The Holiday Property Bond offers exclusive access to over 1,400 properties to its 42,000 investors across more than 30 locations. You can read about how far your holiday points can go, but first a brief explanation about the Holiday Property Bond.
A. How can I holiday better?
Invest from £5,000 in the Holiday Property Bond for exclusive access to a portfolio of over 1,400 top quality villas, cottages and apartments in over 30 locations across the UK and Europe. For each £1 invested you will receive one Holiday Point each year which you can use to book the properties. And when staying in them you do not pay a commercial rent, just a no-profit user charge covering actual running, maintenance and refurbishment costs. This charge is level throughout the year so there are no high season premiums. For a studio for two the charge averages about £300 a week, for a two bedroom property sleeping up to six around £460 a week. And there are larger properties available. This no-profit user charge is only payable when you want to go on holiday. Your only ongoing commitment is a quarterly fee of just over £30 – that is around £125 a year.
B. Will there be more properties in the future?
As we attract more investors the more properties we will add to the portfolio – increasing your holiday choice still further.
C. How long can I holiday with HPB?
For life if you wish – the holiday benefits last as long as you hold the Bond. In due course you can pass it and the holiday benefits to your children and grandchildren, as many of our earlier investors have already done. If, however, at some point you and your family no longer wish to holiday with us you can surrender your Bond back to the company after two years or more (subject to deferral in exceptional circumstances). You will not get back the full amount you invested, although we would hope that you will have had some wonderful holidays. What you do get back will reflect initial charges (25%) taken before your money is invested in the HPB fund of holiday properties and securities. The fund itself also pays annual charges of around 2.5% and other overheads. The value of the fund’s properties and securities can also go up or down and so, like most investments, your capital is at risk.
The Holiday Property Bond – Meet the Bondstretchers
“There are numerous factors that determine the quality of a holiday. I’m pleased to say that the Holiday Property Bond scores highly in every respect.” – Mike Betts
Mike and wife Sue invested in the Holiday Property Bond in November 2013. “The Bond had been on our radar for a while – 15 or 20 years, certainly; a late uncle of mine was a Bondholder – and the timing was right,” says Mike. “Plus which the portfolio looked interesting: a real range of holiday locations, and opportunities, to choose from. And with our new-found free time, we thought: why not?”
That abundance of free time has enabled the couple to make the most of what was, as Mike freely admits, a modest initial stake. “We only invested the minimum – though we’re currently considering increasing our stake – but thanks to the Bond’s short-notice Points-free holiday scheme, we’ve been able to take way more holidays than our Points allocation would suggest.”
To explain: in the normal run of things HPB holidays are ‘paid for’ using Holiday Points, allocated annually, the size of the allocation determined by the amount invested. However, if Bondholders are in a position to ‘pack up and go’ at relatively short notice, they can enjoy the use of any available properties on a Points-free basis, paying just a not-for-profit User Charge.
And it certainly works for Sue and Mike. To date their travels have taken them to Lower Knapp Farm, in Devon; Henllys, in Anglesey; El Pueblito de Alfaix, in southern Spain; Upper Norton, in Shropshire; Buckland Court, in the Cotswolds; Tigh Mor Trossachs, in Perthshire; Blore Hall, in Derbyshire; El Balcón de Santa Ana, in La Gomera, the second-smallest of the Canary Islands; and Witch’s Pool, an early favourite.
The Witch’s Pool site itself is small – a couple of fishing lodges with a communal ‘bothy’ between them, adjoining the Bond’s River Ericht salmon-fishing beat; but the Betts were really impressed. “We’re neither of us anglers,” says Sue, “and I suppose we expected something a bit ‘rustic’ – but far from it. Our lodge was as comfortable and well-appointed as every other Bond property we’ve stayed in, and the setting was out of this world. We’d only booked two nights originally, but we swiftly got on the phone and booked another two!”
For the future, Mike and Sue are booked into Duloe Manor, in Cornwall, but beyond that are eyeing up the Bond’s three French sites: Le Manoir du Hilguy, Constant and Le Mont de St Siméon. The couple are also keen to visit Encosta Cabo Girão, the Bond’s Madeiran home.”
“It’s been fantastic so far,” Mike concludes. “And there’s every reason to suppose it will continue that way. I said at the outset that there are many factors that determine the perfect holiday – and that’s true; but as long as the holiday provider pays attention to the details, the pieces fall into place. And it’s clear that the Holiday Property Bond places attention to detail absolutely front and centre.”
Making the most of the Bond
“My mother and father are Bondholders. We’re not – but that doesn’t stop us enjoying HPB holidays ourselves.” – Sally Griffiths
Sally’s parents, Colin and Pam Hanks, invested in the Holiday Property Bond 22 years ago, when Sally’s first daughter Ella was born. “I’ll be honest, I don’t really know what convinced them that the Bond was right for them: Ella, maybe, and the prospect of future holidays with their granddaughter? But I’m very glad they did. Turns out it was right for us, too!”
Over the years the Griffiths family has expanded. Sally and husband Ellis, a chartered engineer, are now proud parents of Ella (now 22, obviously), Bethan, 20, Megan, 18, and 11-year-old Iwan. They all continue to enjoy Bond holidays en famille – more often than not in the company of other family members.
