Owner Case Study: Maximising Revenue with Holiday Letting

From quirky glamping pods to rural shepherd’s huts, Mr Powell and his family have boosted their income by diversifying their farmland in the beautiful Welsh countryside, attracting a flock of guests from all over the UK.

How did you first get into holiday letting?

We work as beef and sheep farmers and were keen to take on a new challenge outside of our regular day job. We bought the land for our holiday homes in July 2017, having searched online for some time before choosing the picture-perfect spot.

For more information on setting up a holiday let, take a look at our comprehensive guide on how to set up a holiday let business.

Did your holiday let require any building works?

After gathering inspiration from similar projects, we designed and built three wooden glamping pods:

• Mountain View Ref. 976810

• Valley View Ref. 932323

• Woodland View Ref. 976618

We also built four shepherd’s huts:

• Highland View Ref. 1090781

• Hillside View Ref. 976617

• Meadow View Ref. 963226

• Shepherd's View Ref. 971913

Each hut is perfectly set up for a cosy couple’s retreat, boasting a double bed, en-suite and kitchenette, as well as a hot tub and off-road parking.

How many bookings have Sykes taken for you since letting your property?

The first of the pods became available to book on the Sykes Holiday Cottages website in June 2017. Since then, they have been a popular choice with holidaymakers. We welcome on average around 60 bookings per property every year with bookings for 2022 already coming in. Each property earns around £20,000 in gross income per year and in 2019, Valley View, became an award-winning property at the Sykes Gems Awards.

What do you enjoy most about letting with Sykes?

Holiday letting is a great way to bring in extra income and it doesn’t have to be a full-time job. We hire gardeners and cleaners through Sykes to help take the hassle out of holiday letting and give guests the best experience possible.

Do you have any advice for owners thinking of getting into holiday letting?

The project has been a learning curve, but it’s definitely been worthwhile. Research is key - gathering inspiration from other similar projects really helped when we were designing and building the huts, to maximise their potential.

For further information on holiday letting your land, read our full guide on the Benefits of Farm Diversification.