Marsdens: The Company
Marsdens Holidays originally started in Croyde over 35 years ago by Tom Marsden and later taken over by his son David. In 1990 the business was purchased by Janet and Peter Cornwell and with their marketing expertise the agency has now become the largest in the West Country with all of their properties inspected by Visit Britain assessors. The portfolio of over 260 properties stretches from Hartland on the Devon and Cornwall border to Porlock in Somerset
Quality
Our local roots do not restrict us, and we have for many years been keen supporters of the Visit Britain national assessment scheme and are now the largest agency in the West Country with all of our properties inspected . Each cottage is inspected annually by an independent assessor and graded from 1 to 5 stars depending on quality. This scheme provides visitors with an instant level of confidence that properties will match or exceed their expectations. The scheme continues to grow and more and more visitors are used to the star grading system. The quality and standards of our cottages are well received by visitors and we are proud that over 55% of our clients are either recommended or coming back for yet another holiday with Marsdens.
Marketing
Highly professional and motivated designers have made our brochure much admired by visitors and competitors alike. Some principles still remain from previous issues, we know that large photographs of properties are what visitors appreciate together with comprehensive but succinct copy providing information that only a local agency can.
Our advertising and marketing budget increases each year as we explore new media and new ways of reaching our target market. We have known for many years that advertising results can change weekly, let alone yearly, and a comprehensive and accurate monitoring system ensures that we spot new trends and react quickly, enabling us to adjust our campaign.
We are proud that we were one of the first agencies in the UK to support an internet website, and this has now been running for over 9 years. Our experience enables us to maintain an easy to use and informative site which has over 50,000 unique users each month. The site has on-line availability and booking, as well as useful links to other informative sites. We have over 140 different domain names which all feed into our site providing an exceptionally high level of focussed traffic.
Our national advertising includes:
The Times
Sunday Times
Mail On Sunday
Saturday Mail
Guardian
Specialists magazines
National Trust
RSPB
And many local and regional guides.
We have been featured in The Good Holiday Cottage Guide for 22 consecutive years.
It is important that our staff have plenty of time to spend with potential visitors, and therefore we have a computer system to carry out the mundane administration and booking.
Financial Details
Subject to certain conditions, the Inland Revenue consider the income from holiday letting is treated as earned income, as they accept that this is a business activity. This can have considerable tax advantages, as interest on any mortgage or loan used to purchase a property can be offset against income and in some cases any loss that accrues can be offset against other earned income. We will be pleased to put you in touch with local accountants experienced in this area of holiday home taxation who will be able to give you professional advice.
We make regular monthly payments to owners at the beginning of each month for bookings that have taken place in the preceding month.
Once a booking has been confirmed to you, you will receive payment even if it is subsequently cancelled. We do not make any deduction from this payment with the exception of our normal commission and VAT.
Our Advice
Our advice is free, but hopefully invaluable. Our experience of letting hundreds of properties and tens of thousands of holidays enables us to take a wider view of the market. We are happy to advise on the suitability of properties that are being considered to purchase, provide income projections and guide you towards the correct property. Our contracts with owners are annual. We know that we are only as good as last years lets and we want you to purchase property which will let well and provide the income that you require. There are many factors that make a good holiday cottage, location, position, appearance, garden, views, accessibility are all factors before even thinking of the interior of the property. What initially appears to be a daunting task can often be extremely rewarding providing a sound investment with many owners using a holiday home as a pension investment.
Initially the furnishing and equipping of the property can appear a formidable task, but we are happy to advise on the most suitable types of furnishing and also where they can be obtained. Sometimes it is the simplest of styles that are the most effective and economic.
A housekeeper is one of the most crucial parts of your property investment, and we have a wide range of contacts which enable us to help find the most suitable person to assist you. After our initial visit and consultation we will prepare a report detailing the correct price band for your property and the anticipated number of weeks that we will be able to achieve, which in turn will produce a net income figure. Once our proposals have been discussed and accepted, a contract will be signed between us and we will then prepare the detailed copy for insertion in our brochure and on our web site. As soon as this is agreed we will start marketing the property and take bookings.
Insurance
It is imperative that your property is fully insured together with the contents, and as the insurance market becomes specialised some direct access insurers do not wish to provide cover on let properties. We have access to a reputable insurance broker who can provide substantial cover including £2 million public liability, from whom you will get preferential rates. Please click the link for a quotation...www.ravensdale.co.uk
We have contacts with reliable local tradesmen, plumbers, electricians, heating engineers, decorators, carpenters, carpet layers who are used to dealing with holiday properties and provide excellent service at very reasonable rates.
If you would like a copy of our comprehensive owner's pack which includes a copy of our highly acclaimed brochure, our owner's handbook with extensive advice on the setting up and letting of a holiday cottage and further information on taxation, consumer legislation and a full inventory that is required in each property, please contact us by email, phone (01271 813777) or fax (01271 813664).
