Anyone who lets a holiday home sooner or later arrives at the same question. Do I do this myself, or do I leave it to a manager? The answer depends less on money than many owners think. It depends mainly on your time, your distance from the property and how much you enjoy dealing with guests.
This article is not a sales pitch. For some owners, managing it themselves is the best choice. For others, it costs more than it brings in. Below you will read how to weigh this up for yourself, what a good manager should show you and which questions to ask before you sign anything.
How much time managing it yourself really takes
A host's work is largely invisible. A booking seems like one click, but behind it lies a series of tasks that keep coming back.
First there are the messages. Questions before the booking, practical questions before arrival, a guest who cannot find the key, a question about parking or a restaurant. Guests expect a quick answer, at weekends too and often in their own language.
Then come the changeovers. After every departure the property must be cleaned, the linen changed and everything checked. Someone has to plan, carry out or follow up on that. If a cleaner drops out, you have to find a solution yourself.
Then there is the pricing. If you want to set prices well, you regularly look at holidays, events and the supply in the area. That is not a once-a-year task.
And then there are the problems that do not wait. Heating that fails on a Saturday evening. A guest who calls at midnight because the Wi-Fi is not working. A leak, a lost key, a complaint from the neighbours. You do not choose those moments yourself.
Which skills you need
Managing it yourself calls for a mix of skills. You need to communicate smoothly, preferably in several languages. You need to be able to write a listing and have good photos taken. You need to be able to read and adjust prices. You need a network of cleaners and tradespeople who can come quickly.
On top of that, you need to know the rules. In Flanders you register your property with Toerisme Vlaanderen (Visit Flanders' tourism authority) before the first guests arrive, and you state the registration number in every listing. You need a fire safety certificate through the municipality and an insurance policy that covers tourist letting. Some cities and coastal municipalities have their own rules. If you manage it yourself, you have to keep track of these yourself.
Nobody needs to be able to do all of this perfectly. But it helps to be honest about what you like doing and what you would rather not do.
The costs you do not see
Owners who manage it themselves often compare only the manager's fee with zero. That is not how it works. Managing it yourself also has costs, they just do not appear on a single invoice.
Think of your own hours. An hour you spend on messages, planning or a broken boiler is an hour you do not spend on your work or your family. Think also of missed income. A price that is too low in a busy period, or a property that stays empty because the listing is weak, costs money without you noticing.
Then there are the costs of mistakes. A missed double booking, a bad review after a slow response, damage that was not properly documented. They happen to everyone, but people who do this alongside other work run into them more often.
What a good manager should show you
If you choose a manager, you are entitled to clarity. A good manager works openly and does not leave you in the dark.
Pay attention to these points:
- Statements. You regularly receive a clear overview per property, with bookings, income and costs. You must be able to check where each amount comes from.
- Access. You can view your calendar and bookings. You know when there are guests and when you can use the property yourself.
- Communication. There is a fixed point of contact. In the event of damage or a significant problem, you hear about it quickly, with photos and a proposal.
- Agreements on paper. What is covered by the fee, what is charged separately, how long the contract runs and how you end it.
A manager who stays vague about this is not a good choice, however attractive the proposal sounds.
Questions to ask every manager
Take this list to every meeting. The answers say a lot about how a manager works.
- How do you set the prices, and how often do you adjust them?
- Who cleans the property, and how is the quality checked?
- How quickly do guests get an answer, including in the evening and at weekends?
- What happens in the event of damage, and how am I informed?
- What costs come on top of the fee?
- What does the monthly statement look like? May I see an example?
- How long is the notice period, and what happens to existing bookings if I stop?
- Who owns the listings and the reviews?
Also ask for references and call a few of them. A manager who does good work has no problem with that.
When managing it yourself makes sense
Managing it yourself can be an excellent choice. It suits you especially if you live close to the property, if you have time and if you enjoy contact with guests. It also suits you if you have one property with few changeovers, for example because of longer stays.
It is less suitable if you live far away, if you have a demanding job or if you let several properties. If you notice that letting causes you stress, that is also a signal. A property that makes you nervous every time the phone rings earns less than the figures suggest.
There is also a middle way. Some owners handle guest communication themselves and outsource the cleaning. Others leave the pricing to someone else. Look at which tasks give you energy and which you would rather hand over.
A choice you can revisit
This decision is not fixed forever. Many owners start on their own and later bring in a manager when their life or their portfolio changes. Others do the opposite. Write down for yourself what matters to you today: time, control, income or peace of mind. Then the choice becomes a lot simpler.
How YourDomi approaches it
YourDomi sets prices daily based on market data, communicates with guests 7 days a week in several languages and works with its own cleaning team using a fixed checklist and a photo check. Every month you receive an overview per property. If you are torn between managing it yourself and outsourcing it, request a personal proposal and compare at your own pace.
