There are many owners of Spanish property who are keen to generate a rental income from their holiday home in the sun.

With the threat of recession, and the shadow of the credit crunch over all of us, even those owners who had never intended to rent out their properties are seeking an income in order to assist with servicing rising mortgage repayments.

Of course, it all sounds very easy when caught up in the excitement of actually buying the property. With thousands of holidaymakers flocking to Spain each year, surely it must be easy to find tenants? So how should you actually go about it?

BE PROACTIVE
Firstly, don’t become complacent. Many buyers simply sit back and expect their property to rent itself. There are millions of potential tenants out there, but in order for them to be interested in your property, they need to see it, whether that be in an agent´s window, a holiday brochure, or on the internet.

Particularly during the first couple of years, finding tenants can take real effort and thought. This is a crucial period, as there is a strong likelihood that any satisfied customers will return year after year.

BE COMPETITIVE
There is plenty of competition when it comes to the holiday rental market in Spain. If you find yourself competing with neighbours to attract those holidaymakers, you need to think of ways for your property to become the natural choice. Imagine yourself in the holidaymakers´ shoes, trawling through brochures and webpages of similar properties, all of which look the same to them. Take a few minutes to think of the things that would appeal to you if you were in their shoes.

Obviously, price is a key factor, and you need to do your research to ensure that you are asking for fair weekly or nightly rates.

SHOWCASE YOUR PROPERTY

One of the most important factors is the presentation of your property in any publicity that is used to market it. This includes the online presentation of the property on any websites. It is SO important to use good quality photographs to advertise your property in Spain. Maybe think about employing a professional photographer to take some stunning shots of your home, or try to use a wide-angled lens if you are taking your own pictures, particularly when taking internal shots of the property.

INVEST A LITTLE
Again, place yourself in the holiday-makers shoes. What would you want your holiday accommodation to include? Most commonly searched property features from potential tenants based in the UK include ´swimming pool´, ´air conditioning´ and ´satellite tv´. Most holiday properties enjoy access to a pool, but if you are struggling for bookings and are wondering why, perhaps it´s time to update your property a little to compete on a more equal footing.

Lastly, play to your property´s strengths. If its best feature is its amazing terrace, then make sure that the leading picture on any marketing material shows your terrace in all its glory.

And don´t forget to tidy the place! First impressions (even on a website) count for much.