A conversational interview (Mark Simpson with Abi Hookway) about sourcing and operating a short-term/service-accommodation property in Whitby. Abi describes discovering a 3-bedroom house via a handwritten Gumtree advert, persuading a cautious landlord by offering a long-term (five-year) arrangement, redecorating/furnishing the property, and promising reliable rent and maintenance. She intentionally targets families with child-friendly amenities, chose a town-centre, 5-minute-from-train-station location with on-street parking, and reports strong bookings (property fully booked until mid-November).
People don't realize with Whitby is one of these places that the season just keeps on going and keeps on extending. And I think that's like you say, most people then gravitate towards cities because that is where people assume. But there are, and I hear this term gold mine phrase passed around a lot in service accommodation. This is where places like Whitby and Bakewell where you've got property as well, there's some apps, absolutely amazing locations that are untapped when it comes to service accommodation. Now how did you personally discover Whitby? Have you been there in the past, like for holidays with family? Or is this somebody that's recommended you to check out this area and then you've done your due diligence?
Some of the people in Touchstone Community were like, you can't, no one can do it in Whitby. You can't get a rent to rent in Whitby. And that was it. Then the challenge was off one day and got a rent to rent because I was determined I was going to do that.
When somebody says I just went and got one for people that are watching this or tuning in and going, I don't really understand what that means. What did you do that may be different from the rest? Like how do you approach going to an estate agent or approaching a landlord or whatever you do to then go and get these properties on your portfolio?
So the first thing I did when I hit Whitby, because I went with my friend for the day, we said we were going to go and have a nice day out in Whitby without any children, just us. And I thought while I'm there I'm going to see if I can get some property. So I went into a little local cafe, started talking to the locals, found a guy that owned one of the pubs, so I'm chatting to him and then I was. Then I logged on Gumtree and on Gumtree there was this advert from a lady and it was just a handwritten note, there was no photo saying that she had a three bed house to rent and for people to get in touch. So I immediately just picked up the phone, rang her and said, hey, I'm in Whitby for the day, can I please come and look at it? I'm really, really interested but I'd want to take it for a long term, like five years, would that be a problem? She said, no, she doesn't want to live there. She had nightmare tenants so she'd be more than happy. So I went to view the property told her what I did, told her everything. She was a little bit unsure at first, so I left that day and I had to follow her up. But she came round for the idea and it was all because she'd had issues with tenants and I promised her that she wouldn't have that with me.
You get to a point where you chatting to a landlord who again has had problem with tenants, like a lot of people do. What did you have to do then from the point of having the initial conversation to win her over, is there anything that you did? Obviously you've got proof of portfolio and things you've done in the past, but what do you do to sort of put somebody at ease in those situations?
What I really reassured her was I want it, I can afford it, the rent's no problem at all. I'll come in and I was going to redecorate it and furnish it. She would be able to see it all the time, but I would be in there for five years. So she's not having to change tenant every nine months, which is the average for Whitby. And anything that damages to a certain point I'll replace and I'll look after and that she would get a rent on time.
How do you establish who your customer demographic is for each location? Do you have a different tactic when it comes to getting people in both?
All of my essays are set up to be child friendly. They're bigger, they can put pots up. I've got, you know, all the plastic plates, cups, etc. And I think because of that and then the way that I word the description, it naturally attracts families. My one in Whitby because I did my research before I realized that there's one and two bedroom apartments in Whitby's. I wouldn't be able to take my children in a one or two bedroom apartment, which is why I went for a three bed house so large it can sleep eight because I knew it was a bit of a gap in the market.
When making your decision, did you go and do the research about the other places you mentioned that yeah, 100% in Whitby there's loads of one or two bed apartments. You went for the three bed house. Now is this three bed house in the town center? Is it a little bit of a way out? How did you sort of come up with your ideal customer for the place in Whitby? Did you go and do the necessary research online or is it just you with your gut instinct knowing this area, knowing what you look for and then just went.
It's literally just what I would want for. So it's in the town centre of Whitby. It's about five minutes from the train station. There is on street parking right outside and I drove past a few times to make sure you could actually park because I'm in a car parking space. Massive. What I didn't want to do is be in a place where you have to drive in and out of Whitby all the time. I want you where you can, you know, push the buggy down to the seaside, or mum and dad can go and have a drink and then, you know, walk the kids back up and things. So it's all done around me and what I ideally want, because it's my holiday home at the end of the day. And then because of that and because I've got more, the personal touches, I think, at my reviews and I do so well with bookings. Like my Whitby one, it's fully booked until, like, mid November, which is crazy. And I didn't expect that at all. I did expect more of the, you know, the peak season.
I am not surprised at all, to be honest, because the thing about Whitby is it's got so many events on. Obviously the golf weekend being a major one that's coming up in October, but it's got every weekend pretty much as an event coming on and they duplicate it up. And when you say fully booked till November, I'm not surprised at all.
