Property Matters - Holiday Rentals Vacation Rentals Russell Bay of Islands

NEWSLETTER - Russell Bay of Islands

It's what we call winter!

Well, the Jazz and Blues festival is over for another year and is the depth of winter, or what passes for winter in the Bay of Islands.
Xmas New Year peak bookings have been strong and earlier than ever but many enquiries have been for less than the desired seven night minimum, the recession is having some direct affect now. We have been reluctant to take the five night requests as we believe late bookings are likely to be strong too and we don’t want to prejudice seven or ten night bookings because we weakened and took a shorter booking.
Weather has been pretty awful with gales and heavy rain at times but all houses have come through with little damage other than the odd branches and shrubs knocked around.
Property Matters have been busy optimising the website and doing the updates required to Holiday Houses following the sale to trade me. We still rate well on Google and that is the most important measure.
We are off to a TG3, Utube and Facebook ‘how to use in your marketing’ course next month to keep as up to date with electronic marketing as we can.
There is solid discounting coming from the apartments, bed and breakfasts and hotels throughout the country and almost every enquiry asks for a discount, even on short stays!
The village has several new projects on the go but empty shops also point to some caution for the coming season.
The Property Matters staff is getting into garden tidy up mode, and repairs and maintenance is to the fore, to ensure all houses present well in the coming competitive summer season.
Barry did his bit for mid winter madness by jumping off the wharf in a howling gale and rain dressed as Buzzy Bee in the great Russell birdman competition. First prize in individual class this year!
We have added a couple of new houses to the Property Matters stable this year and do still have a couple of Xmas New year vacancies to fill.
We are now starting to calendar those all important spring clean and holiday home spruce ups and water tanks, pumps and general systems checks to avoid those costly peak season call outs. This pre season activity paid dividends last season with very few problems to deal to in the busy time that sees specialist trades people almost impossible to organise.
No doubt Fullers and the other major operators are working on their new season offerings to ensure the Bay of Islands holiday experience meets with all your guests expectations.
Best regards to all our owners and intending guests from the team at Property Matters B.O.I Ltd.