Any Ideas On How To Let My Villa?

[Bemused]

I have a three bredroom villa to let from July 2010. It is a high quality hill side villa overlooking a popular tourist beach on an island in southern Thailand. For the first year I am looking at getting 15,000 a week with maid service, no pool.

The local estate agents are useless at getting people in.

Anyone got any creative ideas about getting people to stay? For other owners on the island putting ads on the web has yielded very little custom.

For property in Spain we have been very successful with cards placed on boards in supermarkets. Anyone, found something similar which is cheap and effective for letting resort property in Thailand.

[Abrak]

I have a three bredroom villa to let from July 2010. It is a high quality hill side villa overlooking a popular tourist beach on an island in southern Thailand. For the first year I am looking at getting 15,000 a week with maid service, no pool.

The local estate agents are useless at getting people in.

Anyone got any creative ideas about getting people to stay? For other owners on the island putting ads on the web has yielded very little custom.

For property in Spain we have been very successful with cards placed on boards in supermarkets. Anyone, found something similar which is cheap and effective for letting resort property in Thailand.

Well first thing to say is that short term rentals are massively seasonal. You will get at least 5x the rental over xmas/NY than in September. Edit: actually I put that badly - if you want to average 15,000 a week you should recognize that seasonality means you wont be able to give it away at certain times of year. So you need to charge about 80,000 over xmas NY to make up for this.

Local estate agents are ok but they take massive commission. What you need to do with their tenants is get contact numbers so next time they dont need to deal through a 3rd party.

Finally a lot of the failure of web advertising has to do the quality of the website. For instance if someone is looking to rent your villa over NY, the fact that your website is available is key to his interest. If he doesnt even know if it is available or not why bother enquiring waiting for a response and then moving on.

The web is a massive tool. To some extent creative ideas are counter-productive because while you have used one to acquire a client he thinks he has been creative himself to get a lower price.

P.S. High quality and no pool dont really go together in the rental market.

Edited October 11, 2009 by Abrak

[quiksilva]

Well said Abrak. Online advertising is key. Its more important than newspaper advertising in the real estate business today.

[LivinLOS]

P.S. High quality and no pool dont really go together in the rental market.

In fact I would almost say it demotes it to 'house'..

Even on expensive phuket, 15k a week would HAVE to have a pool.

[katabeachbum]

P.S. High quality and no pool dont really go together in the rental market.

In fact I would almost say it demotes it to 'house'..

Even on expensive phuket, 15k a week would HAVE to have a pool.

second that

I do rentals in Phuket, and no chance to get 15k/week without a pool. Probably hard to get 30k/month.

[johnnyk]

Vacation + tropical country = pool.

No pool? Not "luxury". Pool villas get rented first.

Lower your price.

Edited October 17, 2009 by johnnyk

[klikster]

Contact sawadee.com .. agree about the pool .. ever consider putting one in?

[trogers]

Perhaps someone would first like to explain the differences between a detached house and a villa.

[Abrak]

Contact sawadee.com .. agree about the pool .. ever consider putting one in?

Going to a Phuket villa without a pool is like going to a Phuket Hotel without a beach (Someone forgot to tell Evason that). So I agree, you should seriously think about putting in a pool.

But the basic strategy for short term rentals works like this.

1. Have a really good website showing availability. Really at the end of the day the broker will get the deal because his website is better than yours.

2. Offer to a few brokers who will get you some customers as well (outrageous margins)

3. Corner those customers so after a couple of years you dont need brokers.

4. Be massively flexible on your rates - you will always find someone, NY, Chinese NY, Easter (at virtually any price), many other times you pretty well have to give it away

5. Get top quality maid service. While it may cost you an extra Bt5k a month, a European who has to pay Bt5k for one nights babysitting at home, really appreciates it.

[cmsally]

Agree - no pool makes it a non starter.

However if it had a pool I think there are endless possibilities. Of course there are problems in that a lot of people take their holidays at the same time, so you need good promotions for the low times.

Starting on the Thailand based classifieds is as good a place as any. Many people have visitors whom they simply can't accommodate in their house or they want to send them off to the beach etc.

