http://blog.schofields.ltd.uk Thu, 19 Nov 2009 16:19:51 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en With the worst storms of the year currently hammering parts of the UK, forecasters are warning those with properties in the holiday home hot-spots of Cumbria, North Wales and Scotland to be prepared for flooding. The Met Office has issued severe weather warnings - with up to 50mm of rain expected ... http://blog.schofields.ltd.uk/878/flood-warnings/ It’s time once again for our holiday home news round up. Here’s what’s been happening: Unoccupied holiday homes in Wales targeted by arsonists - dailypost.co.uk Police in North Wales are investigating arson attacks on two unoccupied holiday homes which appear to be connected. Fire crews were sent to the houses in Ty ... http://blog.schofields.ltd.uk/865/holiday-home-news-171109/ Many tourist destinations in the UK have a limited letting season which means winter bookings may be difficult to achieve, or you may have to offer heavy discounts to entice bookings. Rather than let for low returns or leave their holiday cottage standing empty during the winter, many of our holiday ... http://blog.schofields.ltd.uk/854/winter-cottage-rentals/ Holiday letting can be a great way to earn an income to support the expenses of owning a holiday home. However, there are several risks that holiday home owners take every time they let a ‘stranger’ stay in their homes. Thankfully, a comprehensive holiday let insurance policy should cover these risks ... http://blog.schofields.ltd.uk/832/holiday-letting-risks/ Each time a holiday cottage owner lets their home to guests, no doubt a sigh of relief is expressed when holidaymakers depart, the holiday home in inspected and there is no sign of damage. However, the risks that property owners take when they holiday let to ‘strangers’, recently came to ... http://blog.schofields.ltd.uk/823/holiday-cottage-theft/ Spanish apartments due to be demolished advertised to UK buyers Apartments on a development in Marbella which was built illegally and has been condemned to demolition, are still being advertised on websites targeting UK buyers. Unfortunately, hundreds of existing owners at the development, many of them Britons, face their homes being demolished, ... http://blog.schofields.ltd.uk/805/holiday-home-news-301009/ The clocks have gone back and summer has officially ended. As the nights get darker and the bleak weather approaches, winter can be undeniably harsh for holiday homes. Unfortunately, break-ins tend to increase in winter as opportunistic thieves take advantage of darker evenings. There is also the onslaught of rain, frost, ... http://blog.schofields.ltd.uk/789/winter-home-health-check/ I’m not sure how long this has been happening or if it’s new, but when I did a search on yahoo.co.uk for villa in spain there was the option to just show results from selected holiday rental websites. If you look at the screen shot below you can see at the ... http://blog.schofields.ltd.uk/780/yahoo-featuring-holiday-rentals/ With the number of people lying on insurance applications in an attempt to get a cheaper quote increasing, the implications of doing so and non-disclosure of a material fact, can result in an insurance policy being invalidated. This was recently highlighted when a major insurer demanded a customer return a £241,000 ... http://blog.schofields.ltd.uk/769/insurance-non-disclosure/ Due to the number of Britons taking a ’staycation’ increasing (more than 12 million British holiday makers took a summer break in the UK this year, a rise of 14 per cent in the first six months compared with 2008) holiday lodge and log cabin sales in the UK are ... http://blog.schofields.ltd.uk/761/holiday-lodge-insurance/ New swimming pool alarm rules in France - connexionfrance.com Holiday home and gite owners in France should take note that new regulations have been introduced for alarms in private swimming pools, because current laws are not being adequately obeyed or enforced. Since 2003, owners of submerged pools in France have been required ... http://blog.schofields.ltd.uk/749/holiday-home-news-131009/ The Association of International Property Professionals –AIPP (the industry body for the international property market) has released the 4th edition of its annual guide, “Buying Overseas Property Safely - The Consumer Guide from the Industry Body”. With the amount of contradicting advice out there, combined with horror stories of developers going ... http://blog.schofields.ltd.uk/734/buying-overseas-property-safely/ Breaching occupancy limits is a situation that many holiday cottage owners will be familiar with. But it’s a difficult scenario to deal with, especially when children are involved. Should you terminate the booking or turn a blind eye? As reported by the times, a family booked a holiday cottage through an ... http://blog.schofields.ltd.uk/721/holiday-cottage-occupancy/ Following the torrential rain that hit Spain earlier this week, which forced hundreds of people to evacuate their Spanish holiday homes, there are reports that several properties have been flooded. Torrential rain and storms swept along the whole of Spain’s Mediterranean coast, trapping people, causing power cuts and a forcing a ... http://blog.schofields.ltd.uk/712/spanish-floods/ It’s time once again for our holiday home news round up. Here’s what’s been happening: Why a yurt is better than a holiday cottage With holiday home prices beyond the reach of many of us, one family came up with a radical solution: their second home is a yurt. Their “credit-crunch cottage,” is ... http://blog.schofields.ltd.uk/701/holiday-home-news-30909/ Accommodation establishments with a high rate of occupant turnover such as self catering holiday cottages and apartments, should be on the look out for bed bugs, as infestations are most frequently found in these types of dwellings. According to the BBC there has been a massive increase in the number of ... http://blog.schofields.ltd.uk/694/bed-bugs/ Reading through French house insurance policy details is a task that many property owners skip when taking out a policy, especially when it is written in a foreign language. Not only is there the issue of not understanding what is actually covered, there are also policy conditions and exclusions that ... http://blog.schofields.ltd.uk/682/chimney-sweeping-in-france/ Following on from our last post, which discussed the importance of ensuring that your holiday let insurance provides loss of rental income so you can refund guests, there is also the issue of alternative accommodation following a claim. Similar to the loss or rent scenario discussed, a comprehensive letting policy should ... http://blog.schofields.ltd.uk/672/alternative-accommodation-insurance/ It’s every holiday let owner’s worst nightmare. You get the dreaded phone call that there has been a break at your holiday rental and some of the guest’s valuables have been stolen. (Note: if the guests have travel insurance, this should cover any personal items stolen: passports, money, credit cards, ... http://blog.schofields.ltd.uk/660/loss-of-rent-insurance/ Injured teenager refused insurance payout after car crash in France A British man who suffered critical head injuries following a car crash in France has been told that his insurance company will not cover his treatment. Along with the British teenager, whose parents own a house in France, a passenger in ... http://blog.schofields.ltd.uk/642/holiday-home-news-3909/ Managing holiday lets can be challenging, especially when it comes to getting keys to holiday rental guests, cleaners or maintenance staff. If you are not on-site to meet your guests on arrival, then you need to have a foolproof way of ensuring guests receive keys to your holiday home. One of ... http://blog.schofields.ltd.uk/620/theft-by-non-forcible-entry/ The appeal of thatched cottages The image of a thatched cottage in the country is the quintessential countryside scene for many. There are no shortage of second home buyers and these unique properties can carry a premium when holiday letting - but there are issues associated with ownership. The cost of upkeep ... http://blog.schofields.ltd.uk/581/holiday-home-news-25809/ A combination of the economic downturn, the weak pound, and a prediction of a ‘barbecue summer’ has resulted in an increase in Brits (staycationers) booking cottage holidays in the UK. But there are concerns that holidaymakers are forgoing insurance because they do not think it is necessary for UK holidays. Although you ... http://blog.schofields.ltd.uk/567/insurance-for-cottage-holidays/ Buying overseas property at online auctions Online property auctions are one way of picking up an overseas bargain, as investors who bought in areas where the market has all but dried up try to offload homes they can no longer afford. Bargain hunters can snap up cut-price properties without leaving home. ... http://blog.schofields.ltd.uk/545/holiday-home-news-14809/ Following on from our last post on checking holiday home security requirements in case of burglary, there is also the issue of whether valuables are covered by holiday homes insurance. Burglars are twice as likely to break into a holiday property when it is occupied, as owners and holidaymakers arrive with ... http://blog.schofields.ltd.uk/537/insuring-valuables-in-holiday-homes/ The summer holiday season is in full swing and thousands of second home owners and holidaymakers are relaxing in holiday cottages and villas in Europe. Unfortunately, during the summer months holiday homes filled with electric gadgets and holiday money attract burglars, as people in ‘holiday mode’ leave windows open and ... http://blog.schofields.ltd.uk/521/holiday-homes-burglary-reminder/ Spanish car rental shortage and price hikes If you or your holiday rental guests are expecting to pickup a car hire bargain this summer, think again. There may not even be any cars available. Holidaymakers visiting Spain and other parts of Europe have been warned of a shortage of rental cars, as ... http://blog.schofields.ltd.uk/485/holiday-home-news-30709/ Do you provide a standalone holiday let public liability insurance policy to protect us if a guest has an accident in our holiday home? This is a question we are often asked and the answer is no, we do not provide a standalone public liability insurance policy. However, public liability insurance ... http://blog.schofields.ltd.uk/464/public-liability-insurance-for-holiday-lets/ Following the blazing forest fires that caused destruction across the Southern Almeria region of Spain last week, overseas property owners are urged to check that they are adequately insured. Thankfully, it appears that none of the Spanish property owners who were forced to evacuate their homes suffered losses, but it highlights ... http://blog.schofields.ltd.uk/448/fire-damage-insurance/ Following the recent holiday rental scams that were exposed and reported by the times, it is important to show caution when booking holiday villas and apartments. As documented by the scams, holidaymakers are vulnerable when booking holiday lets online, especially when looking for bargains and last-minute deals. Even booking through one ... http://blog.schofields.ltd.uk/416/how-to-check-for-bogus-holiday-rentals/