HCH020: Rob Dix: The 18-year property cycle and the power of inflation

This week’s special guest is Howard Reuben, from HCH Financial Services – the new home of holiday let mortgages.

Howard discusses his career as a mortgage broker and financial advisor, founding HCH Financial Services (in collaboration with Holiday Cottage Handbook), and how the growth of short-term rentals has boomed since the pandemic. 

Howard picked the Principality Building Society for his favourite brand shout-out, while Samantha Turmaine took the individual shout-out for her outstanding work in managing HCH Financial Services. 

If you need any type of mortgage or financial product, contact HCH Financial Services:

Call: 0333 1234 536

Email: advice@hchfs.co.uk

Visit: https://www.hchfs.co.uk/

3:46 Howard’s career as a mortgage broker and financial advisor 

9:20 Why this is the right time to launch HCH Financial Services

12:51 The customer journey – we aim to deliver your long-term goals

15:56 A range of options: holiday let, buy to let, residential mortgages, and much more

17:13 There are lenders who will consider all sorts of circumstances 

19:09 The holiday let market has boomed since the pandemic 

23:38 The state of the market right now 

28:26 Favourite brand shout-out: Principality Building Society 

30:01 Individual shout-out: Samantha Turmaine from HCH Financial Services 

31:39 No. 1 lesson learned: the only constant is change 

Links mentioned:

Holiday Cottage Handbook LIVE (download your free e-ticket)

HCH Financial Services Call: 0333 1234 536 Email: advice@hchfs.co.uk

Holiday Cottage Handbook website 

Sign up for our free weekly newsletter 

Download our free e-book for investors, hosts, and property managers

Howard Reuben

HD Consultants 

Principality Building Society

Samantha Turmaine

HCH Mortgage Podcast 

Enjoy the show?

Please subscribe, rate, and review! 

Email the show: james@holidaycottagehandbook.com 

Beyond is the global revenue management system for the vacation rental industry and prides itself on helping customers increase their annual revenue by a whopping 40%.

During this week’s episode we hear from Beyond CEO Julie Brinkman about her career, the dynamism and innovation of the short-term rentals industry, and future trends we should all be looking out for.

Julie also offers a deep dive into the Beyond platform, outlining why it stands out in the dynamic pricing tool landscape.

Julie’s favourite brand shout-out went to Host & Stay, while her individual shout-out went to Fiona Campbell, CEO, Association of Scotland’s Self-Caterers.

3:32 Business, travel, and growth: Julie’s career journey

5:47 The dynamism of the short-term rentals industry

7:16 Where the STR space stands currently

8:19 Where the industry is heading 

10:11 Why hosts and property managers should be using Beyond

11:20 A dynamic pricing tool like Beyond keeps you up-to-date with shifts in demand

12:43 Beyond can help you boost revenue by up to 40%!

13:53 Why Beyond stands out in the dynamic pricing tool landscape 

17:12 The onboarding journey for new Beyond customers 

18:30 It’s easy to set minimum and maximum nightly rates

19:02 The first 5,000 bookings with Beyond are free! 

19:48 Trends in the short-term rentals industry 

20:59 Julie’s top tip: know your market 

21:57 What’s next for Beyond?

23:03 Favourite brand shout-out: Host & Stay, Dale Smith

23:32 Individual shout-out: Fiona Campbell, CEO, Association of Scotland’s Self-Caterers

24:03 Number one lesson learned from being CEO of Beyond 

Links mentioned:

Holiday Cottage Handbook LIVE (download your free e-ticket)

HCH Financial Services Call: 0333 1234 536 Email: advice@hchfs.co.uk

Holiday Cottage Handbook website 

Sign up for our free weekly newsletter 

Download our free e-book for investors, hosts, and property managers

Julie Brinkman

Beyond

Host & Stay

Dale Smith

Fiona Campbell

Association of Scotland’s Self-Caterers 

Enjoy the show?

Please subscribe, rate, and review! 

Email the show: james@holidaycottagehandbook.com 

This week’s special guest is industry expert Mark Simpson – the direct booking king, Founder of Boostly, and the man Airbnb don’t want you to know about. 

Mark spoke to James Varley about being born into the vacation rentals industry, founding Boostly, his top direct booking tips, marketing tactics, and what he really thinks about Airbnb.

Mark’s favourite brand shout-out went to Mount, while his individual shout-out went to HCH Founder, James Varley.

