It’s party time. You’ve got something worth celebrating - a special birthday, event or reunion. The gang are all excited on the group chat. Now all you have to do is find an epic luxury party house that suits everyone and comes in on - or even better - under budget. No problem right?
We know large-scale luxurious pads can be expensive. There’s no getting around the fact they do cost a bit more, but it’s worth it when you’re celebrating something special, because YOLO etc.
However, that doesn’t mean you have to totally blow the budget. Everybody needs to save money these days. And there are ways and means to keep the cost down.
At Coolstays we offer lots of amazing luxury party houses. We know a few tricks to help you find the best deals on houses for celebrations.
We’ll look at setting your criteria and choosing your location. We’ll give you some advice on the best time to book and how to make your money stretch further. We’ll share our tips on booking last minute deals. And we’ll recommend some of our favourite luxury properties for group getaways.
Deciding your requirements for a luxury party house
The first job is nailing down exactly what you're looking for in a property. Once you know your requirements you can do some research and set yourselves a realistic budget.
First work out your non-negotiables, basically the number of bedrooms and number of bathrooms that your group has to have.
Once you’ve decided your top priorities, you can then move on to create a list of ‘nice-to-haves’. These are the fun extras like a swimming pool, a hot tub or sauna - things which you’d like, but which ultimately you could live without if you had to (definitely need a hot tub though).
Organising your requirements like this will help you manage the group’s expectations, enable you to decide what’s essential and not get carried away when you see a dream house that has a daydream price tag.
And just a side note - this sounds obvious, but make sure you work out the cost per person, per night when shopping for luxury party houses. Prices may look intimidating at first glance, but once you break them down, larger properties can often be better value for money than smaller ones.
Most affordable locations for a UK party house
The next thing on the list is the location. Choosing a property in a less expensive area can definitely save you money. However don’t forget you‘ll also have to weigh this against the cost of travel.
As a general rule of thumb, locations with the highest house prices usually have the more expensive holiday properties. Larger properties around London and the south east of England can often end up costing more than in other areas.
Likewise, as you’d expect, holiday properties in popular tourist areas like Cornwall or the Cotswolds can also work out to be more expensive.
Ditto anywhere located on the coast, or near any particularly well known beauty spots. These areas may be lovely but you will end up paying a premium.
Where are the more budget-friendly areas?
To find the best prices, we suggest heading inland and into the countryside. We love the Midlands and the Peak District.
Centrally located, this area is a handy middle-ground if you all live in far-flung corners of the country. It’s fairly rural in places but not remote, with plenty of pretty towns and villages. This area of the country has some particularly nice farmhouse type properties which offer good value for money.
Wales has glorious scenery and very fair prices. In particular rural North Wales has some real gems - grand manors and fab beach houses ideal if you want a proper country escape and a total getaway from the hustle and bustle.
Head to Northumberland to find more great value larger properties set amid beautiful wild countryside.
Also giving good value for money are the Scottish Borders, with some lovely luxury pads tucked among the area’s gently rolling hills.
When to book to save money on a luxury party house rental
As you would expect, booking outside of peak season is cheaper. Christmas and New Year, summer holidays and school holidays are all peak season and therefore more expensive.
Book in the winter months for maximum savings. Big houses are lovely and cosy in winter - you can make the most of those comfy sofas and open fires, and plan some frosty walks to lunch at the nearest country pub.
If you’d like at least the chance of some sunshine, early to mid-spring and mid to late autumn offer lower prices. Make sure to select dates outside of school holidays and you can find decent prices and you might be able to break out the BBQ too.
Booking during off-peak seasons also has the added benefit of being generally more peaceful. There’s less traffic on the roads and less people using public transport; plus pubs and restaurants, and attractions like museums and galleries will also be less busy.
Another tip is to book mid-week. Mid week stays are usually cheaper than weekends.
If you can, look for fill-in dates - the odd days left available between bookings. These are hard for owners to fill and you might be able to get a bargain.
Book directly to save money on luxury celebration houses
Make your booking directly with the property owner and you can save money. Most holiday property websites will charge you a booking fee and add on cheeky extra costs. Book directly with the owner and you can often get a better, fairer price.
If you’re worried about booking with the owner without the protection of a third party site, have a look on Coolstays.
Our site offers the best of both worlds: you book directly with the owner, saving on booking fees, but your booking is covered by the Coolstays Safe Payment Guarantee. This means we guarantee your payment to the owner up to the value of £5000, so your money is safe and protected from fraud.
We also vet all properties when they join the site and talk to property owners regularly, so you can rest assured you’re dealing with a genuine holiday property.
Last minute deals on luxury party houses
Great last minute deals are out there! If you’re flexible about location, are ready and waiting to go, and have nerves of steel you can secure a luxury property for a bargain price.
Coolstays has a popular last minute deals area where you can find some fabulous offers. These are generally cancellations, or simply unbooked dates which the owner wants to fill.
At the time of writing this article there was a stunning beach house for 14 guests in Cornwall available for a whopping 67% discount; a luxurious designer home for 18 in Norfolk with 51% off; and a charming Derbyshire farmhouse sleeping 14 with 38% off.
You have to be ready to travel in the next couple of days and have some flexibility about where you’re going and your start and finish dates.
If you can go with the flow, last minute deals are the real key to making significant savings on group getaways.
In summary
We hope this list of tips and hints helps you find a fabulous property that serves both luxury and great value. To sum up:
- Decide your list of essentials - exactly how many bedrooms and bathrooms your group needs, and any fun extras you’d like if possible.
- Consider booking a house off the beaten track. Properties in less touristy areas can offer great savings.
- Be flexible. Book off season and outside of the school holidays if you can. Booking mid-week rather than weekend stays can save you money too.
- Look for last minute deals. There are some amazing offers to be found if you’re able to travel at the last minute.
Look for luxury party houses on Coolstays
We have some gorgeous properties for celebrations on Coolstays. Find yourselves the perfect country manor house filled with luxury extras, or how about hiring your own castle? If that’s all a bit too grand and stately, how about a super-size cottage in the country, for a dream cosy get-together.
Party house properties on Coolstays
See our full collection of party houses. Coolstays for celebrations
