At Forever Cornwall we provide a letting agency service that is specialist, expert and highly effective — but is also built on personal customer service for both owners and guests. We are proud not to be a large ‘corporate’ agency — we are certainly big enough to get excellent results, but also small enough to care. We love to work closely with owners and value being able to take time talking to guests, many of whom book with us time and time again.
What makes a Forever Cornwall property?
Forever Cornwall specialises in unique, cherished, coastal holiday homes. Beyond that we don’t have a specific ‘type’, which is why our strap-line is Unique Retreats. We are pleased to represent some luxury show-stopping properties but equally proud of some of the smallest and most quirky cottages and beach houses there are. Our guests like it that way — seeking authenticity and a truly memorable experience. All of our properties are:
Unique. Whether a surf shack, contemporary holiday home, traditional cottage, rambling farmhouse, harbourside apartment, or inspiring barn conversion, each property is unique or in a unique location.
Cherished. Many of our owners have put heart and soul into builds, renovations, restorations or conversions — or gone to great lengths to choose the perfect location to invest. That makes them all more than mere properties — they are holiday retreats with heart and soul.
Coastal. We only represent properties that are on or very near the coast, many are that literal ‘stone’s throw’ from beach, creek or harbour — or have sea views.
Inspiring. All have a wow factor of their own and are in special places where the pulse quickens and emotions come alive. Our interior designer can work with you to bring out the best in your property.
No-obligation appraisals
If you think we might be the agency for you the first thing is to just get in touch. You are not making a commitment, just opening a discussion. We’ll usually start by asking some questions on the phone, followed by a visit, which gives us the chance to see your property, and for you to ask all the questions you like. We are happy to share ideas, give advice and advise on changes or improvements you can make — there is of course no charge for this and it’s all part of getting to know you. We will give you a clear income projection and explain all aspects of our contract.
Help with getting ready to let
If you haven’t let before you may simply not know where to start. Getting into letting can seem daunting but don’t worry, our job is to make your life easy, and we’ll explain all!
Advice and support. We provide all owners with helpful and friendly support from the start. You’ll need to know about things like legal compliance and insurance, but you may also want practical advice like what sized beds to buy and whether a Nespresso machine is essential. Again there is no charge for this — it’s just what we do to help you, so that you can help us… to help you.
Housekeeping and property management. We believe that housekeeping and property management are best provided independently and locally to your property, so our owners contract and pay housekeepers themselves. This has the benefit of giving you more control and transparency, and there are no unnecessary handling charges. We can usually recommend you a tried and trusted service from our little contact book, and we do of course work together very closely as your team.
Trades. Similarly we have a list of helpful trades, from roofers to plumbers, and from gardeners to kitchen fitters — and we are more than happy to work together with those you already know. So whether it’s the PAT testing or the new curtains, a man-with-a-van, or a woman-with-a-paintbrush, we can probably help.
Linen services. Housekeepers will usually provide a laundry service or offer linen hire themselves, or work in tandem with a linen provider or laundry.
Compliance. There are some responsibilities that go with letting property so you will need to know about things like fire risk assessment, gas, electrical and carbon monoxide safety, and insurance. Again we can help with advice and resources.
Interior design. All of our owners are passionate about making sure their holiday home is stylish and a joy to be in — and of course beautifully appointed properties are the most desirable. If you want help then our interior designer can assist, with anything from a meeting and some advice, to a full design and procurement service. Owners who have used this service agree that it’s a great investment that pays dividends.
Marketing performance
Success starts with making sure you are perfectly presented, with stunning photography and inspiring website copywriting. Our innovative website is at the heart of our marketing but it certainly does not stop there. We make sure that your property is showcased to highly targeted audiences online, in social media and through PR — resulting in excellent occupancy rates. Please read the Marketing Your Property page to find out more.
Forever Cornwall and the environment
Like everything else, tourism has an environmental impact. Cornwall is a beacon of excellence in sustainable tourism and we strive to make sure our business and all of the properties we represent make a positive contribution to a more sustainable world. Of course not every property we represent is an eco-home (although some are) but we urge owners to switch to green energy electricity tariffs, brief housekeeping teams to use eco-friendly cleaning products, encourage guests to recycle and to buy local in support of the surrounding economy.
We are thrilled to be able to say that we have a carbon output of net-zero as a business. You will be asked to contribute to offsetting the carbon produced by heating and powering your property (don’t worry, it won’t break the bank), and we offset any carbon output produced by travel and running our office, and we give all our guests the option to offset the carbon used in travelling down to Cornwall for their holidays.
Competitive commission and owner-friendly contracts
We have a competitive commission rate, which we’ll happily discuss with you. Bear in mind that the overall success of your letting enterprise is based on a range of factors; commission rate, occupancy, and cost of changeover. Our approach is to optimise all three.
Some agencies have very strict rules that govern how and when you can use your holiday home. We don’t think that’s fair, and never forget whose property it is — so we have a flexible approach based on the principle that we are in partnership with you with the shared goal of ensuring that your property is sustainable for you, and part of a sustainable business for us. Similarly, we have an owner-friendly contract that doesn’t hold you over a barrel and is written in plain English (well, as plain as the lawyers will let us).