Great 'Cheap Holiday Rentals' Hunt. How to grab fab self-catering properties for less

squirrel8

I have previously used a company called Under The Thatch (a simple google search will find website) which I find very reasonable.
Have many sustainable cottages etc in Wales, and some in France and Ireland too.
I highly recommend the Cabins in Cenarth in West Wales, very reasonable for the high quality renovated log cabins and they allow dogs too!
Guardian and other websites always recommending them, but do a Google search for discounts as quite often they offer 5/10% off website price.

lagoslife

I agree that by picking up the phone and speaking to holiday home owners direct can be a great reassurance and you can often get a better feel for the place, local attractions etc. It's difficult to choose one place over another based on few photos and text.

Some owners may be more open to discounts by phone, rather than simply asking 'whats your cheapest price' by email.

MargaretBavaria

Going out of peak season is an obvious way of saving money. The other main way is to choose your location carefully - if you want to go to a particular country, don't head for the most popular destinations, they will always be the most expensive. Choose somewhere a little off the beaten track - it may need a bit more research but you can just get as good a holiday and much cheaper. If you are not fixed on one country, look at some less obvious countries - again, lower demand should mean lower prices/better value for money. And possibly a more interesting holiday.

schd

There are lots of bargains to be had in the self catering market this year, owners are really struggling to get the bookings. A good site to try is

www. selfcateringinfrance .com

There are some huge reductions for remaining weeks in August in all regions, and you can contact the owners direct.

schd

Addition to previous posting:

It's also worth asking for further reductions, too!

Carlyb

If I'm in a hurry some of the bigger holiday rentals sites can be very time consuming to wade through.
I often use another site which is smaller and have managed to get some very good late deals by contacting the owners directly. It's called Self catering HR

This summer I stayed at a lovely villa in the Eastern Algarve for £500 a week in high season! What a bargain!

Sorry but I'm new and the board won't let me share links.

Carlyb

Oh and another tip is to try to find property that isn't advertised on any site. Look at your search results for individual properties and ignore the 'big boy' advertising companies. Some of the charge a few hundred pounds a year and this cost is bound to be passed on. It's sometimes worth going into search engine results a few pages to get past them.

DanT99

Have been reading the threads with interest. I am amazed that so many people would deal with owners directly, handing over vast sums of cash to overseas individuals and putting the family holiday purely on trust with someone they met on the internet! There are enough horror stories of people booking properties that dont even exist and even getting ripped off when they arrive (I heard of one group that met guests at the airport, took cash and offered to lead them to the property...then fleeing!) leaving a family isolated with no holiday and a lighter wallet. What do you do if you dont like the house or you have a problem? Try dealing with a property owner and trying to get some money back when you are back home and they are in another country...no chance. Its true you might get a lower rate than using an agency but no protection, you pay for what you get! If you use a reputable company, with ABTA membership for example, as well as some form or insurance (abta no longer protects holidays financially, but does have a code of conduct for its members) then you will be far safer. Unfortunately some people will find out the hard way this year that not everyone can be trusted!

mchale

http://www.holiday-home-rentals.co.uk/

Mary_Hartnell

DanT99 wrote: »

Have been reading the threads with interest. I am amazed that so many people would deal with owners directly, handing over vast sums of cash to overseas individuals and putting the family holiday purely on trust with someone they met on the internet! There are enough horror stories of people booking properties that dont even exist and even getting ripped off when they arrive (I heard of one group that met guests at the airport, took cash and offered to lead them to the property...then fleeing!) leaving a family isolated with no holiday and a lighter wallet. What do you do if you dont like the house or you have a problem? Try dealing with a property owner and trying to get some money back when you are back home and they are in another country...no chance. Its true you might get a lower rate than using an agency but no protection, you pay for what you get! If you use a reputable company, with ABTA membership for example, as well as some form or insurance (abta no longer protects holidays financially, but does have a code of conduct for its members) then you will be far safer. Unfortunately some people will find out the hard way this year that not everyone can be trusted!

You only agree to send them a modest deposit. You can check it out on google earth or microsoft and google the place. You could ask for references.
I really cannot see much difference between this and renting a flat in the UK.
If you want to stay in a new estate with no established community then you might get ripped off.
You have to be aware that what you get might not be to the standard you were expecting but it is an adventure.

What can an agency do when things are not quite right in the height of the holiday season? Not a lot! Probably offer a 100GBP refund when you get home?.