How do I explain my cottage rental portfolio’s pricing calendar to buyers?
Set out your pricing calendar on one page: seasons, holiday periods, minimum stays, and how each cottage type is priced. Explain who adjusts rates and what triggers a change. A buyer wants to see that pricing follows reasons and not hunches.
Share the calendar as it is used. Show how the year is divided, which weeks are priciest, and how weekends, holidays and shoulder periods differ. Explain the rules for minimum stays and cleaning fees, and how different cottages are placed within the grid. A map or a simple table helps.
Then explain the decisions behind it. Who changes prices, and how often? Do you respond to demand, to reviews, or to what neighbouring rentals are doing? Say what has worked and what has not, including a past season when you were wrong. Buyers trust honest accounts of mistakes.
Last, tie the pricing to records. Show booked nights and income by period so the buyer can see the calendar produced real results. Mention any owner agreements that limit your ability to change rates. A buyer who understands your logic can keep what works and adjust the rest without breaking relationships. If you use pricing software or a booking platform’s suggestions, explain how much you follow them and when you override them. Buyers want to know how much of the logic lives in your head.
Key takeaways
- Put the calendar on one page and show how each cottage type fits.
- Explain who changes rates and what triggers a change.
- Back the calendar with booking records, including a past misjudgment.
- Say how much of your pricing logic is written down and how much is judgment.
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Sources
This answer is checked against primary sources. Links were last confirmed on the dates shown.
- 01Business Development Bank of CanadaGovernmentHow to minimize negotiations when selling your business
- 02Business Development Bank of CanadaIndustryHow to sell your business
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