Since 1998 LTR has been advising the owners of large houses, castles and historic stately homes across the UK and Ireland how to prepare themselves and their properties for rental to wealthy and discerning clients from around the world. Today LTR is responsible for over 15,000 happy guests and many owners have been cushioned from financial difficulties by LTR – bringing in over £40m into the UK and Irish economies and predominantly in the rural communities.
Getting early advice can be essential in focusing funds in the right direction, ascertaining whether the project is even viable and ensuring that the right marketing steps are put in place to ensure a fair share of the small number of wealthy clients wanting that private house experience.
The market has changed dramatically in the last 15 years or so and now almost every property owner is making their house or home available for some sort of rental or event. Our clients, particularly those from the US, are looking for new and amazing experiences so it is now even more important that owners are well prepared to position themselves in the most favourable way when competing with other properties.
These are exciting times for property owners but with the increased level of competition and the plethora of practical issues on which some owners may need to consult carefully, it has never been more important to obtain sound professional advice. Helping property owners create an environment where our calibre of guests can feel comfortable and looked after is not always straightforward but is essential to the success of such projects where service is often considered as important as the choice of property itself.
Our consultancy services are provided by Andrew Loyd and Jonathan Townsend-Rose together with a small support team. Jonathan qualified as a Chartered Surveyor in 1980 and has spent over 30 years managing prestigious historic, sporting and agricultural estates throughout England and Scotland. This has given him a rare insight into the workings of these magnificent properties as well as a good understanding of the challenges involved. In 1998 he founded LTR and asked Andrew to join him. Jonathan has built up an impressive knowledge of England, Scotland & Ireland and of what the countries have to offer, as well as a keen interest in environmental issues and responsible sustainability.
After training with the Savoy group, Andrew graduated from Westminster College in 1985 with a degree in Hotel Management. This led to spells in seven different hotels in eight years, and in 1991 he was coerced to go over the 'pond' to manage the estates of some prominent East Coast families. This involved running every facet of numerous properties throughout the US & Canada and enabled Andrew to experience how the 'other half' live, the standards required and the expectations of the affluent traveller. In 1998, Andrew returned to Scotland and co-founded LTR with Jonathan, based in the Borders of Scotland.
Both Jonathan and Andrew share many property owners’ passion for fabulous houses, architecture and classic buildings as well understanding the ongoing challenge of helping them generate outside income to help finance their continued maintenance and refurbishment as they get dragged into the 21st century.
Many travel companies from all over the world look to LTR for advice on high end UK rentals and we are affiliated to and members of a number of trade associations. Since 2011 we have been the Conde Nast Traveller villa rental specialist for Scotland and are listed on Travel & Leisure’s hit list of the top 40 Best Villa Rental Agencies in the world.
Whether you are considering letting your House or Castle for the first time, just inherited or bought a property that you think might let well or if you have been renting out your house for some time and simply want to change direction, such as breaking out of the conveyor belt tedium of endless weddings, then maybe we could help you develop your thoughts and channel your energies and finances in the most appropriate way.
We offer experienced advice on almost every facet of the luxury rental market from effective marketing, website design, generating press articles, advertising and which Trade Shows to attend through to house layout, security and insurance issues and staffing levels as well as appropriate charging policies. In some cases we offer personal introductions to top US travel agents, arrange press trips to secure valuable press coverage and undertake representation at appropriate Trade Shows around the world.
The luxury rental market has become increasingly sophisticated and there are a lot of factors to consider carefully before embarking on any rental project. By working with a wide variety of estates throughout the UK & Ireland, LTR brings a wealth of knowledge and we encourage our owners to explore all their options. By offering unbiased and candid advice we can help steer you towards the right well informed decisions and enable the letting business to start off in the right way. The luxury rental market is extremely robust at the moment and offers some wonderful opportunities for property owners to help turn something that they might consider a liability into an asset that could at least cover its costs.
LTR can help make this happen.
LTR undertook a consultancy with Corrour Lodge during 2019 as we aimed to increase the commercial lettings side of our business. We have experienced a massive upsurge in enquiries and interest in the Lodge following the consultancy. Our focus is now on the leisure market thanks to sterling advice from Jonathan and Andrew whose knowledge of exclusive high end property rentals is unmatched. Our new website, brochure and marketing materials have now been completely revamped and the increase in interest started straight away as we are now targeting the most profitable market for our property. I would have no hesitation in recommending an LTR consultancy. The benefits have been phenomenal for us.
David Taylor, Corrour Lodge, 2019/2020
LTR is an established luxury rental company who have built up an excellent network of agent contacts over the years, particularly in the US. We decided to work with LTR on a consultancy basis for a period of 6 months in the first half of 2019 with a view to developing more awareness of Kinross House within international markets. This involved sales trips to both New York and London with personal introductions to an excellent network of high end luxury travel agents, and also included featuring Kinross House in a series of e-shots to their extensive database of contacts.
Rosemary Spenke, Kinross House, 2019
LTR consultancy fees are structured according to your requirements. Our advice includes an initial site visit and consultation (free of charge), appraisals, advising on the general suitability for luxury short term rentals right through to full scale viability reports, business plans and complete marketing representation and management. It can also include the overseeing of the production of new websites, PDF & branded brochure design, Search Engine Optimisation & Social Media, handling of enquiries, sales trips and Trade Show representation.
Consultancy Fees start at £3,000 + VAT per month for a minimum 6 month period.
For a free initial consultation please contact Jonathan Townsend-Rose FRICS:
Phone: 01835 824 642 Email: info@ltrconsultancy.co.uk
Contact us to find out more about how your property can reach the luxury travel market:
+44 1835 824 642 info@ltrconsultancy.co.uk
