Trying sell a short break at the last minute

Next week at Sandcastle Cottage we could do a short break from Monday 25th September to Friday 29th September, priced at only £200 for 4 nights.

But how can I get this sold with only the internet as my tool (it’s too late to do anything else)?

My friend Isabelle (a fellow central Edinburgh self-caterer and B&B owner) has just bought a new property in Plockton which she’s going to get the keys to this week and is trying to hurry along and get marketed. She’s taken a page on the Cottage Guide already and she sent me an e-mail the other day asking where I thought she should market it.

I’d suggested Undiscovered Scotland because they’ve got a late availability page which we’re currently using to sell our short breaks. However, we haven’t had any enquiries for next week.

We’re also using the ASSC’s Late Availability page – so I just take a minute to check that we’ve got the right dates on there. When I see how many people are now using pictures of the scenery on their late availability pages, I think it’s about time we stuck in something different – so I upload the Sandcastle Cottage welcome plate photograph just so that we stand out from the crowd. Unfortunately there’s a delay in the photographs posting as they have to be approved – I wonder if the Webmaster works over the weekend?

I’ve also offered short breaks on Visit Scotland’s site for our cottage, and checked that my availability is all up to date on their IONA System – I also notice that they’ve updated the photograph which is being used to sell the cottage – we’re using the Welcome Plate which Karen Edwards of Funky Scottish designed for us. I love that plate Karen!

I decide to try something radical – e-bay! So I put up an ad. which closes at 22.19 on Sunday night and costs me £2.50 or so to place. Check it today and its had 16 views – so maybe there’s something in this, but I’ll only be convinced if it actually sells.