[Nignoy]

Join owners abroad a good renting and letting website, but you can forget 15000a week with out a pool, we found long term rental a better financial viability, and in the long run cuts down short term rental damages, long term renters mostly retirees ,

[johnnyk]

Perhaps someone would first like to explain the differences between a detached house and a villa.

No difference. Euros say "villa", we say "detached house".

I rent my house in Hua Hin on a full-time basis. Sure, I get less rent but I have a responsible renter who regards it as his home and takes excellent care of it.

Not for me the two-week drunks who destroy the place and leave the neighbours pissed off at me.

Over the 52-week year I get as much rental income as a holiday rental with much less hassle and I'm not always trying to find customers. Works for me.

BTW, my house isn't luxury but I have a pool.

Edited October 18, 2009 by johnnyk

[klikster]

Contact sawadee.com .. agree about the pool .. ever consider putting one in?

Going to a Phuket villa without a pool is like going to a Phuket Hotel without a beach (Someone forgot to tell Evason that). So I agree, you should seriously think about putting in a pool.

But the basic strategy for short term rentals works like this.

1. Have a really good website showing availability. Really at the end of the day the broker will get the deal because his website is better than yours.

2. Offer to a few brokers who will get you some customers as well (outrageous margins)

3. Corner those customers so after a couple of years you dont need brokers.

4. Be massively flexible on your rates - you will always find someone, NY, Chinese NY, Easter (at virtually any price), many other times you pretty well have to give it away

5. Get top quality maid service. While it may cost you an extra Bt5k a month, a European who has to pay Bt5k for one nights babysitting at home, really appreciates it.

Damned fine advice. Kudos, Abrak!

[wilsongbrown]

Perhaps someone would first like to explain the differences between a detached house and a villa.

No difference. Euros say "villa", we say "detached house".

I rent my house in Hua Hin on a full-time basis. Sure, I get less rent but I have a responsible renter who regards it as his home and takes excellent care of it.

Not for me the two-week drunks who destroy the place and leave the neighbours pissed off at me.

Over the 52-week year I get as much rental income as a holiday rental with much less hassle and I'm not always trying to find customers. Works for me.

BTW, my house isn't luxury but I have a pool.

I've often wondered about this, the difference between a 'detached house' and a 'villa'. Being British, the difference between a 'villa' and a 'detached house' is that the 'villa' would have a pool, particularly here in Thailand.

There's an ad currently running the the Phuket Gazette advertising a 'villa' for 69k per month. The blurb contains the words 'almost perfect' villa etc and then goes on to list the amenities/furnishings of the property, I'm assuming there being no pool the reason for the words 'almost perfect'. Which although looking very nice from the photo, would be classed as a 'house' here in Thailand, it being a hot tropical country as opposed to a something set in Tuscany, for instance, and doubt it would fetch the asking.

The 'euros' don't say 'villa' or 'house' for that matter, England being the only native English speaking country within the European Union. Perhaps our French/Italian/German/Scandinavian etc posters could enlighten us?

Also, do all these little 'cookie cutter' 'Balinese' style one storey bungalows with a pool littering the sois of Sai Yuan here on Phuket be classed as 'villas'?

Your thoughts please

Edited October 25, 2009 by wilsongbrown

[donx]

wilsongbrown, the Wikipedia entry for 'villa' is an interesting explanation.

[Sophon]

The 'euros' don't say 'villa' or 'house' for that matter, England being the only native English speaking country within the European Union.

I think the Irish may disagree wth you there . Also, "Villa" is not originally an English word so not speaking English doesn't preclude you from using the word (it is also used in Scandinavia and other parts of Europe).

Sophon

Edited October 25, 2009 by Sophon

[trogers]

Also, do all these little 'cookie cutter' 'Balinese' style one storey bungalows with a pool littering the sois of Sai Yuan here on Phuket be classed as 'villas'?

Your thoughts please

Original meaning of Villa is a detached house fitting the following requirements:

- located in the countryside

- larger and more luxurious than an urban home

- used as a holiday retreat

- has its own large piece of land (Roman - its own courtyard, French - has adjacent farm buildings)

The term "Villa" has been misused, through marketing deception, such that most people now understand it to mean only that it is a house located in the countryside and used as a holiday retreat.

