Already fully booked

29 April 2021

The success of a holiday property established by a hirer during the lockdownas an additional venture  is more evidence of the strong bounce back as people seek a return to normality. 

The new operation, called A Norfolk Break, is run by Joe Paterson, managing director of Anglian Plant based near Norwich. I’ve already mentioned on the blog how Joe also set up an asset finance business last year to help people procure equipment in these challenging times.

“I did some new-build housing work in the past but stopped when the 2008 recession hit,” says Joe, who founded Anglian Plant the following year. “In 2013, when the recovery was under way, I also opened a separate business to undertake barn conversions. 

“A Norfolk Break came about in January 2020, when I had a property to renovate (pictured) in the sleepy village of Dilham as a holiday let, managed by my wife Rachel. It’s situated 10 minutes from the Norfolk Broads, 15 minutes from the beach and half an hour from the coast to the north. 

“We also plan to convert four other barns nearby into eight holiday lets, and works have just commenced on these. 

“In a way, the first lockdown helped because we could get on with work with fewer distractions. The renovation was finished in July and we’d already got the website for the property up and running and ready to take bookings.

“As soon as lockdown restrictions were eased last June, interest boomed as people realised it would be difficult to have a holiday overseas but still wanted a change of scenery. The cottage was fully booked in August, September and October until restrictions were imposed again." 

Joe also tells me that, like many other hirers, there was another surge of interest immediately after Boris Johnson’s lockdown roadmap announcement on 22 February. Restrictions on self-catering holidays in England eased from 12 April, and the holiday property is now virtually booked out for the rest of 2021. However, I’m told there are a few December dates available if you are looking.

Indeed, enquiries are already being received for 2022. So that’s great news for Joe and Rachel – and a positive sign that people are yearning to return to something like normality and are prepared to spend. 

● Read the excellent Q&A that I did with Joe earlier on the blog here.