3:44 Born into the STR industry

15:47 The Boostly elevator pitch: the ultimate direct booking solution

19:05 Why are direct bookings so important?

28:12 Mark’s top three direct booking tips

39:21 What Mark has learned about marketing 

45:27 ‘I love Airbnb’ – but you have to make the OTAs work for you

49:32 The future of Boostly 

50:42 Top tips for hosts and property managers: start with a great bed! 

51:20 Top trends in 2024

55:14 Favourite brand in the STR industry: Mount (shout-out for Madison Rifkin)

56:39 Individual shout-out: James Varley(!)

57:04 Biggest lesson learned: get a great accountant! 

Links mentioned:

Holiday Cottage Handbook LIVE (download your free e-ticket)

HCH Financial Services Call: 0333 1234 536 Email: advice@hchfs.co.uk

Holiday Cottage Handbook website 

Sign up for our free weekly newsletter 

Download our free e-book for investors, hosts, and property managers

Mark Simpson

Boostly

Touch Stay

SuperControl

Isaac French 

Mount

Madison Rifkin

James Varley 

Enjoy the show?

Please subscribe, rate, and review! 

Email the show: james@holidaycottagehandbook.com 

This week’s episode is dedicated to Holiday Cottage Handbook LIVE, which will be held in collaboration with the Property Investor Show on 19-20 April at ExCel London. 

Property Tribes Co-Founder Vanessa Warwick – an ambassador for Property Investor Show – is the special guest and she explains why this is a must-attend event in our industry.

Tickets for Holiday Cottage Handbook LIVE are FREE! All you need to do is register via the Property Investor Show website.

Hope to see you there! 

3:55 Why the Property Investor Show is a must-attend event in our industry

5:54 The importance of valuable (and free!) property education

7:41 Understanding what’s going on in the short-term rentals space

9:22 Holiday Cottage Handbook LIVE exhibitors

9:46 There will be something for everyone – whether you're a new investor or manage hundreds of properties

11:30 Portfolio landlords are shifting towards short-term rentals

14:02 Industry events will help you become a better investor and property manager

16:06 The audience is made up of experienced property investors who are looking to scale

19:26 Property investors are feeling optimistic in 2024

21:17 The event is FREE. There is no excuse not to attend! 

Links mentioned:

Holiday Cottage Handbook LIVE (download your free e-ticket)

HCH Financial Services Call: 0333 1234 536 Email: advice@hchfs.co.uk

Holiday Cottage Handbook website 

Sign up for our free weekly newsletter 

Download our free e-book for investors, hosts, and property managers

Vanessa Warwick

Property Tribes

#HCHLIVE exhibitors:

HCH Financial Services

Hosthub

SuperControl

Sykes Holiday Cottages

The Aparthotel Revolution

Your AirHost

Interested in exhibiting? Email: james@holidaycottagehandbook.com

Enjoy the show?

Please subscribe, rate, and review! 

Email the show: james@holidaycottagehandbook.com 

This week’s special guest is Robert Kennedy, the Co-Founder and Product Director of SuperControl – a long-established property management solution based in the UK.

Robert charts his journey from hosting in Scotland to developing a simple booking channel and eventually creating a PMS which takes £50 worth of bookings every second.

Robert’s favourite brand shout-out went to Premier Cottages, while his individual shout-outs went to Fiona Campbell, from the Association of Scotland’s Self-Caterers, and Alistair Handyside, from PASC UK.

3:42 The story of SuperControl

9:11 What makes SuperControl stand out

11:51 The growth of PMS options on the market 

14:15 Will we see consolidation in the PMS space?

15:53 Why hosts should consider SuperControl

17:52 Starting out as a host has been key to the success and growth of SuperControl

19:40 Tips for hosts: pricing, presentation, and partnerships 

21:37 Head to www.supercontrol.co.uk to sign up for a free trial 

23:13 Favourite brand shout-out: Premier Cottages

25:04 Individual shout-outs: Fiona Campbell and Alistair Handyside

27:01 Best advice to a new company 

Links mentioned:

Holiday Cottage Handbook LIVE (download your free e-ticket)

HCH Financial Services Call: 0333 1234 536 Email: advice@hchfs.co.uk

Holiday Cottage Handbook website 

Sign up for our free weekly newsletter 

Download our free e-book for investors, hosts, and property managers

SuperControl

Premier Cottages

Fiona Campbell

Association of Scotland’s Self-Caterers

Alistair Handyside

PASC UK

Enjoy the show?

