[mowhaugh]

Our farm cottage has been available to rent for a whole year now, and I am needing some suggestions as to how to get it occupied.  I have done all the conventional advertising, but with no success - we have had lots of people look at it, but they have all been put off either by the lack of mobile phone signal, or by it being more rural than they realised by looking on the map.

It is now costing us money as we are having to pay the council tax, and I am going to have to order some oil and turn the central heating on, I think.

We can't afford to spend anything more really to get it let out - when it is occupied, we have to give our landlords half the rent, and meet all costs from our half, so it is not a money spinner even when let out, all we really want is someone sensible to be living in it and taking care of it, and for it not to be costing us anything.

Does anyone have any suggestions?

[lachlanandmarcus]

Would it be suitable as a holiday cottage? The things that make a place undesired for a permanent home eg remote/lack of mobile signal are the same things that would make it very attractive for a getaway?

[mowhaugh]

Thanks, I think it would be suitable for a holiday cottage, I am just struggling to afford to furnish it, and also to do the changeover cleaning etc. when I have two toddlers - I have enquired locally as to whether anyone would be interested in doing this, but no takers.

Also, if I could get round this, do you think people would be put off by it being right in the middle of a farm steading?  I had thought maybe people could bring their horse on holiday, but don't know if people would prefer B & B if they were doing that?

[AnnS]

Not sure where you are located, but if you allow dogs have you tried an ad on agilitynet, often get folk on there looking for somewhere that will accept dogs.


AnnS

[lachlanandmarcus]

I don't think the lack of B&B would be an issue for horsey types, they might well prefer to do their own thing self catering. If it did prove an issue it might be possible to just supply cold stuff like bread for toast, cereals and juice and a kettle for them to make breakfast.


Ideally it would be detached but again I don't think that it would be unattractive as long as the surroundings are nice.


If you were able to accept people's dogs that would help a lot, ESP if there was somewhere secure for exercise, as a lot of places are too done up for dogs to be allowed. Also doggy people tend to be quite loyal, so may come back year after year.


Is there a local furniture place that sells low cost second hand furniture?We have one locally. It only sells stuff with fire protection labels etc, so safe for use. Or local Facebook pages and Gumtree for very good value barely used furniture. Ikea is also good for clean lined new stuff (but agree its still a cost)


Changeover cleaning is probably the biggest issue, also the fact that the tax reliefs available for holiday let's are now only available if it's occupied for a minimum number of weeks a year.


Looking at permanent rentals, it does sound as if the lack of furnishing would be an issue, so worth trying to do that if at all possible. Also considering taking pets, as with holiday let's if you can do this you normally have a queue of people as its hard to find landlords who will. You can take extra deposit bonds to cover any damage, hefty ones if you need to.


Hth :-))

[lachlanandmarcus]

This might be of interest to get listed in if you do go down the holiday route. ignore the b$B label, they seem to include self catering too.

http://www.bhs.org.uk/ownership-advice/find-a-livery-yard/results?cat=Bed+and+Breakfast+Establishments

[happygolucky]

I would say holiday let, funny thing I would look for something where I could happily take our dogs......I just found a facebook page with cottages where you can take more than one dog for a holiday and loved that idea. I would not do any catering at all, its more profitable, the catering takes time and is hard to make much on, I used to cook big breakfasts and an evening meal and was constantly cooking, shopping and cleaning, now I do room only and get more profit and less work, most people with animals would be happy to cater for themselves I am sure.
No idea of where you are so why not put an advert on here?  I am put off buy too rural properties to buy or rent as when we first moved up to Scotland we lived a mile up a farm track and a few miles from the nearest shops etc. and it was concerning when the car had to go into the garage, we also had no mobile but did finally get a BT connection so that's fine, as a lot of people chat with me on Facebook with their I pads!!
If you can, go down the holiday self catering route, funny thing is, people love to rough it!!

[happygolucky]

Whops, I forgot that when we bought this house we too had no money so we got most stuff to fill it up from freecycle, the tip, charity shops or shops like poundland or B&M.  One of our beds kept breaking even though it was not old, so we got a free divan from free cycle and it was spotless......look on Gumtree and other pre loved sites as you can furnish a place very beautifully with very little money!

[mowhaugh]

Thank you everyone for all the advice.  I do have an ad on here, but probably need to update it.  Pets are very welcome as long as they are under control and the poo is picked up!  We are pretty rural, we are almost five miles up a single track road, which is well surfaced, then a farm track too.

I think furnishing it and holiday cottage is probably the way forward if I can find someone to clean, will start looking at those sites for furniture!

[happygolucky]

 

[ellied]

If you're 5 miles up a track perhaps says how easy or otherwise it is for a town car to get to - some folk may assume they need a 4x4.

Agree uncatered holiday letting or furnished shorthold is more likely than unfurnished shorthold.  I'd look to target ads to places like walking clubs/magazines, outdoorsy folk are more likely to be out and about and less bothered by the internet speed.  May be that a well controlled dog or two is a better prospect than inexperienced townie kids actually, you can lay ground rules for where they exercise, poopscooping etc where folk with unruly kids tend to think it's nice for them to go playing with the sheep or else nasty for them to get dirty 

If you included free grazing for a pony or two you might well get full price from dog-free, child-free riding folk, whether holidaying or staying 6 months to a year..  Depends what you can put up with easiest, it will never be idyllic with strangers that nearby unless you get on really well OR they only stay a week at a time 

[happygolucky]

You just reminded me Ellied, I love children but often they can be worse than dogs re behaviour, I used to dread families but nothing happened but always worried that they were left unsupervised......we left a wooden ladder behind our garage and one day, while in the garage I heard little scratching and voices, there were some very young children on our asbestos roof! ...I soon moved the ladder and told them that the old lady that lived in the garage did not like children...that did the trick

[honeyend]

I have a basic farm cottage that I rented out last year. We renovated it to a basic standard and then I rented out with an agent for which I got a fair rent for the area but when they moved out they left an really bad smell and I think they had been probably growing pot.
 I then had a lodger with a dog with was room with bills paid. Bless him he was not used to the country life and lasted two months. I readvertised and got a fair response but the people that turned up because they are only renting the room tend not to be very organised. If I had lived closer to the property I would have gone for workman, they are far less fussy than men, women with animals seem to be a bit bonkers I have found from trying to rent out some stables. My step father has workmans caravans, they like being out of the way because they often have kit that can be stolen, good payers and no trouble. http://www.booktraderooms.com/
.http://www.spareroom.co.uk/?&aff=677&KW=rooms+to+rentEXACT&gclid=CKS-16-157oCFcTLtAodeBEAOQ
I gave up in the end because we had the builders start and I didn't want anyone disappearing down a hole.

[Daisys Mum]

Thank you everyone for all the advice.  I do have an ad on here, but probably need to update it.  Pets are very welcome as long as they are under control and the poo is picked up!  We are pretty rural, we are almost five miles up a single track road, which is well surfaced, then a farm track too.

I think furnishing it and holiday cottage is probably the way forward if I can find someone to clean, will start looking at those sites for furniture!

Damn! I just got rid of a suite today which would have been perfect for a holiday let.

[moony]

Do you know of any areas of sheep grazing available to let anywhere near there?