Oxford Artist’s House: Maximising Your Second Home Earnings
Behind the Bookings: The Oxford Artist’s House
Shortly after purchasing their property, a three bedroom home close to Oxford city centre, David and Candice contacted Short Let Space. Having previously lived in Oxford, they wanted to own a second home in the UK to primarily use during the summer. With Candice’s keen eye for interior design, the project quickly developed.
Candice and David decorated and furnished the house rapidly, creating a visually engaging space through the strong use of color and varied furnishings. The selection of limited yet vibrant prints and artwork inspired the name ‘The Oxford Artist’s House.’ The house was listed and promptly attracted bookings.
Initial maintenance issues, such as understanding the underfloor heating system and addressing the house’s unique features, arose. A persistent water leak was discovered and traced to a faulty roof gutter. The colorful decor, bold furniture choices, and minimalist bedroom interiors, combined with excellent photography, contributed to the strong booking rates.
Annual Performance Data
| Average Length of Stay | 13 nights |
| Owner occupancy/use | 24% |
| Guest occupancy Occupancy during available periods | 76% |
| Number of Bookings per annum | 73 |
| Number of Problems Solved (maintenance issues with SLS touch points) | 10 |
| Average Guest Rating | 4.85/5 |
| Reason for stay (Booking Persona) | Academic visitors, relocation, leisure |
Owner Review
Don’t just take our word from it – here is what David and Candice thought on the performance of their property with Short Let Space.
“Short Lets Space in Oxford was a lucky find for us Americans who had just purchased a house in Oxford and needed someone to manage it as a rental during the months we were back in the States. We met Kelvin the founder of Short Lets Space when we stayed in one of his properties, and asked if he might be interested in managing our newly purchased terrace house on Aston Street in Oxford. With a very short time frame, The SLS Onboarding team took on our property and had the place rented straightaway.
After just a few months back in Oregon, Covid happened, so our return to the UK was unavoidably delayed for over 2 years. Yet throughout those precarious times, the Short Lets team had our place fully occupied with high caliber tenants, at one point a team of immunologists working to develop the Covid vaccine with Oxford University spent several months in our house, as well as a famous performance artist.
During the five + years we partnered with Short Let Space they did an excellent job of managing and promoting our property, keeping it in good shape with regular inspections and repairs as necessary, and continuously booked with few gaps. Their communication was commendable with easy to access online portals that kept us up to date. In all that time we had few if any problematic issues arise. Which all goes to say that we were more than satisfied with the letting and management services provided by Short Let Spaces in Oxford.”
Guest Reviews
“Super nice house in a cozy neighborhood. There were nice cafes and restaurants and the city center at walking distance. Also, a great new park is nearby. THe house itself offered a great space for a nice vacation for our family. I would definitely recommend it to a friend.”
“Honestly, this is one of the best airbnbs in Oxford. The house was huge and clean. It sleeps way more than it states. The best part of the home is the kitchen with its massive island which has been the heart of the home where me and my friends hung out all night! I would definitely book again, great value for money.”