Please subscribe, rate, and review! 

Email the show: james@holidaycottagehandbook.com 

This week’s special guest is Philip Pickard, the CEO and Co-Founder of Speedy Wi-Fi. Philip talks to James Varley about how short-term rental hosts and property managers can advertise and leverage high-speed Wi-Fi in order to attract more bookings and boost revenue. 

Philip’s favourite brand shout-out went to Plum Guide, while his individual shout-outs went to Boostly’s Mark Simpson and Airbnb CEO and Co-Founder, Brian Chesky.

3:39 The story of Speedy Wi-Fi

4:29 Helping property managers advertise and leverage high-speed Wi-Fi

5:21 What speed is high-speed Wi-Fi these days?

5:56 Consistently capturing Wi-Fi performance data 

7:33 Guest demand for high-speed Wi-Fi is unquestionable 

7:48 If you have great Wi-Fi, shout it from the rooftops

9:03 Targeting larger property managers 

10:24 Guests are 84% more likely to book a property with verified Wi-Fi data 

11:04 Speedy Wi-Fi pricing and sign-up info

11:56 Philip’s career before founding Speedy Wi-Fi

13:20 Being customer-obsessed is key 

14:39 Favourite brand in the STR space: Plum Guide 

15:18 Individual shout-outs: Mark Simpson from Boostly and Brian Chesky from Airbnb

16:25 Best advice: focus on what your customers want

Links mentioned:

Holiday Cottage Handbook LIVE (download your free e-ticket)

HCH Financial Services Call: 0333 1234 536 Email: advice@hchfs.co.uk

Holiday Cottage Handbook website 

Sign up for our free weekly newsletter 

Download our free e-book for investors, hosts, and property managers

Speedy Wi-Fi

philip@getspeedy.io

Philip Pickard

Plum Guide

Mark Simpson 

Boostly

Brian Chesky

Airbnb

Enjoy the show?

Please subscribe, rate, and review! 

Email the show: james@holidaycottagehandbook.com 

The CEO and Co-Founder of Turno, Assaf Karmon, is the special guest on this week’s #HCHPodcast.

Turno has grown into one of the biggest brands in the short-term rentals space – helping hosts and cleaners to significantly improve and expand their operations.

Assaf spoke about the story of Turno, outlined a bunch of actionable tips for hosts and property managers, and shared his pride at seeing cleaning professionals grow their businesses on the platform.

Turno has teamed up with HCH to provide listeners with a very special offer. You can earn $150 in Amazon vouchers simply by completing your first turnover with a Turno marketplace cleaner by 31 March 2024. Head to turno.com/hch for further details.

4:32 Assaf’s journey from a software engineer to co-founding Turno

7:03 Turno supports hosts and cleaners 

8:01 The growth of cleaning companies dedicated to short-term rentals

8:43 The impact of COVID-19 on cleaners

10:35 The benefits of starting out as a host 

11:17 Advice to hosts: find a good team and delegate

12:54 One trend to be aware of: quality

15:01 Delivering value for hosts and cleaners

17:29 Turno’s plans for 2024

19:04 Growth locations for Turno 

20:37 Favourite brand in the STR space: Airbnb

22:18 Individual shout-out: Tim Rosolio at Vrbo (Expedia Group)

Links mentioned:

Holiday Cottage Handbook LIVE (download your free e-ticket)

HCH Financial Services Call: 0333 1234 536 Email: advice@hchfs.co.uk

Holiday Cottage Handbook website 

Sign up for our free weekly newsletter 

Download our free e-book for investors, hosts, and property managers

Assaf Karmon

Turno

Airbnb

Tim Rosolio

Vrbo

Expedia Group

Earn $150 Amazon gift card! Sign up: turno.com/hch

Enjoy the show?

Please subscribe, rate, and review! 

Email the show: james@holidaycottagehandbook.com 

Short-term rentals expert Richard Vaughton is the special guest on this week’s episode.

A veteran of the industry, Richard has seen and done it all. From managing and building a family business, to launching and scaling tech companies, all the way through to advising some of the biggest brands in the sector.

During the interview, Richard talks growth, scaling, direct bookings, industry trends, AI, and much more. 

His favourite brand shout-out went to OVO Network, while his individual shout-out went to Louis Andrews.