These pictures show Sally, Ellis and the children enjoying a recent holiday at La Reserva de Biniorella, the Bond’s Majorcan home. Just them, then? “Far from it!” laughs Ellis. “Sally’s mum and dad were there, plus Sally’s sister Jane, her husband Dave and their daughter Evie – 11 of us in all. And why not; we all get on well, and our kids love spending time with their cousin.”
Indeed, various familial permutations holiday together as often as time, and other commitments, permit. And, of course, Holiday Points. “I’ll allow, my parents’ Bondholding is not insubstantial,” says Sally. “And a holiday like this, in the summer, 11 of us all together – well, it’s not something you can undertake lightly. But we all take full advantage of Points-free holiday opportunities and other offers when we can – and Mum and Dad certainly do.
“On our own or with others, we’ve been to loads of places. We’re regulars at St Brides, in Pembrokeshire – it’s handy for us, in fact it’s become almost a home from home. With two children still in school we’re a bit restricted date-wise, but we’re booked to go again in the February half-term. I’m sure Ella and Bethan will come too.”
“And we love having them,” adds Ellis. “We can’t all get together all the time, though it’s great when we do. In life you have to be flexible and take advantage of opportunities as they arise. With Points-free holidays and other offers, plus the range of properties available and the self-catering aspect, the Bond allows us to do just that.”
Trulli Points-free
The Trulli of Coreggia constitute one of HPB’s most popular sites, so normally it’s a case of booking ahead, then waiting with anticipation. But just sometimes, someone gets lucky…
One September Thursday afternoon – 4.53pm – Pam and Steve Robinson checked the HPB website for the next week. Surprisingly, there was a trullo in Coreggia, available from Monday. Normally, for a trullo in September, you need to book well in advance and commit your Points.
A quick phone call to HPB reserved the apartment but could we get a flight? Gatwick to Bari at £550: too expensive! But Julie in the HPB Travel Club used her expertise to source a return flight from Birmingham to Naples for £200 return for us both. Within an hour, we had organised car hire and an overnight hotel in Birmingham.
We arrived at HPB Coreggia the following Monday, and drove up to the new office and clubhouse to meet the manager, Toni.
Coreggia is a small site with seven trulli and one villa. We were in T3 –sympathetically extended to give a large and spacious living space. It has all the usual HPB fittings and the swimming pool is only 40 paces away.
At the excellent welcome meeting, Toni outlined the organised activities.
The Taste of Puglia evening in the clubhouse, presented by Giuseppe, a local policeman, and his hardworking mother, was a friendly social event. Meanwhile, the Bondholders’ Dinner held in a local restaurant, again hosted by Giuseppe, was attended by 14 Bondholders. Both events provided the opportunity to experience authentic Italian food in congenial surroundings.
The day visit to Matera, led by Toni and a guide from the town, was enjoyed by 11 Bondholders. Toni drove the minibus, entertaining us with a lively commentary on Italian driving culture and the local countryside.
In Matera, the guide explained the social history of the Sassi during the tour of these ancient rock and cave dwellings. After the tour finished, we shared pizzas and wine in a quiet restaurant just outside the old city.
We explored the Italian coastline and the surrounding countryside by ourselves. Visits to Monopoli, a busy port, Ostuni, the white city, and to Alberobello, to see the trulli in their hundreds, were particularly stunning.
All in all, we had a wonderful time. We were so lucky to be able to nab this Points-free break in such a beautiful location.
You can enjoy holidays like this too
Find out more about how you can take your pick from over 1,400 holiday properties at more than 30 stunning locations in the UK and throughout Europe. Click here for your free HPB information pack, with full colour brochure and introductory DVD.
Important Information
This advertisement is issued by HPB Management Limited (HPBM) registered at HPB House, Newmarket, Suffolk, CB8 8EH. HPBM is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and is the main UK agent and the property manager for HPB, issued by HPB Assurance Limited (HPBA) registered in the Isle of Man and authorised by the Financial Services Authority there. The Trustee of HPB is HSBC Trustee (C.I.) Limited registered at HSBC House, Esplanade, St Helier, Jersey, JE1 1GT. The Securities Manager is Stanhope Capital LLP of 35 Portman Square, London, W1H 6LR.
HPBM promotes only HPB and is not independent of HPBA. Holders of policies issued by HPBA will not be protected by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme if the company becomes unable to meet its liabilities to them but Isle of Man compensation arrangements apply to new policies.
Silver Travel Advisor recommends Holiday Property Bond.
See also
- The easy, no-pressure way to discover HPB
- Celebrating Holiday Property Bond’s Differences
- Confidence in the Holiday Property Bond is greater than ever
- Discovering more about HPB is easier than you think
- Holiday Property Bond Winter Sunshine Breaks
- Holidays with a difference
- Holidays with Holiday Property Bond: headache-free!
- One Bond, two weddings and a lifetime of family holidays
- Over 100 glorious holidays with Holiday Property Bond
- Spreading the word about HPB
- Bringing families together
- How a single holiday home became countless holidays
- It’s a Dog’s Life
- Travelling Solo with the Holiday Property Bond
