HOLIDAY IN STYLE
If you’ve got your heart set on a luxury weekend in the south west, chances are the team at Private Properties will be able to make those dreams come true. By GABI MILLS.
DAVID MOYES IS a useful man to know. With the most desirable real estate in the South West and beyond at his fingertips, it’s highly likely that he’s got a wide circle of friends when it’s time to book a place for the weekend. As the owner of Private Properties, he’s running a company that for the past 22 years has been setting the industry standard for excellence in personalised short-stay holidays. They provide the great, the good and the guys next door looking for a special treat with the most perfect holiday addresses for a sojourn Down South. With properties to rent from Mandurah to Margaret River, Walpole and Albany as well as the Swan Valley the chances are you’ll find something to fall in love with for your next perfect getaway after a visit to their sumptuous website. Each home seems more impossibly beautiful than the last: Hamptons Retreat with its extraordinary master suite with views stretching as far as the eye can see to Eagle Bay; Salty Kiss in Yallingup’s sophisticated millionaire surfer vibe; or
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PRIMOLIFE | april 2016
the stunning modernity of rural Sophie’s Vineyard. These are the homes that we all wish we owned and, for the duration of a stay, you can pretend that you are master of the house, temporarily at least. David moved to Dunsborough in 2004 from Perth, but was brought up in Bridgetown. “Our family had a holiday house in the Margaret River region,” he says from Private Properties’ HQ in Dunsborough. Initially David and his wife Jody ran the cleaning and maintenance side of things for Private Properties, when the company was based in Cottesloe. However after buying the business in 2012 and relocating it down south, it has thrived, with over 90 houses now on the company’s books. “Being based in Dunsborough, we’re at the coalface so to speak,” says David. “Connecting guest bookings with property services has meant we’re now able to offer a complete one-stop shop for our guests and property owners.” The close-knit team is another crucial part of the company’s success story.
“All of our staff have been to all of the houses so we’re able to match visitors to the right house to give them the very best holiday experience. They are high end holidays for people for whom time is precious,” he says. Choosing a new property to add to the Private Properties portfolio is not a simple process but at least, says David, he’s very sure of what qualifies as a Private Properties property. “We have a process - we make sure the house is a match to our market. We look at the property, provide an appraisal and then work with the owners to maximise the potential of the property. If necessary we’ll let the owners know what we think is required to bring it up to meet our guests’ expectations. After all, everyone wins when it’s working, the guests are enjoying themselves and there’s a high occupancy rate.” Such is the popularity of some of the properties that it’s already difficult to secure a Christmas stay in 2016. However, choose your timing carefully and you’ll no doubt primolife.com.au