To think that people on holiday don't want to go for a walk?

[Notwiththeseknees]

I'm looking at buying a house as a holiday let. The house is amazing - really fab. The gardens are beautiful and we would put in a big pool. It is between 40 & 80 minutes drive of the sea, UNESCO sites, big architecturally gorgeous market towns and fantastic scenery. Village is 5 minutes away by car, bigger village 10 minutes away with restaurants & supermarket. BUT the immediate surroundings are a bit 'okay'. There doesn't seem to be anywhere to have a really nice walk, an okay walk, but not an "ooooooh, that was a lovely walk" walk.
How much does a lovely walk in the immediate vicinity add to your holiday enjoyment? Especially if you have amazing gardens to potter in and a lovely
pool....

[pasturesgreen]

Forty to 80 minutes driving distance each way or round trip? I don't mind a bit of driving on holiday, so that wouldn't bother me too much, however it'd have to be a pretty exceptional destination to persuade me to drive almost three hours to get there.

Also: what sort of roads? People don't want to be stuck in horrid traffic jams only to reach Xyz UNESCO site and go round in circles for half an hour because there's no parking.

[MimosasAllRound]

Where I live in rural France, most holiday makers come with walking in mind. We used to rent out our place and the majority of people who came to stay asked about hiking routes. Depends on your selling points, really, as we also have a large garden and pool, but people just love to walk!

[CottonSock]

I have stayed places like this, but they were pretty cheap compared to others.

[Yura]

to be honest, it sounds as if the property is in the middle of nowhere, and not even s particularly nice nowhere... i wouldn’t want that for a holiday. if its in the middle of nowhere, it needs to be at least really nice immediate suroundings

[Kazzyhoward]

If I booked a holiday home, I wouldn't wish to drive everywhere.

This highlights how different people holiday differently. We always book a holiday home as a base - usually somewhere central to various attractions, retail parks, etc. We basically only sleep in it - usually out around 9/10, then back early evening, or late afternoon if we're cooking in.

[LaurieMarlow]

It wouldn’t appeal to me at all. No way do I want to be that car dependent on holiday.

Everyone’s different though.

[RainRainGoAwayPlease]

Depends where it is? If it’s somewhere hot where lounging about by a pool is possible then great, nice walks near by are less important. If it’s in the uk where it’s cold 90% of the time I’d need nice walks and wouldn’t be interested in a pool (my children still would), a hot tub would be more appealing.

It also depends who your target market is, families, groups of people, people with pets, old couples, young couples? They’ll all want different things.

[YesimstillwatchingNetflix]

I don't like the drive a lot on holiday, I like to be able to walk a lot. If if this was marketed as a 'rural getaway' type holiday then the potential renters would have a different mindset.

I'm not sure you can really boast proximity to the beach as a feature though.its hardly a beach holiday if you have to drive 40-80 minutes to get there. (And it's in the UK 🌧)

[outsho]

We walk everywhere on holiday, it’s a big part of our enjoyment. I’m talking 20k steps+ a day. We went to Prague and only took the tram twice, walked around the whole city (luckily not a huge city .

You have to consider people going out to drink too, is there a local taxi service to drop them off?

[pelirocco123]

We like to be able to walk to restaurants or pub, plus we wouldn't drive that far to visit the attractions

[tempytemp]

I have stayed in plenty of completely rural properties that you need a car. It's not my ideal but they definitely worked as holiday rentals. Perfect for people who want a rural holiday.

[colditz]

An hour away from the sea with "meh" surroundings is most of the homes in the UK. Pass.

[scarbados]

We've always wanted to have walks when on holiday and our idea of hell would be lounging by a pool.

