We act as Sole Agents for most of our properties so that you can make immediate bookings on-line or by speaking to us. Other properties, on a Shared Agency basis, can only be booked after first consulting with the owners, so you will need to call us to discuss availability.
Most bookings are of one or two weeks duration which usually commence mid afternoon on the day of arrival and end mid morning on the day of departure. Three day breaks are very popular and can be arranged at certain times of the year, excluding the summer months.
Although traditionally bookings have always been taken on a Saturday to Saturday basis we can, in many cases, offer our clients bookings which start and end on other days of the week. Should an 8 or 9 day booking be required that covers two weekends we would almost certainly have to charge for at least an extra 2 days or 3 days respectively over and above the weekly rate, in the high season, and this might also have to be subject to the owner’s approval.
It is possible to submit a booking enquiry by e-mail, but please be aware that this does not constitute a confirmed reservation, for which we need to contact you personally and take a £100/£200 deposit per week booked. Most properties can also be booked on-line.
We have to hold - in the client account at our Bank - a separate deposit to ensure that the property is returned to us in the same condition as it was when taken over by clients. Normally owners like to inspect their property after guests have left, as it is virtually impossible for a satisfactory inspection to be carried out while guests are in residence. This often results in misunderstandings and queries and we would particularly ask that you read and understand Item 4 of our Booking Conditions. The deposit - in full or in part - will be returned as soon as it is possible after we have received the necessary information from the property owner or his/her agent..
Payment for bookings is always in advance. Payments can be made online or by cheque or cash. We can also take credit or debit cards (subject to 2.5% transaction fees) or Bank transfer, but please be aware that we can only credit your booking with the amount we receive into our account, so it is important for you to pay all banking fees at source. For further details you should refer to our Booking Conditions.
We cannot refund any monies you have paid unless we manage to re-book the property for the dates you had reserved, therefore we strongly recommend that you take out Holiday Cancellation Insurance. The insurance is optional and is not available to visitors from outside the UK, so we would suggest that you make sure you are covered when you make your travel arrangements.
We try to meet our clients personally whenever possible to let them in to our properties. In order to organise this efficiently, we ask that you inform us as accurately as possible of your ETA by telephoning our office a few days before your arrival and at the same time giving us your mobile number. This greatly assists us in ensuring that neither side is kept waiting longer than necessary. Clients can be let in to properties at any time during the week up to 8pm, including Saturday. We are then closed until 9.00am on Monday. If you think that you might arrive outside these hours or on a Sunday we can make special arrangements, with advance notice, for you to gain access to the property but there would be a £20 charge which will be deducted from your deposit.
Most properties, but not all, have a telephone installed for incoming calls only. Many have Wi-Fi available. Should a client need full telephone service this can be arranged in some properties, upon payment of a non-refundable administration fee together with a suitable deposit - usually £50/£100 per week depending upon usage.
The return of keys is very important and, on departure, these should always be left in the property wherever possible. Should a client take a set of keys away in error we reserve the right to have another set cut immediately for the next guests and charge that cost to the deposit. If clients lock themselves out or lose keys, requiring the services of a locksmith for re-entry, this charge will be deducted from the deposit.