How to score a cheap staycation this year – with prices slashed by up to 40%

So summer has finally decided to join the party. It’s been quite a wait.

If you’re thinking about a great British staycation, now’s the time to get up to 40 percent off holiday cottages from Cornwall to Cumbria.

The weather in the first half of this year, combined with the cost of living crisis, a glut of products and distractions in the form of the euro and the general election, have created a perfect storm for small businesses.

The result? There’s plenty of choice, with some great bargains.

Kate Nicholls, chief executive of trade body UK Hospitality, said bookings were lower than expected in May and the first few weeks of June due to an early Easter.

“The weather has definitely had an impact on bookings,” she says. “The cost of living is another.”

A survey of the market situation conducted in May by tourist boards Visit England, Visit Scotland and Visit Wales found that 29 per cent of people cited the weather as a barrier to staying overnight in the UK, while 31 per cent cited the cost of living crisis.

Oversupply is also a factor. Data from AirDNA, which tracks listings on holiday rental sites, showed that there were 355,000 short-term lets available in the UK in the 12 months to May 2024, up 15 per cent on the previous year.

Vacation rental owners who raised prices during the pandemic to meet demand are now lowering them.

“We’re seeing discounts everywhere, even for the big weeks in August and July that would normally never be available,” says Matt Fox, CEO of Snaptrip Group, a marketing partner for Hoseasons, Sykes and Holiday Cottages, among others. “I’ve never seen so much availability for the first week of August.”

There are even places close to the beach where you can stay for considerably less than advertised.

For example, Snaptrip lists Primrose Cottage in Beer, Devon, which is 200 metres from the coast and has three bedrooms, sleeping five in total.

In August the discount is 29 percent, with three nights from £1,146.

Some of the best bargains can be found in the West Country, where Nicholls says ‘there has been a significant increase in Airbnbs and holiday homes’.

In St Austell, Cornwall, Snaptrip is offering 33 per cent off the one-bedroom Cider Press cottage, which is free almost every week in July and August and now costs £708 for three nights in August.

James Norton, director of Toad Hall Cottages, which manages 1,300 properties in the West Country, says they have had discounts of around 20 per cent on properties just a few minutes’ walk from the beach.

“Given the weather over the last six to nine months, it is no surprise that there are gaps, particularly in July,” he adds.

The bigger the property, the bigger the discount, sometimes even up to 40 percent lower.

Many large houses, which are normally booked up for the summer in January, are still empty for the peak season, says Ed Maughan of Groupaccommodation.com, which lists 1,600 properties, mainly in the UK. The site currently has 40 per cent off The Country House in Cumbria, which sleeps 16.

Four-night weekday stays this month are now £2,970 cheaper than £4,950 – and £3,180 cheaper than £5,300 in August.

The Whitehall Dairy, a ten-person house in Powys, is offering 30 percent off some weekends in July and August, with a three-night weekend now costing £1,848.

Traditionally, large homes and luxury properties on the coast or with hot tubs and swimming pools are often booked for a whole week during high season. However, more and more homeowners have also turned to the short break market to attract those who prefer to book a short break rather than a longer holiday.

Rowena Owen, co-founder of Bloom Stays, which has 110 cottages in Kent and Sussex, says there are often discounts of 30-40 per cent for weekday stays compared to weekend stays.

She adds that one of the best ways to close a deal is to ask about underoccupancy fees if a small group is staying in a large home.

“Even if you see a big house for ten people that is expensive, and you say it’s only going to be the four of us, can we get a discount?” she asks.

Owen says that in the past she would have expected around 60 per cent of holiday homes to be sold by Easter, but booking patterns have changed post-pandemic, meaning that holiday homes are now only 20-25 per cent booked by then.

Nicholls agrees that bookings are generally coming in much later now. ‘It used to be three months, now it’s three weeks and at times people are booking three days in advance,’ she says.

This means that a sunny Wednesday could lead to many bookings for that weekend, but not necessarily for the high season, especially as it is not yet clear whether the good weather will last.

“We’ve seen a bit of an uptick in the last few days,” says Fox. But he says football and the election have put people off booking holidays. “As soon as England get knocked out or win, bookings will skyrocket,” he predicts. That means if you want to bag a bargain, you’ll need to act fast.

Martin Dunford, founder of Cool Places, says: ‘You now have a better chance than you’ve had in years of finding a good place in a good location, at a good time of year, at a good price.’

…and if you go abroad, make sure you are insured

By means of LUCY EVANS

Research shows that holidaymakers risk losing an average of £1,400 if they leave travel insurance until the last minute.

According to provider Staysure, only 37 percent of travelers take out their insurance at the time of booking.

According to researchers, the rest may be missing out on valuable cancellation coverage.

As many as 40 percent of holidaymakers take the time to take out insurance a few weeks to a month before departure, with 8 percent even waiting a week before taking out a policy.

This puts them at risk if they have to cancel their trip, which is the most common reason for making a travel insurance claim. Staysure paid out an average of £1,414 per cancellation claim last year.

Holidaymakers are therefore wise to take out insurance immediately when booking their trip, so that they are covered in the event of illness or a natural disaster.

Cancellation coverage should be set at the right level so that travelers are not left empty-handed.

l.evans@dailymail.co.uk