OwnersAway Property Rentals

A little more relaxced pace for me this week. One of my clients is over to stay at her villa and had booked a course of Spanish lessons on a daily basis. Despite her reservations, by day 3 she was holding simple conversations and conjugating verbs.

Nothing like a little teaching to get the mind going in the morning and we had a great time covering some basic useful topics like ordering food and instoducing yourself. Today the Spanish lesson took a more practical turn when my lady lost her purse and we went to the supermarket to look for it and then to the Guardia Civil to file a report!

We completed our fitting out of the Mojon Hills apartment, which has been transformed from an empty shell to a stylish rental. Some heavy rain and red dust was a last minute hiccough as we mopped that large terrace several times to keep it presentable until the owners arrived late that night.

They were very happy with the lighting, linens and fiurniture we had ordered and installed. Next week we move on to begin fitting out a villa on the same resort and an apartment on Condado de Alhama.

I have to keep it short this time, out in-house newsletter (sent to all our owners) is due out tomorrow and time is running away with me!

A big part of my job is being on call to fix things, and I have to say that in the last 5 years I have managed to get quite "handy" with a screwdriver. Today started well enough, buying linens for a client once again.. but one phone call soon changed all that!

We have some lovely French Canadians staying in one of our villas , and they rang to say that the loo seat had broken. How the mighty are fallen! Within the hour I had sourced the new seat, and was on my hand and knees in the bathroom fitting the replacement. Well it can´t all be glamour I suppose.

So far today, I have fixed a shutter at a villa after an early call from, a client to say that they couldn´t raise the blind, but am off at noon to show some apartments to Spanish clients in the Puerto de Mazarrón area. As ever, they want to be close to the beach and it seems that despite the habit of taking an evening "paseo" on the prom, the Spanish don´t like to have to walk for anything else!

If you are considering renting out your property over here, make sure that your rental agent speaks more than one language, otherwise it really narrows down the potentia rental market if you have to stick to UK clients only. We attract a lot of passing trade from the Spanish, who don´t use the internet in the same way as the rest of the world seems to, and still prefer to call the number off the "Se Alquila" board and talk to a real person.

The downside is that they call me at any time of the day and night!

Hasta Pronto!

Well, it can for me! I have had a lovely week working with a couple from the UK online.. we have never met, yet in the space of 10 days we have managed to start transforming their empty apartment into a key ready rental. The best part for me? They gave me free rein with the lights, linens and much of the accessories. Nothing better then the feeling of looking around what was an empty space and seeing a stylish holiday let emerge.

Useful tips for anyone embarking on this would be ;

• don´t put the curtain poles up until you have bought your curtains. Spanish curtains are much longer then the UK standard lengths to hide the unsightly shutter mechanisms.
• shop around for as many quotes as you can and make sure that the installation and IVA is included.
• Don´t send funds to anyone unless you feel comfortable. Ask for client references and take them up. A good agent will encourage you to do this.
• Be patient. Delivery and lead times are not like those in the UK and as we approach Semana Santa, there are many local fiestas to mess up your delivery dates!
• Get sturdy quality stuff. Your rental will be (hopefully) subject to heavy wear and tear from clients.
• Use a local agent. They will know the good suppliers and any problems can be resolved quickly and without a fuss.

The only thing I´m not looking forward to? Lugging the contents of the kitchen pack,  linen pack and small white goods up 3 flights of stairs to the apartment! Well, at least I might burn off a few calories whilst I work..

Liz

We have been really busy in the first quarter of this year taking bookings for the summer 2011 holiday period. As ever, January was the month we took the most bookings, almost double the level of 2010. Normally, the influx of holiday and villa adverts on UK television prompts people to start looking around for a summer break.. that and the dreadful winter weather that you guys had of course! But this is also due to our committment to investing in Search Engine Optimisation work each year, which keeps us ahead of the local competition in the google rankings. And of course the easier we are to find, the more clients we can attract.

The top 3 things our clients look for in a rental home remain 1) private pool, 2) SAT TV and 3) aircon. If you have all of this in your property, plus the age old "location, location, location" factor, then you could be on to a winner! Price is still very much a factor, and that can deter renters from front line beach properties, where rental prices are higher. Many people now book a villa within 15 minutes drive from the beach, where prices are considerably lower. The market is still very price driven, and most potential long term rental clients are asking for our "best price" and haggling down rents, something that was unheard of 3 or 4 years ago.

Our most popular resort remains the large Camposol urbanisation near Mazarrón, and with a thriving ex-pat community and much to do, it is easy to see why. Inland and rural tourism has grown slightly, but the lure of the coast proves to be as strong as ever, and Camposol is just a 15 minute drive from the nearest beach. Our most popular villa there is already full from June to September, and yes, it does have all of the Top 3!

We remain optimistic for 2011. The market is tough, price is still a key criteria for many clients, but as we expand and diversify OwnersAway Rentals & Property Management is seeing steady growth.