[Notwiththeseknees]

Some really great information coming through here - I'm really glad I asked the collective!
Just to clarify, 40 - 80 minutes covers the beach (40 minutes away) through to UNESCO town, 70 minutes but you would spend the entire day there and/or sight see en route, up to 80 minutes to other amazing cities. So if you wanted a beach holiday, it wouldn't work at all, but if you were into sight seeing then it is really centrally locates.
The biggest drawback really is the lack of boulangerie, but I think it's 3km so cycleable....
The 10minutes away bigger village is lovely & does have several very nice looking restaurants.
A hot tub is a great idea. I don't offer one in the UK, I was concerned about it becoming a bit soupy but I might have to have a trial run here ....
I think I would put in some easy rider style bikes & trailers. Fluffy towels, pool loungers and a massive library of books & films....
Ive done Airbnb and HomeAway research and houses need pools or bookings are really scarce.
Second viewing with builder on Monday but the range of holiday preferences has been really interesting!! The people who book my UK house may not necessarily like Chez Notwiththeseknees.

[colditz]

You're not listening.

It's too far from everything people want to do.

NObody wants to stay sober in France.

It's FAR too far from the beach.

It's not a holiday home. It's just a house.

[BummyKnocker]

I've just come back from a uk holiday and the highlight was the beautiful views and walks nearby.

I don't really want to walk on to an everyday dull street unless I know there is a beach/ attraction very nearby, not a drive away.

[Crunchymum]

How long is the walk to the villages that are 5 and 10 minute drive away?

[justasking111]

Oh it is in France. OK my BIL has a place out there but he is sport mad, so windsurfs on the nearby lake or at the beach depending on wind conditions. I honestly think unless airbnb shows this area booked out solidly from April to October, it is a non starter.

I am speaking as an Airbnb owner of a few properties if that helps authenticate my opinion.

[justasking111]

My friends have a place like this in France they are selling even the grandchildren now teenagers young adults refuse to go there now because it is soooo boring....

[acalmerfuture]

I would want a local walkable shop, and, if in Uk, a local pub that serves meals.

[MyCatHatesEverybody]

If I wanted to lounge by the pool as a main feature of my holiday I'd book a villa in somewhere like Spain. You sound like you want to cater a little bit for a wide demographic whereas in reality people will just book somewhere closer to the main thing/place/facilities they're interested in.

[flowery]

I think 40-80 minutes to everything is too far tbh. If I were going on a sight seeing holiday I would want somewhere much nearer sights. I might do a longer journey for something really special maybe once during the holiday, of an hour or something, but otherwise I'd want to stay within 30 minutes drive maximum really, of the things I was going to see.

So for example, within 10-20 minutes of beaches, with a big sight-seeing attraction an hour away, would be fine. But travelling 40-80 minutes to get to any sights is too far. That's not centrally located, it's far away from everything.

My house where I live is within that travelling time of London, Birmingham, Norfolk/beaches and various other things. But you wouldn't come here on holiday in order to visit those things, if that makes sense? If you wanted to be near London you'd go nearer it than we are, if you wanted to be near beaches/walks you'd stay actually in Norfolk, rather than an hour away from it.


I don't think the having to drive 5 minutes for bread is the issue OP, I think it's the general location of the property which is going to be problematic.

[whyohwhyowhydididoit]

You seem dead set on this OP. I’m assuming the property is a good price for the size and the size of the grounds? Are you sure the idea of getting a bargain isn’t blinding you to its limited rental appeal? When you are used to U.K. prices it is easy to be blinded by the low prices to be had in rural France. (A friend just bought an entire 2 bed habitable house for €9000 and is horrified at what we pay for property here). Would you be ok financially if it was unlet for a lot of the time or would you need full occupancy to cover your costs?

How does the cost of the property compare with others nearer the beach or other local attractions? If it’s significantly cheaper there will be a reason for that.

[acalmerfuture]

Ok, from your update, sorry - its far too far away from everything. I like rural hols, say in a mountain village, but yours is a step too far. I wouldn't want to drive that far to somewhere to sight see as it would mean I couldn't enjoy a drink.

To be so remote it would have to be in an outstanding area of natural beauty. What you have is:
Not in an area of outstanding beauty
No walkable local shops or eateries or drinking places
A considerable drive to anywhere anyone would want to go to (and where they then couldn't even have a drink)

I agree with previous posters - that's not a holiday home. It's just a house.

[acalmerfuture]

The biggest drawback really is the lack of boulangerie, but I think it's 3km so cycleable...

Yes, a huge selling point of your property will be the 3km cycle to get your morning croissant. Make sure you put that prominently in your marketing...