AIBU to risk booking a UK holiday at the last minute - will I get a good reduction?

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Looking for a holiday cottage in the UK - South coast, East Anglia or South West but cannot afford the prices some of them are going for at the moment. The place we have been to before and loved in Suffolk is £750 but not available for the week we want. I have looked at other places in similar areas and it's well over a grand. Has anyone any experience of booking a last minute holiday cottage in the areas mentioned and getting a good reduction off full price?
Thanks

No, but you are running the risk of no holiday at all, or having to compromise massively on location, amenities or paying a high price, especially if you only have one week you can go.

YABU, last min deals aren’t what they used to be pre covid

Anywhere in Southern England is going to be more expensive than if you go north. Is that a deal breaker?

You’re more likely to get no availability

I'd be very surprised if there are any holiday rentals with summer weeks still available to be honest. Especially if they're in nice locations with decent facilities.

We do self catering cottage every year (Dorset) start looking and booking in Feb and even back then we see weeks in June/July/Aug booked and unavailable already!

I tend to think of last minute deals as a flights thing. Maybe i'm wrong! 🤔

I think you are only going to get a deal for the summer if they have a cancellation tbh. And for that you need to be following an agency or owners on SM. East Ruston Cottages for instance post them on their FB and they seem to be booked within 20 minutes of listing

Op - you can usually only get good last min deals on holidays abroad.
Any halfway decent cottages are likely to all be booked up now, and if you do find one available, then I doubt it’ll be a bargain - I think it’ll probably be more expensive.
I usually book the winter before for uk summer holidays for the best deals as hoseasons etc.. usually have winter sales on their cottages. I know this doesn’t help for this summer, but I think the prices you’re encountering are probably the best you’ll get. I hope you find something suitable.

We have had luck with last minute bookings but normally in half terms and Easter holidays when the break dates differ across the country - ie Feb half term this year, stayed in the Cotswolds when the local kids were in school. If you get an Airbnb that is newly listed and doesn't have any reviews, they can be cheaper.

You'll find the longer you wait there'll just be no availability, in fact plenty of places will be fully booked already and have been for months. Reductions to price in the summer for down south just don't happen.

i have a holiday cottage near Padstow. i don't discount last minute. I'll usually offer short breaks or early arrival/late check out to try and shift a week. but no discount.

try following on Facebook or joining dome groups to book with owners direct. youll get the best dates & prices. good luck

ah ok. Thanks all. My parents used to call an agent the day they wanted to go away and we always got something as a cancellation and it was cheaper as it was all they could afford. Perhaps things don't work like that these days.

We tried this last year. The prices just went up as availability became lower.

We ended up paying well over £2k for 10 days in a caravan in Devon. We had a lovely time & it was a very nice caravan, but almost certainly more expensive than had we booked earlier.

This. Go abroad somewhere, you’ll get far more for your money

Covid has fucked that for uk holidays. Even overseas are much more than usual this year.

I think that the longer you wait the less likely you’d be to get what you want.

I priced up a holiday for next year and it was 3x more than we’d paid to go last year!

I actually got an ok price this year, more expensive than last year which has meant a reduction in nights but not such a huge comparative jump as last and next year!

If you want a last minute bargain then you probably need to be going abroad. It will be much cheaper.