I guess the ultimate way to spend your holiday would be in a luxury holiday cottage.

The whole idea of going away is to relax and live in a way you normally cannot. Be it on a river, on a moor, tasting wine for a week, next to a warm pool, whatever your desire is the holiday is where we indulge in selfish extravagance.

The icing on the cake can often be staying in a luxury holiday cottage. A quality cottage will provide you with real comfort and decadence. Often found in accommodation of this ilk are luxury hot tubs and heated pools, with dressing rooms and covered BBQ areas. The quality of the equipment provided should be first class, washing machines and tumble dryers should be included, Broad band internet and a dishwasher should now be standard in any luxury holiday cottage.

The location of the cottage is also an important factor. Luxury cottages should have a bearing, boast a view, nestled in a valley – there should be something that gives you that wow factor and makes it stand out from the rest.

I always consider that if I want a luxury cottage I think would this be my ideal home if I could afford it? If the answer to this is yes then its probably right for your ideal holiday.

VisitDevonandCornwall offers free advertising for owners and agents with holiday lettings they wish to further market on the internet.

Running for almost 3 years now this site has undergone a lot of changes and recent improvements to establish a strong position on the internet, and we a striving to be recognized amongst the top 10 holiday lettings web sites for Devon and Cornwall.

We are constantly updating our coding to appeal to the search engines for our most popular search terms to draw all the visitors we can from the internet to our lettings pages. The summer Holiday season is the busiest time for us and we are preparing ready for the influx of traffic.

We are also just about to be published for the second time in Cornwall Today as well as running a flyer campaign to get new holiday lettings on the site ready for the summer visitors. Both campaigns have proven very successful and we look forward to much more success as the season opens.

To increase our effectiveness and improve the information we offer we have decided to run the web site for the foreseeable future as a free service.

We will be making a revenue from third party advertisers and marketing schemes. We are also investing in flyers and magazine marketing in the Cornish region of our market place married together with our improved SEO we are now getting great results for search terms in the 3 main search engines.

Cottage holiday accommodation is our main stay of current available property but we will be hoping to broaden the base of our holiday accommodation, including more hotels, B&B, apartments, hostels and caravans.

The holiday season in Cornwall and Devon is almost upon us so I hope you are all ready to make the most of what promises to be a hot summer.

What should you expect from a Holiday Cottage in Cornwall?

In brief you should expect to arrive at your Holiday cottage and find it clean and tidy. Basic cutlery and kitchen equipment should be provided for you this includes a fridge but not always a washing machine.

The furniture should be serviceable and clean. Items should reach basic British safety standards. Linen may be provided for an extra fee in the holiday cottage, but many holiday lets now provide this service in the rental fee.

Holiday cottages in Cornwall are generally in rural location so make sure you have basic food items with you, and be prepared to visit the nearest town to stock up on meals and booze.

The cottage its self should be in good state of repair and offer you sound and comfortable accommodation. If you have any concerns at all contact the agents or owners of the holiday cottage and inform them of your concerns. If this is not possible then video or photograph the aspects of the cottage you are unhappy with to validate your complaint at a later stage.

Above all enjoy your stay in your selected holiday cottage in Cornwall and come back soon.

This article is meant as a guide only. Advice should be taken from a qualified person.

Letting a fully furnished holiday home in the UK may mean the income made is treated differently than other rental income. Holiday lets are considered a business, where as other property letting income is classed as investment income.

The are some tax incentives for holiday lets, but your accommodation must comply with inland revenue rules, referred to as “QUALIFYING TESTS” which are:

* Based in the UK.

* Furnished rental accommodation.

* Available for holiday letting to the public for at least 140 days a year.

* Actually let as a holiday let for at least 70 days a year (and
these must be commercial lets, not at cheap rates to friends and
family).

* Your occupier cannot stay for more than 31 days in any 7 month period.

* Lets must be at the full market value. This means letting your
cottage to family for £2 a week will not count.

And holiday lets must be (both):

* Short term lets of not more than 31 days.

* The only lets over a period of at least seven months.

Your income from you holiday let is subject to income tax, but you can off-set expenses for example:

* Repairs and maintenance.

* Decorating.

* Heating & lighting.

* Legal and letting agent’s fees.

* Management fees and cleaning costs.

* Insurance.

* Mortgage interest payments.

If you make a loss, you can off-set this against your other income to reduce your tax bill. You can avoid paying capital gains tax on the sale of the property if you roll-over the income within 3 years to another holiday letting property.

There are other advantages, and as stated before, take professional advice before heading into holiday letting. There are many mortgages available for the buy to let market and spending some time with a well regarded mortgage advisor would be in your best interest