{"id":7534,"date":"2026-01-14T12:23:50","date_gmt":"2026-01-14T12:23:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lakelovers.co.uk\/blog\/?p=7534"},"modified":"2026-01-27T09:37:47","modified_gmt":"2026-01-27T09:37:47","slug":"uk-staycation-market-update","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lakelovers.co.uk\/blog\/uk-staycation-market-update\/","title":{"rendered":"UK Staycation Market Update"},"content":{"rendered":"<h3>Staycations are no longer just a summer trend: they\u2019ve become a year-round pattern, and the Lake District is a standout destination.<\/h3>\n<p><strong>In the latest <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sykescottages.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/PR.0225_HOR-2025_v2.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Holiday Letting Outlook Report<\/a> from our parent company, Sykes Holiday Cottages, the data shows the holiday-let sector remains resilient despite tighter budgets and ongoing regulatory change.<\/strong><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>For Lake District owners, the standout story is this: countryside destinations with strong all-season appeal are outperforming\u2014and Cumbria continues to rank among the top UK regions for holiday-let earnings.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_7288\" style=\"width: 650px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.lakelovers.co.uk\/cottage\/Lake-District-Cumbria-The-Lake-District-Bowness-On-Windermere\/Laurons-View-1042150.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7288\" class=\"wp-image-7288 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.lakelovers.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2023\/02\/Lakes-Blog-images-640x427-1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-7288\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Lauron&#8217;s View, Bowness on Windermere Ref. 1042150<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Whether you already let with<a href=\"https:\/\/www.lakelovers.co.uk\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> Lakelovers<\/a> or you\u2019re considering it, here\u2019s what the newest data means specifically for Lake District holiday homes\u2014and what to do next.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<hr \/>\n<h2>Holidays in the UK:<\/h2>\n<p>The Holiday Letting Outlook Report 2025 (based on Sykes booking &amp; revenue data plus a survey of 500 UK owners) shows that owners earned an average of \u00a324,700 per property in 2024 (up from \u00a324,500 in 2023).\u00a0 Bookings also grew, with a 2.2% increase in UK holiday let bookings in 2024 vs 2023, making it Sykes\u2019 biggest-ever year for bookings.<\/p>\n<p>For Lake District owners, the report highlights that year-round holidays are increasing year on year and Cumbria &amp; the Lake District is now the third highest-earning region, with an average annual turnover of \u00a327,000.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sykescottages.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/PR.0225_HOR-2025_v2.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><button style=\"padding: 10px; border-radius: 500px; background-color: #3e0b46; color: #ffffff;\"> Read the full Outlook Report here<\/button><\/a><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2>The Lake District Hotspots<\/h2>\n<div>\n<p>When it comes to <em>where<\/em> income is strongest, the Lake District features prominently:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.lakelovers.co.uk\/grasmere-cottages.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Grasmere<\/strong><\/a> is the UK\u2019s <strong>#1 location<\/strong> for average turnover (<strong>\u00a343,200<\/strong>)<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.lakelovers.co.uk\/coniston-cottages.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Coniston<\/strong><\/a> ranks #4 overall (<strong>\u00a336,100<\/strong>)<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.lakelovers.co.uk\/bowness-cottages.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Bowness-on-Windermere<\/strong><\/a> ranks #9 overall (<strong>\u00a334,450<\/strong>)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div id=\"attachment_9405\" style=\"width: 650px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.lakelovers.co.uk\/cottage\/Lake-District-Cumbria-The-Lake-District-Grasmere\/Raise-View-House-1127206.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-9405\" class=\"wp-image-9405 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.lakelovers.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2024\/07\/Blog-images-640-x-427-84.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-9405\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Raise View House, Grasmere Ref. 1127206<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>What this means for new owners:<\/strong> destinations with year\u2011round appeal (like the Lakes) are well placed for today\u2019s \u201cshort break\u201d behaviour and shoulder\u2011season demand.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2>Owner behaviour is shifting<\/h2>\n<div>\n<p>The Outlook Report highlights how owners are adapting to changing booking habits:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>39%<\/strong> of owners have <strong>made their properties available for more days<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>33%<\/strong> have <strong>increased weekly rates<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>35%<\/strong> are <strong>planning renovations<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>23%<\/strong> plan to <strong>buy another holiday let<\/strong> in the next five years<\/li>\n<li><strong>23%<\/strong> are adding <strong>eco-friendly features<\/strong>, and <strong>23%<\/strong> are adding <strong>income-boosting features<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>This points to a market where the \u201cbest\u201d properties aren\u2019t just well-located\u2014they\u2019re well-optimised: available, well-presented, and aligned to what guests search for. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.lakelovers.co.uk\/blog\/what-are-guests-looking-for\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Read our helpful blog on what guests are looking for\u00a0<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<hr \/>\n<h2>What earns more?