Prices and advertising

If you are planning to buy a rental home, or you're thinking about what to do with one you have just acquired, this is the place for any questions about starting out in the rentals business.
Loopy Lou
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Prices and advertising

Post by Loopy Lou »

Hello my friends,

Well, I just about feel as though I might nearly be on top of things - sort of! The previous owners came back this week-end with a big Luton van to collect the remainder of their goods and chattels, so I am now really on my own with just the dog (who has decided to have diarrhoea at the moment!). So apart from trying to get the rest of my things unpacked and sorted out, not to mention mowing grass and cleaning the swimming-pool etc, the mind now moves to websites, advertising, letting rates and the rest.

I have, at the moment, two one-bedroom gites at ground-floor level in the old stables, bijou in size and capable of sleeping 4 each. I am planning to renovate a cottage in the yard opposite the existing gites and hope to do this during this winter. This will give me another, larger, 1 en-suite bedroom gite on two floors, open-plan downstairs.

I am also debating either developing the upper-floor of the stables over the existing gites into two large double/family rooms with en-suite showers and external access via staircase to balcony as possible B&B rooms and/or extensions to the existing gites. Or I could remove the existing bedroom downstairs, put the staircase in there and make two large bedrooms and a shower-room upstairs for each gite, thus making the living area downstairs larger and ending up with two 2-bedroomed gites with possibly shower and loo both upstairs and downstairs.

There's also another building with a lovely arched entrance (called the garage by the former owner) attached to the farmhouse that is on two floors and has a window on both levels, has water and electricity already connected and could be converted into a two-bedroomed gite with shower-room upstairs and a large living/kitchen/dining room downstairs.

So my options are either to make B&B/extensions to the current gites, or make them bigger, or do the semi-det next to the farmhouse. I'm leaning towards modifying the existing gites, but haven't decided on whether to make them annexes or enlargements.

The previous owners have done well enough advertising on Visit France for their two small gites (pets allowed), but there is scope for improvement with just the existing gites. http://www.visitfrance.co.uk/accommodation.cfm?i=4107 I would value your opinion on the advertisement generally and the prices specifically. They haven't changed them for the past two years.

Also I would value your opinion on whether or not I should advertise the proposed cottage yet, when I haven't even had quotes yet. And other recommended advertising sites. How many other sites should I consider?

I also need to have a website built for my property and would like professional help. Advice please.

Sorry to be so long winded, but this project has been years in the planning and I don't want to muck it up at this stage.

Merci, mes amis.

Lou
Louise
www.lacharronniere.com delightful gites in the Vienne countryside.
Hells Bells
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Post by Hells Bells »

Lou, what a lovely dilemma to have though. :D
la vache!
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Post by la vache! »

I'll have another look, but I remember when I checked the ad last time, my immediate reaction was that prices (especially peak) were very cheap for somewhere with a pool. I'll have another look, but don't undersell your properties, especially in July/August
Fraise
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Post by Fraise »

Hi Lou, I went to look and noticed a couple of spelling mistakes on it- can't remember what they were at the moment. Susan is right- it seems pretty cheap in the summer,even though the pool is shared ( which the ad doesn't mention!).They look in really good condition,bet you're glad the other one fell through ! :wink:

www.thepetitmanoir.com
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enid
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Post by enid »

Agree re pricing - we are at the low end compared to our competitors with similar spec - we have 2 gites and shared pool - our prices for July August are £500. I think our lay oput is bigger and my advice would be to change the accommodation in the gites to give a downstairs area and bedromms upstair and make the B and B by the house.
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debk
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Post by debk »

Oooh, it's lovely. What fun that you are in and settled and making your dream happen!

As for 1 bedroom vs 2 bedrooms, etc: Have you done a survey of what's available locally and/or their occupancies?

If there are lots of 1 bedrooms, maybe it's saturated and you should go with 2 bedrooms? -or- If there are few 1 bedrooms (and those are heavily booked) then maybe you should keep the 1 bedroom.

Personally, I would almost always go with an extra bedroom and/or bathroom if possible. Many, many couples want the second bedroom for a snoring spouse... and just plain more space. (Point being, you aren't eliminating couples from your marketing by having 2 bedrooms.) And, with a 2 bedroom, you can pick up families with children.

Just random thoughts... again, lovely place. I like it so much more than the one that fell through!
debk
Loopy Lou
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Post by Loopy Lou »

Thanks everyone for your happy messages. I haven't had time to do much research on the internet yet because I am still settling in and there's lots to do outside, including cleaning out the chicken house, cutting grass and cleaning the pool. My muscles are protesting mightily.

