With the soaring demand for staycations this year, those with second homes in Suffolk may well be considering letting them to holidaymakers.

Helen Millin, Director of Suffolk Hideaways, which boasts a Feefo Gold Trusted Service Award, says properties across the county are being booked up ready for when restrictions are lifted.

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“We are already seeing a huge demand for holidays in Suffolk this year and beyond,” she says.

“A large portion of our portfolio is now fully booked ready for when staycations open up again.”

Here she outlines the benefits of using an agent to let your home:

Q: Which properties make ideal holiday homes in Suffolk?

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The great thing about holiday homes is that so many different homes appeal to different customers. Some look for small, characterful boltholes that feel like a home-from-home, while others are looking for luxurious apartments, barn conversions or something quirky. Holiday letting is not a “one size fits all” field. A good rule of thumb is to ensure there is a good bedroom to bathroom ratio.

Q: Which locations in Suffolk are people keen to have staycations in?

We are looking to expand our portfolio across the entire county, whether that’s coastal or rural. Coastal holidays will always be popular, but since the pandemic, rural Suffolk is appealing to more and more customers seeking the fresh, country air. We do know that holidaymakers are particularly keen to visit the likes of Southwold, Aldeburgh, Orford and Dunwich – we’d love to expand further into these areas so that we can welcome even more guests to Suffolk.

Q: What kinds of holiday are people seeking?

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Dog-friendly properties are exceptionally popular! More and more guests are looking for holidays that their four-legged friends don’t have to miss out on. In fact, more than half of Suffolk Hideaways’ portfolio welcome wagging tails! A close second to dog-friendly properties are properties with hot tubs and luxury escapes.

Q: What are the main benefits of using an agent?

Using an agent takes a lot of the stress and guess work out of letting a property as a holiday home. The benefits of letting with Suffolk Hideaways include a complete styling service, no joining fees or annual fees, competitive commission rates, professional photography, peace-of-mind damage cover and a highly focussed marketing strategy– both on and offline – (including a comprehensive search engine optimisation strategy), just to name a few. Suffolk Hideaways is part of Quality Holidays Assured (QHA), a group of companies with 35 years’ experience in the holiday business. Variety and originality are at the heart of the QHA offer, and so too are consistently high standards of comfort, service and value for money.

Q: Does it make financial sense to use an agent?

The short answer is “yes!” From our experience, there is always demand for quality self-catering holiday homes in our beautiful part of the country, and therefore there is always potential to make a healthy return on your investment. Suffolk Hideaways is happy to prepare holiday rental forecasts and can provide mortgage letters as well.

Q: Can property owners take on any aspects of the letting process themselves?

Of course – Suffolk Hideaways offers two levels of service: a marketing service and a marketing and managed service. With our marketing service, property owners will be responsible for managing the day-to-day running of their property and dealing with guests. Equally, if owners would prefer to take a step back and let Suffolk Hideaways take care of everything, that’s fine too – that’s where our marketing and managed service comes in.

Q: Can property owners use the holiday home themselves?

Absolutely! There are no owner restrictions on any of our properties – property owners are more than welcome to book their own property for themselves or friends and family whenever they like, as long as there isn’t an existing booking in place.

For more information visit suffolkhideaways.co.uk, call 01728 666300 or email newowners@suffolkhideaways.co.uk.