<\/h2>\n<div>\n<p>The report shows that some property types outperform others. Guests are willing to spend that bit more for something different, quirky or unusual. Here are the <strong>average<\/strong> incomes:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Unique properties<\/strong>: <strong>\u00a332,200<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Detached houses<\/strong>: <strong><strong>\u00a331,400<\/strong><\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Farm stays<\/strong>: <strong>\u00a329,800<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div id=\"attachment_9404\" style=\"width: 650px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.lakelovers.co.uk\/cottage\/Lake-District-Cumbria-The-Lake-District-Castle-Carrock\/The-Country-House-Cumbria-1190202.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-9404\" class=\"wp-image-9404 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.lakelovers.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2024\/07\/Blog-images-640-x-427-83.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-9404\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Country House Cumbria, Castle Carrock Ref. 1190202<\/p><\/div>\n<p><span data-teams=\"true\">It goes without saying that properties with more bedrooms tend to generate a higher income, and although this is not always the case, it can be a big factor in revenue potential.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>1 bed <strong>\u00a316,500<\/strong><\/li>\n<li>2 bed <strong>\u00a320,200<\/strong><\/li>\n<li>3 bed <strong>\u00a324,700<\/strong><\/li>\n<li>4 bed <strong>\u00a334,300<\/strong><\/li>\n<li>5 bed <strong>\u00a346,600<\/strong><\/li>\n<li>6+ bed <strong>\u00a375,000<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2><strong>Running a successful holiday let<\/strong><\/h2>\n<div>\n<p>The Outlook Report also identifies the <strong>top five most-searched features<\/strong> on the Sykes website:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Pet-friendly<\/li>\n<li>Hot tubs<\/li>\n<li>Large properties<\/li>\n<li>Sea views<\/li>\n<li>Swimming pools<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div>\u00a0Read our blog on <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.lakelovers.co.uk\/blog\/make-your-new-holiday-cottage-stand-out-from-the-crowd\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">how to make your property stand out<\/a> <\/strong>for helpful advice<\/div>\n<hr \/>\n<h2><strong>What guests want right now\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>We know over many years in the holiday letting business what works\u00a0for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.lakelovers.co.uk\/\"><strong>Lakelover<\/strong>s<\/a> owners, (we understand not all owners can meet these requirements)<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Short breaks<\/strong> can drive more bookings per year. <strong>Flexible short stays:<\/strong> <strong>29% more bookings per year<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Hot tubs<\/strong> <strong>21% more predicted revenue<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Pet-friendly<\/strong> remains one of the biggest demand drivers and can increase booking volume by <strong>9% more booking per year<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div id=\"attachment_9403\" style=\"width: 650px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.lakelovers.co.uk\/cottage\/Lake-District-Cumbria-The-Lake-District-Gait-Barrows-Nature-Reserve\/The-Old-Farmhouse-at-Brackenthwaite-Farm-1166458.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-9403\" class=\"wp-image-9403 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.lakelovers.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2024\/07\/Blog-images-640-x-427-82.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-9403\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Old Farmhouse at Brackenthwaite Farm, Yealand Redmayne nr Arnside Ref. 1166458<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Want to know more about how to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.lakelovers.co.uk\/blog\/make-your-holiday-cottage-pet-friendly\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">make your holiday cottage pet friendly<\/a><\/p>\n<div>\n<hr \/>\n<h2><strong>Owner sentiment and regulation: what\u2019s changing<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>The report notes:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>45%<\/strong> of UK owners say they\u2019ve been impacted by sector changes<\/li>\n<li>Owners are most worried about higher council tax, a tourism levy, and licensing schemes<\/li>\n<li>The most common changes affecting owners include higher council tax (<strong>58%<\/strong>), new safety checks (<strong>56%<\/strong>) and the abolition of the FHL tax regime (<strong>33%<\/strong>)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>And importantly, owners are adapting:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>25%<\/strong> claimed capital allowances before the FHL deadline<\/li>\n<li><strong>22%<\/strong> claimed small business rates relief<\/li>\n<li><strong>21%<\/strong> transferred to a limited company<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<p>Need to know more? read our blogs on\u00a0 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.lakelovers.co.uk\/blog\/uk-holiday-let-rules-regulations\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Holiday Let Rules &amp; Regulations<\/a> and also <a href=\"https:\/\/www.lakelovers.co.uk\/blog\/tax-guide-for-furnished-holiday-lets\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Tax Guide for Furnished Holiday Lets<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sykescottages.co.uk\/letyourcottage\/advice\/article\/budget-announcements-impacting-holiday-let-owners\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><button style=\"padding: 10px; border-radius: 500px; background-color: #3e0b46; color: #ffffff;\"> Budget Announcement for Owners<\/button><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<hr \/>\n<h2>How do guests choose a holiday let agency?<\/h2>\n<p>With so many agencies to choose from, we asked participants their top priorities when selecting an agency for their UK holidays.