side of it is one
Downs. Although national holiday cottage of its great strengths for individuals and
firms do have properties in the area, few smaller companies.
have people on the ground with local “Overseas investors, who own a cottage
knowledge. “I was born in the county,” says in the UK which they let out, find it
Gardner. “I can explain about the area to especially useful, as the software calculates
people who call and we give the personal the rentals and the liability to the Inland
touch. Also a lot of holiday home owners Revenue. If you fall foul of the tax laws, you
get tied into contracts with big holiday could be in serious trouble. Of course, the
lettings companies and get charged a lot system is also used to track bookings and
of money. We are smaller and can be operate a diary system. It works for
competitive, the owners can use the everybody whether they have only three
properties on their terms.” found their ideal holiday home renters or four properties, or one of the larger
The firm currently has 28 properties were the kind of people who read the customers managing a sophisticated
on its books, ranging from a Georgian Telegraph and Sunday Times, and also portfolio of hundreds.”
townhouse in Arundel to a studio cottage magazines produced by the RSPB, the Since CFP first started, the holiday
next to a farmhouse, surrounded by a National Trust and Waitrose. The lettings market has become much more
moat. When they carried out a survey, they company will, says Gardner, be trying professional, so even owners running
to reach different markets too. a one-man show have to meet the
“We are looking for charming properties expectations of renters used to an efficient,
‘We are smaller and want to present a certain quality,” he quick online response.
and can be
says. “I feel very bullish about its success.” Rightmove, which also operates
competitive,
CFP, the Cornish-based market leaders
holidaylettings.co.uk reports the holiday
in software, produce a special holiday lettings market has proven buoyant
the owners can lettings programme, a boon for for firms through challenging economic times.
use the properties on
as well as individual owners. “There are two beneficiaries – the
their terms.’
Peter Everett, General Manager explains, homeowners and the holidaymakers,” says
“It is a niche market but we have a large their spokeswoman. “Increasingly, long
andrew gardner market share,” he says. “We have developed standing second home owners are realising
amberley house cottage holidays the product over 10 years, it is compliant the intrinsic value lying in a home they
PROPERTYdrum FEBRUARY 2010 53
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