Ciao! New to letting. Advise for budget please.

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Tsubaki
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Location: Tuscany, Italy
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Ciao! New to letting. Advise for budget please.

Post by Tsubaki »

Ciao Tutti!
I am new to this forum and letting in Italy.
I have a small house where I live only during the winter months.
I have decided to let a part of the house during summer when I am not there.
I am trying to budget for the running cost at the moment.
The accommodation consists of two double bed rooms, kitchen and 2 living rooms and 1 bathroom with 2 terraces with lots of plants but probably no swimming pool.
Sleep 4-6
letting period June-September only
Estimate (My list so far )
  • insurance: 250 euro (we do not have any insurance for the moment)
    Advertisement: 300 euro (2 or 3 sites)
    Cleaner for changing over: 50 euro per week
    laundry: 20 or 30 euro per week (
    Gardening: 500 euro for whole summer (we have a small olivetti next to the house and grass should be cut)

    Gas 100 (2 big colour gas bottles)
    Electricity (this is tricky, I have only 3kw at the moment and probably we should change to 4.5kw? and 15kw a day would be sufficient??)
    Water: I have never been here for the summer, so no idea... people have lots of shower in the summer? also we will have pots of plants..
    cleaning stuff and toilet roll: 100 euro
Everything is ????? mark for me
Anything else, I should add?
Your advices will be appreciated.
Also does anybody know if I can request telecom italia so that guests cannot make outgoing phone calls? I would leave adsl connection for guests but I don't want them to use telephone.. any idea?

Sorry for my awful English, I am not a native speaker...

Thank your for your help
Austria
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Location: Kaprun Austria
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Post by Austria »

In the first year i would make a bigger budget for advertising, say raise to 1000 Euro to set up a website and advertise across a number of rental sites.

Is there a tourist tax to pay in your area?
Have a contingency?
You may need additional features if you rent out, i.e broadband?

Good luck
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wallypott
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Post by wallypott »

I think in general you probably need to double most of your costs.

I spent well over a 1000€ on advertising - start heavy then remove those that aren't working. My most expensive sight is the most successful.

Paying for a website, you may well be looking at around 600€, depending on what you need. You can do it yourself but will need lots of spare time. Also you need to buy a domain name, not expensive as such, but nevertheless a cost

Cleaning - you need to count between a half hour and one hour per person staying in the property. Potentially it could be 4 man hours, especially with two sitting rooms.

Laundry - depends on who is doing it. Find out how much your local dry cleaners charge for washing, drying and ironing for a good idea of cost.

Gas, electricity and water, is always the big question. I wish someone could tell me what reasonable per person consumption should be. I think there are just too many variables.

Your English is very good.

Good luck with it and welcome to the forum.
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Tsubaki
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Joined: Tue Dec 07, 2010 7:31 pm
Location: Tuscany, Italy
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Thank you for your responses

Post by Tsubaki »

Ciao Austria and Wallypott.

I am sorry for not having replied to you sooner.
Finally, I have started olive harvest and I am really really tired.
Than I have a lot to think about this budget.
I keep asking myself "Does it really worth it or not???"
So many competitions and such a short period and hassle.
Anyway, I am thinking how to response and I will be back after Tuesday (My olive oil will be milled on Tuesday)

Just wanted to say thank you for now

Tsubaki
cashmere
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Location: Perugia, Umbria, Italy
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maybe use commission only sites

Post by cashmere »

Hi, something to look at would be commission only sites, that way if you don't get any bookings you do not have to pay anything.

Salve, magari utilizzare siti che si limitano a pagare la commissione per le prenotazioni che vengono effettuate. Potrebbe essere più conveniente in questo modo.
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Tsubaki
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Location: Tuscany, Italy
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Post by Tsubaki »

Ciao Tutti!
I have milled my olives and my new olive oil is beautiful and tasty. I am very proud of it.
Well, meanwhile I have been thinking of my letting budget.
It seems that it would cost more than I had imagined.
Our house is on a beautiful spot but the house itself is a bit,,, there is a lot work to be done to it.
Originally I had thought that I would do some patchy work on the house and let it out next summer then do proper work after I earn some money by letting.
However, I have realized that it would be much better if I do fundamental building work (like pointing and painting the walls) properly and then let it out.
So I will join you next year. Until then I will do my homework such as improving my website (I don't have any bedroom photos yet).
Thank you for your advise and have a nice year.
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