<\/p>\n<p>When choosing a holiday cottage agency to book from, consumers top three priorities are:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>That the property offers good value for money<\/li>\n<li>The property has accurate and detailed property descriptions<\/li>\n<li>The agency has a variety of high quality properties available to choose from<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Social media reputation has also become a bigger factor in consumers\u2019 consideration when selecting an agency to partner with.<\/p>\n<p>Also looking at <strong>repeat bookings<\/strong>, our survey found that the top three reasons for a consumer to book again are:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>They felt that the property offered good value for money<\/li>\n<li>There was excellent customer service available<\/li>\n<li>The agency has a flexible booking policy<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_8133\" style=\"width: 650px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.lakelovers.co.uk\/cottage\/Lake-District-Cumbria-The-Lake-District-High-Green\/Haystacks-1159340.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-8133\" class=\"wp-image-8133 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.lakelovers.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2024\/07\/Blog-images-640x427-85.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-8133\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Haystacks, Troutbeck Ref. 1159340<\/p><\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div>\n<hr \/>\n<h2><strong>What to do next: 6 Lake District actions that match the data<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>If you want to align your holiday let with where the market is heading, these are the moves most supported by the latest Outlook findings:<\/p>\n<h3>1) <strong>Extend availability where possible<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>More available nights = more opportunity to capture shoulder-season breaks and late demand.<\/p>\n<h3>2) <strong>Enable short breaks strategically<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>The Lake District\u2019s year-round appeal makes it ideal for short stays\u2014especially outside school holiday weeks.<\/p>\n<h3>3) <strong>Invest in the \u201cbookable\u201d upgrades<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>If you\u2019re renovating, prioritise changes that guests feel immediately: bathrooms, heating comfort, layout flexibility, and standout amenities. Owners are actively renovating to stay competitive.<\/p>\n<h3>4) <strong>Go pet-friendly (if your property suits it)<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Pet-friendly stays continue to be a reliable way to broaden demand across the calendar.<\/p>\n<h3>5) <strong>Consider eco-friendly improvements<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>A meaningful share of owners are investing in eco features; this is becoming a baseline expectation in premium countryside markets.<\/p>\n<h3>6) <strong>Use dynamic pricing to protect yield<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Owners are increasing weekly rates where demand supports it, and the strongest markets (like the Lakes) can often sustain smart rate optimisation.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3><strong>Thinking about letting your Lake District property\u2014or improving performance?<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Our local <a href=\"https:\/\/www.lakelovers.co.uk\/letyourcottage\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Lakelovers<\/a> team can help you understand your property\u2019s earning potential, identify high-impact improvements, and optimise availability and pricing for the year ahead.<\/p>\n<p>Phone us on <span class=\"c-icon-title\">015394 88855,<\/span>\u00a0or pop into one of our<strong> local offices<\/strong> in<strong> Windermere<\/strong> or<strong> Keswick.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Alternatively, <span data-teams=\"true\">complete the form below to request contact from our team, including a copy of our <strong>FREE Owner Guide<\/strong>.<\/span><\/p>\n<div style=\"margin-top: -25px; margin-bottom: 20px;\"><\/div>\n<p><script type=\"text\/javascript\" src=\"https:\/\/sykescottages.jotform.com\/jsform\/250763242009956\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><em>**All data is taken from our parent company, Sykes Holiday Cottages survey, and is correct at the time of writing**\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Staycations are no longer just a summer trend: they\u2019ve become a year-round pattern, and the Lake District is a standout destination. In the latest Holiday Letting Outlook Report from our parent company, Sykes Holiday Cottages, the data shows the holiday-let sector remains resilient despite tighter budgets and ongoing regulatory change. For Lake District owners, the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":162,"featured_media":8297,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7534","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-owner-hub"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lakelovers.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7534","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lakelovers.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lakelovers.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lakelovers.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/162"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lakelovers.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7534"}],"version-history":[{"count":53,"href":"https:\/\/www.lakelovers.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7534\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9416,"href":"https:\/\/www.lakelovers.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7534\/revisions\/9416"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lakelovers.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8297"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lakelovers.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7534"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lakelovers.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7534"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lakelovers.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7534"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}