Savvy businesswomen make waves in the holiday property market

Successful business owners are leaving the nine-to-five grind to manage their holiday properties, and in a rapidly growing industry these savvy businesswomen are busier than they have ever been.

After running a utility locating business with her husband, Glen, mother of two Bianca Wakelin branched out into holiday property ownership. Less than a year later, she manages three properties from her home on Sydney’s Central Coast.

“It started when we bought a block of land on the mid-north coast. We knew it was a good opportunity. But rather than build a Queenslander, which is what I wanted, we relocated a 1920s Queenslander from Brisbane. The guys cut it into four and pieced it back together on our property at Boomerang Beach,” Wakelin says.

Known as Wynola, the four-bedroom home now has a sister property, Big Wednesday, at Crescent Head, and Wakelin is working on their third property in Thredbo.

“I do all the branding, marketing, and bookings. Even though I had no background in styling, I do that too,” explains Wakelin. “The industry has become so big there are courses you can do so that you can give it a real crack hot go.”

The story of SOUL of Gerringong has been widely told. Weeks after opening, the property booked out 12 months in advance, and now the owner of SOUL of Gerringong, Simone Mathews is putting her knowledge into a new business venture, SOUL Home.

“It’s a platform where like-minded holiday property owners can collaborate, inspire and connect,” explains Mathews.

And, it’s what the industry has been crying out for. Since launching in May this year, SOUL Home already has members in far-flung places such as the Swiss alps and Sri Lanka. They also have a how-to guide for holiday property owners that many are tapping into.

Creator of Captains Rest in Lettes Bay, just outside Strahan, Tasmania, Sarah Andrews, runs a series of hosting master classes across Australia. All have sold out, and with more classes in the making, Andrews says when done right, there is a lot of money to be made.

“Most of my students are making six figures a year from their holiday properties. It’s big business, and should be taken seriously,” she says. “To do well, people need training in styling, marketing, photography, management, the science of buying and selling, and so much more. Those who understand this, and seek training or outside help, do well.

“Holiday property ownership is an opportunity for creative women to create unique interiors. It’s a simple and achievable business that fits their own lives and families.”

On the Sunshine Coast, Jacqui Pearce went from running a legal recruitment business with three other partners to managing holiday properties in Noosa.

“My whole life was career and raising two kids, always running on stress. But recently, our business was acquired by a multinational company which allowed me to assess what I wanted to do financially, professionally and personally,” says Pearce.

Alongside partner Dan Collins, she has ventured into holiday property ownership. They are using their background in business and financial planning to back their passion for beautiful holiday homes.

“We saw a big gap in the market at the current level of holiday homes in the Noosa area. We knew that if we created the same kind of laid-back luxe property we love to stay in ourselves, there would be others who felt the same way,” she says.

Pearce recently acquired The Lodge Noosa Heads, and under the new brand Sable Lodge, she is adding her touches to make it their own. Pearce is also working on a second property, a classic beach shack on Sunshine Beach, which is undergoing a full renovation.

“I used to be stressed busy. Now, although busier, we are doing something that we are passionate about. We are moving out of the corporate world and into a lifestyle where we get to share that holiday feeling with other people.”

Simone Mathews’ top five mistakes to avoid when starting a holiday home: 

• Creating what you want, rather than what your target market wants.
• Over-promising and under-delivering.
• Not enough storage.
• Thinking it will run itself.
• Worrying about what your competitors are doing.