Hoseasons' holiday cottage hotspots

Location is the key to achieving a good return on a holiday cottage investment - choosing a holiday hotspot could increase returns by as much as 197%, according to one of the UK’s leading holiday cottage agencies.

Hoseasons, which has a portfolio of over 1600 cottages across England, Wales and Scotland, has analysed its own booking figures to identify which areas of the country are most sought after by holidaymakers, and which subsequently achieve higher rental incomes and longer booking seasons.

“Each region has its areas which consistently sell first and sell best,” said Hoseasons Head of Cottages Tina Smith. “We are constantly looking for new properties in these hotspots, and these are the places that those looking to invest in holiday cottages should look first, if they want to maximise their returns.

“Obviously the quality, character, facilities and location of the individual cottage are all crucial - but all these things being equal, it is clear that some areas of the country are in greater demand from cottage holidaymakers.”

In each region the cottage holiday hotspots are as follows:

South West
• Cornwall: Padstow, St Ives/Carbis Bay, Looe/Polperro, Newquay and Falmouth
• Devon: Dawlish, Torquay, Dartmouth, Salcombe and Woolacombe
• Somerset: villages close to Bath, villages close to Wells, Minehead, Dulveton, Dunster

South
• Dorset: Weymouth area and Lyme Regis
• Wiltshire: Bradford on Avon and towards Bath
• Hampshire: New Forest
• Coastal properties with a sea view

East of England
• Norfolk Broads
• North Norfolk coast
• Suffolk Heritage coast
• Around Lincoln

Heart of England
• Stratford on Avon
• Chipping Camden
• Vale of Evesham
• Moreton in Marsh
• Tetbury

Wales
• Monmouthshire
• Pembrokeshire: Tenby/Saundersfoot and Solva
• The Gower Peninsula
• Betws y Coed
• Beddgelbert
• The Barmouth coast
• Harlech

The Peak District
• Bakewell and surrounding villages
• Matlock and surrounding villages
• Ashbourne and surrounding villages

North
• Lancashire: Silverdale
• Cheshire: anywhere near Chester and Nantwich
• Yorkshire: Whitby, Pickering, Dales, especially Middleham
• Cumbria: Keswick, Ambleside, Windemere
• Northumberland: Beadnell, Seahouses

Scotland
• Applecross
• Isle of Skye
• Royal Deeside: Ballater, Braemer
• Fife: East Neuk fishing villages, St Andrews
• Inverness
• Loch Ness

Hoseasons, which is the UK’s biggest self-catering operator, and which has a portfolio of over 1600 cottages across England, Wales and Scotland, is on the lookout for new properties for the 2008 season. Cottage owners can find more details at Hoseasons.co.uk/newowner.aspx.