I know the prices are low and the gites are small, but I suppose that is one way of getting in the punters. I will increase the prices bit by bit, I think. I am still pondering the dilemma, but I am going ahead with the cottage which will be one large bedroom upstairs with shower room and a spacious living/kitchen/dining room downstairs (spacious in comparison with the existing gites, I should say) and I hope to create a really atmospheric and bijou residence with woodburning stove and the bread oven door polished up and made a part of the kitchen area. Unfortunately, it is too expensive and labour intensive either to incorporate the bread oven area into the cottage or to make it functional again, although it's roof will need attention anyway - it has a potential tree growing out of it at the moment!

I have begun the process of getting my own website for the property with a local chap - he did the website for Nord Charente Homes which he owns with his sister. They are all very nice indeed and were kind to me when I had my near miss car crash in early May. I think he will do a good job - on va voir. I will submit it for review of content, grammar and spelling to you guys and YHM of course.

Must put the chickens to bed now and slump in front of the telly. Really tired.

Bonne nuit, tout le monde.

Lou :)
Louise
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la vache!
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Post by la vache! »

I know the prices are low and the gites are small, but I suppose that is one way of getting in the punters
Lou, you need to look at several listing websites and check out the competition in your area. You want to get the guests in, yes, but you don't want to undersell your gites either, you are running a business, presumably to make a profit and you also want to attract the right sort of customer. With a pool you can moreorless increase the price by around 75% to what you would get for the same gite without pool. Out of peak, I agree, don't increase too much to begin with, but in August, you could probably rent out your bread oven as there is so much demand for gites, especially with pools, so don't be too shy about increasing the tarif for Peak. If you don't get the bookings, then think about giving discounts closer to the time, but don't undersell your gites now, you are not doing all that hard work for nothing!
Loopy Lou
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Post by Loopy Lou »

I have started receiving enquiries for next year which sent me into a bit of a panic, so I've increased the prices overall by a little and added some more information to the Visit France ad. http://www.visitfrance.co.uk/accommodation.cfm?i=4107#

I've been distracted by the birth of my first grandchild who eventually entered this world on 6th October. My poor daughter-in-law endured 36 hours labour before eventually having to go into hospital for an epidural and C-section. The baby weighed in at a whopping 10lbs 6oz (4.7kg)! He's called Frederick Charles David XXXX and will be known as Charles (or Charlie to me!). http://pictures.reaperman.org/p34850300.html http://pictures.reaperman.org/p34850306.html

So We are a Grandmother!! For generations the firstborn child has been a boy and named Frederick; I saw no reason to change this tradition and nor has Rachel. My son Tony is a Frederick as is my ex-husband Conrad! My three girls are delighted to be Aunts.

I've also had to spend time on the garden - everything seems to be growning apace rather than slowing down, and I have to wait for a couple of dry days before I can cut the ever-lengthening grass. Who said this was going to be a life of leisure? Must go and get some more logs for the fires - my only form of heating apart from a couple of paraffin heaters and electric convectors.

I'm still waiting for my new URL and the beginnings of my website. Should receive it today and will submit for comment and much needed assistance.

Life is continuing to be exciting! :D :D

Lou
Louise
www.lacharronniere.com delightful gites in the Vienne countryside.
Guest3
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Post by Guest3 »

Congratulations Lou on the birth of your first grandchild! What an exciting time it must be for you!

"Life of leisure"?...Welcome to the holiday rental business Lou! Hope you will have a good year ahead...hard work, but it reaps rewards! :D
Fraise
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Post by Fraise »

Congratulations all round !!! Hooray :-),
I went to look at the VF ad-did you kinow the first "Charentes " in your ad has a second stray "a" instead of an "e"? Hey, a few drinks to celebrate FCD's arrival and who cares :wink: :lol:
Loopy Lou
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Post by Loopy Lou »

Thanks, Fraise. I inherited that bit and didn't notice. Now corrected. If anyone notices any errors or could suggest changes or additions, I should be grateful.

Loops
Louise
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Big Sis..
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Post by Big Sis.. »

Hi Loopy :D

Congrats on the new arrival isnt it nice to have some more good news.

2 New babies....... :wink: :lol:
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enid
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Post by enid »

Well done Grandma!!! We are proxy gran and grandad to a lovely French baby that we look after during the week - she is 6 months old now and an absolute delight - but I wish we could have a grandchild of our own too - lucky you :D
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Partridge
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Post by Partridge »

Congratulations Lou on both the business and your new grandchild, exciting times lay ahead. :)
Don't waste energy on things you can't change.

Costa de la Luz apartment rental
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