Cotswolds · Second-Home Owners
Cotswolds second-home management
Use it when you want it. Let it the rest of the year. We manage owner-occupier second homes across the Cotswolds with full owner-block calendar control, keyholding, mid-week revenue and a serviced-lodge experience on every owner stay.
- Owner-use comes first - block any dates, any notice
- Earn enough to cover running costs (often the mortgage)
- Keyholding, weekly drive-bys and emergency response
- Business-rates eligibility guidance
- Pre-arrival deep clean for your own stays
- Switch letting on/off by season with no penalty
Built around owners who use the property too
Most Cotswolds management agencies treat second homes as inventory first, owner-use second. We flip that. You set the dates you want, and we maximise revenue around them - not the other way round.
The result for a typical owner is 6-8 weeks of personal use plus £25k-£45k of gross revenue on a 2-3 bed cottage - usually enough to fully cover running costs, often more than the mortgage payment.
What changes when you arrive
Your cottage behaves like a serviced lodge: pre-arrival deep clean, fresh linens and towels, fire laid in winter, kitchen and bathroom restock, fridge filled to your shopping list on request. Mid-stay housekeeping if you want it.
Between stays we run weekly drive-by inspections in voids, handle contractor access, take in deliveries and respond to any alarm callout within 60 minutes. The house is never left unattended just because you're not in it.
Popular second-home villages
Highest international leisure demand. Walk-to-river cottages command premium rates.
View Bourton-on-the-WaterMarket-square townhouses, antiques weekenders and walking-route stays.
View Stow-on-the-WoldSoho Farmhouse and Daylesford halo - high-end couples and groups.
View Chipping NortonGateway-to-the-Cotswolds village - premium high-street cottages.
View BurfordWorcestershire honey-stone classic - strong family-group market.
View BroadwayThe most photographed village in England - bucket-list leisure stays.
View BiburyHighgrove, antiques and royal-warrant pubs - premium couples market.
View TetburyBucket-list village - global leisure traffic, premium nightly rates.
View Castle Combe'Queen of the Cotswolds' - boutique couples and walkers.
View PainswickRail-line village with Soho-Farmhouse halo - premium ADR.
View KinghamWychwood-edge rail village - Oxford-line weekenders.
View CharlburyDaylesford Farm halo - premium couples and groups.
View Daylesford£0 onboarding for new Cotswolds clients. 13% for the first 3 months.
We're waiving onboarding fees and running our lowest-ever management rate for new owners who sign up before the end of next month. No VAT. No hidden extras. No tie-in periods.
Others typically charge £250 - £350
Introductory management fee
No VAT. Cancel any month.
Offer applies to new clients only. Signed agreements must be dated before the end of next month.
More focus on your Cotswolds property. Less spread thin.
The larger management companies grow by adding properties. We grow by looking after the ones we already have. It's a different model, and it shows up in the details.
A hand-picked client list
We only take on properties we believe will genuinely perform. If it's not the right fit, we'll say so - up front.
More attention on your property
We're deliberately small. Fewer clients means your listing, calendar and guests get the focus larger franchises can't offer.
A direct line, not a call centre
You'll speak to the same team that onboards and runs your property. No account manager churn, no ticketing systems.
One team, onboarding through hosting
No handoffs between departments. The people who launch your listing are the people running it 12 months later.
Not a franchise
We aren't spread across hundreds of listings or franchisees. Every property is managed directly by our core team.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
- Can I still use my cottage whenever I want?
- Yes. You set owner-block dates in our calendar and we manage all letting around them. Block last-minute? Just message us - typically we can hold any unbooked dates with 48 hours' notice.
- Will short-letting affect my second-home council tax / business rates position?
- It can - in your favour, often. Properties available to let 140+ nights and actually let 70+ nights generally qualify for business rates and small business rates relief, which can be significantly cheaper than council tax. We'll walk you through the rules for your specific local authority.
- How much can I realistically earn around my own usage?
- A typical 2-3 bed Cotswolds cottage with 6-8 weeks owner usage spread across the year can still gross £25k-£45k - more than covering running costs, often funding the mortgage. We send a tailored projection after a free visit.
- Do you offer keyholding when I'm there?
- Yes. We hold a secure key, do weekly drive-by inspections in voids, handle deliveries, contractor access and emergencies whether you're letting or in residence.
- What about during my own stays?
- Pre-arrival deep clean, fresh linens, fire laid, fridge stocked if requested - your second home behaves like a serviced lodge when you arrive. Mid-stay housekeeping available.
- Can I switch off letting for a season?
- Absolutely - we run multiple owner-only seasons across the year (summer holidays, Christmas/NY) on request. No penalty, just a calendar block. Most owners find the income covers them needing to do less of that than they expected.