3:37 Richard’s story in the short-term rentals industry

5:00 From a host to an industry player

11:12 Where the STR space is right now and where it’s heading

14:05 Is there room for new companies every week?

16:15 Key trends for hosts and property managers

23:55 How STR hosts can utilise AI

26:01 How important are direct bookings?

29:56 Why should hosts go after direct bookings?

35:12 Favourite brand shout-out: OVO Network (special mentions to Moving Mountains, Jayne's Luxury Rentals, Host & Stay, and My Getaways)

37:16 Individual shout-out: Louis Andrews (OVO Network again!)

38:08 Which do you like best: Airbnb or Booking.com?

Links mentioned:

Holiday Cottage Handbook LIVE (download your free e-ticket)

HCH Financial Services Call: 0333 1234 536 Email: advice@hchfs.co.uk

Holiday Cottage Handbook website 

Sign up for our free weekly newsletter 

Download our free e-book for investors, hosts, and property managers

OVO Network

Moving Mountains

Jayne’s Luxury Rentals

Host & Stay

My Getaways

Louis Andrews 

Enjoy the show?

Please subscribe, rate, and review! 

Email the show: james@holidaycottagehandbook.com 

Property Hub Co-Founder and best-selling author Rob Dix is the special guest on this week’s show.

Rob discusses his latest book, The Price of Money, outlines the 18-year property cycle, talks about the power of inflation, and makes his market predictions for 2024.

His favourite brand shout-out went to Savills, while his individual shout-out went to Expat Property Story.

4:00 Why Rob wrote The Price of Money

6:09 What everyone needs to know about money 

8:44 Starting out in property

11:09 The growth of Property Hub

13:25 The 18-year property cycle 

16:40 Can you time property investment?

18:23 The importance of taking a long-term approach to property

20:53 The great thing about inflation for property investors

24:04 The influx of investors getting involved in short-term rentals

26:34 Will there be any government support for the private rented sector?

28:57 Should the UK build more houses?

31:18 Rob’s property predictions for 2024

33:16 Rob’s favourite brand shout-out: Savills

33:39 Rob’s individual shout-out: Expat Property Story

34:32: Rob’s advice to a new company in the property industry

Links mentioned:

Holiday Cottage Handbook LIVE (download your free e-ticket)

HCH Financial Services Call: 0333 1234 536 Email: advice@hchfs.co.uk

Holiday Cottage Handbook website 

Sign up for our free weekly newsletter 

Download our free e-book for investors, hosts, and property managers

The Price of Money on Amazon

Property Hub

Akhil Patel

Savills

Expat Property Story

Enjoy the show?

Please subscribe, rate, and review! 

Email the show: james@holidaycottagehandbook.com 

Kick off 2024 by finding out the five new year resolutions that every short-term rental host and property manager should be making!

Join host James Varley for an in-depth chat with industry guru Simon Lehmann, who shares his insight and knowledge for the benefit of hosts and property managers everywhere.

Simon’s brand shout-out went to Moving Mountains, while his individual shout-out went to Antonio Bortolotti from Vacation Rental World Summit. Tune in to find out why.

4:04 Is a storm still brewing for short-term rentals?

6:04 The operators that are going to thrive 

8:05 Regulation will keep changing 

9:46 Main takeaways from conference season

12:11 Simon’s predictions for 2024

14:15 Supply might continue to increase 

15:03 Resolution No. 1: Prioritise sustainability 

17:00 Resolution No. 2: Financial hygiene

18:55 Resolution No. 3: Pricing strategy

22:44 Resolution No. 4: Enhance the guest experience (remote work is here to stay)

25:55 Resolution No. 5: Market and promote effectively (we are at the mercy of the online travel agencies)

28:53 Favourite brand in the industry: Moving Mountains

29:54 Individual shout-out: Antonio Bortolotti from Vacation Rental World Summit

31:37 Which is your favourite: Airbnb or Booking.com?

Links mentioned:

Holiday Cottage Handbook LIVE (download your free e-ticket)

HCH Financial Services Call: 0333 1234 536 Email: advice@hchfs.co.uk

Holiday Cottage Handbook website 

Sign up for our free weekly newsletter 

Download our free e-book for investors, hosts, and property managers

AJL Atelier

Moving Mountains

Antonio Bortolotti

Vacation Rental World Summit 

Airbnb

Booking.com

Enjoy the show?

Please subscribe, rate, and review! 

Email the show: james@holidaycottagehandbook.com