There is no record that a pool is required, though a pool will enhance the luxury.

The 'Balinese cookie cutters' built with eaves of roofs 3-4 feet apart will not qualify as villas. But they do seem to fit the 'farm buildings' around the large clubhouse (villa).

[johnnyk]

Perhaps someone would first like to explain the differences between a detached house and a villa.

No difference. Euros say "villa", we say "detached house".

I rent my house in Hua Hin on a full-time basis. Sure, I get less rent but I have a responsible renter who regards it as his home and takes excellent care of it.

Not for me the two-week drunks who destroy the place and leave the neighbours pissed off at me.

Over the 52-week year I get as much rental income as a holiday rental with much less hassle and I'm not always trying to find customers. Works for me.

BTW, my house isn't luxury but I have a pool.

I've often wondered about this, the difference between a 'detached house' and a 'villa'. Being British, the difference between a 'villa' and a 'detached house' is that the 'villa' would have a pool, particularly here in Thailand.

There's an ad currently running the the Phuket Gazette advertising a 'villa' for 69k per month. The blurb contains the words 'almost perfect' villa etc and then goes on to list the amenities/furnishings of the property, I'm assuming there being no pool the reason for the words 'almost perfect'. Which although looking very nice from the photo, would be classed as a 'house' here in Thailand, it being a hot tropical country as opposed to a something set in Tuscany, for instance, and doubt it would fetch the asking.

The 'euros' don't say 'villa' or 'house' for that matter, England being the only native English speaking country within the European Union. Perhaps our French/Italian/German/Scandinavian etc posters could enlighten us?

Also, do all these little 'cookie cutter' 'Balinese' style one storey bungalows with a pool littering the sois of Sai Yuan here on Phuket be classed as 'villas'?

Your thoughts please

I know Dutch, Germans and Skandis who refer to any detached house as a villa. They also add "...with pool."

Anyway just look at it as not a condo and not a shophouse.

[wilsongbrown]

Perhaps someone would first like to explain the differences between a detached house and a villa.

No difference. Euros say "villa", we say "detached house".

I rent my house in Hua Hin on a full-time basis. Sure, I get less rent but I have a responsible renter who regards it as his home and takes excellent care of it.

Not for me the two-week drunks who destroy the place and leave the neighbours pissed off at me.

Over the 52-week year I get as much rental income as a holiday rental with much less hassle and I'm not always trying to find customers. Works for me.

BTW, my house isn't luxury but I have a pool.

I've often wondered about this, the difference between a 'detached house' and a 'villa'. Being British, the difference between a 'villa' and a 'detached house' is that the 'villa' would have a pool, particularly here in Thailand.

There's an ad currently running the the Phuket Gazette advertising a 'villa' for 69k per month. The blurb contains the words 'almost perfect' villa etc and then goes on to list the amenities/furnishings of the property, I'm assuming there being no pool the reason for the words 'almost perfect'. Which although looking very nice from the photo, would be classed as a 'house' here in Thailand, it being a hot tropical country as opposed to a something set in Tuscany, for instance, and doubt it would fetch the asking.

The 'euros' don't say 'villa' or 'house' for that matter, England being the only native English speaking country within the European Union. Perhaps our French/Italian/German/Scandinavian etc posters could enlighten us?

Also, do all these little 'cookie cutter' 'Balinese' style one storey bungalows with a pool littering the sois of Sai Yuan here on Phuket be classed as 'villas'?

Your thoughts please

I know Dutch, Germans and Skandis who refer to any detached house as a villa. They also add "...with pool."

Anyway just look at it as not a condo and not a shophouse.

[eljeque]

Do you live in the area where your villa is located?

If you live in another country, it would really be beneficial for you to find a long term renter. If you do not, then all of the high weekly money that you would like to get will be eaten up in commissions, maid service, missing days and weeks of rent, and more.

And, the more movement of tennants you see, the more likely you are to have a problem. Get a long-term renter and you will be better off over the long haul.

best of luck