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.
Hello everybody,
I just found this forum and I've been busy lapping up all the information here.
I wonder if any of you can advise me? We have been in France for three years gradually renovating our two dilapidated properties on a very small budget.
We are sort of nearly there (fingers crossed). One of our properties is earmarked as a holiday rental although we have been living there whilst we tackled the 'monster' now the 'monster' is pretty much habitable we are thinking that although we are too late to market the holiday home this year and it isn't quite ready cosmetically it would be great if we could let it to house hunters for the winter. That way we could have a much needed boost to our finances and the house wouldn't be empty all winter. Trouble is where should we advertise? It really isn't a holiday home yet and I wouldn't want renters to be disappointed, but it is a great and economical base for anyone searching in our area. Any tips or hints would be greatfully received.
Also going off topic a bit but having browsed this website seems you all have fantastic properties sort of high end of the market with pools and all mod cons. This isn't what we are planning to offer, our idea is to offer simple but good accomodation (priced to reflect the simplicity) in a beautiful area to people who are more concerned with the environment than the stature of the building they are staying in. Having said that I don't mean our accomodation is bad, just that it has limitations and we are aware of them. How can I market our strengths without leading people to think we are perfect? I want to be able to offer an honest product at a fair price. As a sort of example...Our crockery isn't a 'set' I've sourced lovely old china and whilst the dinner plates don't match the side plates they are all white...some people I'm sure would be disappointed by this others would love the age and the quality of the pieces.........I hope I'm not being confusing and I would be so grateful for any help...
Sorry if I've gone on a bit
On your second point, I would market your house as you have here - say that your plates don't match, and why, and that the house is simple and authentic because it is the location that is important, not the amenities. You will find a market of people for whom that attitude/aesthetic is a plus.
Where to advertise for househunters - have you had a look at French magazine-type sites like www.frenchentree.com and www.thisfrenchlife.com ? They may take ads and are the sort of thing a househunter could tap into.
I think the most important thing is to be honest about what you are offering. After all, not everyone can afford top end of the market and may be looking for a cheap affordable break.
We recently holidayed in Italy for the first time in two different locations that we had selected via the Internet. The first was a big disappointment because it was falsely described. It was said to be in a 'quiet location' but only a deaf person could think so. It was described as having a 'well equipped kitchen'. It did have all odds and ends which wouldn't have bothered us if there had been at least 4 of everything but you can't share one cereal bowl! Also, I don't consider 4 table knives as adequate. You need at least a veg knife and a bread knife minimum. So suffice to say we were disappointed because we paid €700 for a week's rental.
However, the second place was a beautifully restored stone property with its own small garden area, new bathroom, new kitchen - very well equipped and use of a shared pool for €800. It exceeded our expectations.
I think that is what is important - if you are honest you won't go far wrong.
I've thought about the French sites to advertise. They seem to mostly deal with sales or holiday rentals. I really just want to do a one off winter let this year at a cheap rate while the house isn't quite finished. Next year if my 'charming' (I like that somes it up, but then so does bijoux!) house is ready I'm hoping to attract holiday makers.
I do agree with the honesty thing and it is my aim to be so. I really don't want disappointed guests and I do believe this is a great place for some people just not all. Sometimes it is difficult to describe things without making the place sound awful which it absolutely isn't
Our property is not high-end is without a pool and has only two bedrooms. The property is not terribly photogenic but the inside is filled with good quality goods and is well furnished. We also market more on the area than the villa which is largely undiscovered. The value added things I offer such as free travel planning, 100+page welcome book, a free trip and services such as baby sitting, private cook and chauffeur service make it more attractive. I also do each guest a personalised intinery based on their interests You might have to work a bit harder but it is possible to be as sucessful as the higher end properties with the right marketing. The morale is to be very honest and provide a service that is second to none. I wish you luck and look forward to seeing your property on lay my hat.
Hi Garlic, I am just starting out as well, and our little village house is definitely not a luxury villa. I have been doing market research on line for similar properties and locally as there are several gites in our village rented out by the town hall, so I have checked on their prices.
I only took possession of the house yesterday and luckily we have it rented out to house hunters all this winter. It will be a matter of getting in there quickly to clean, replace things and give it a lick of paint in the next two weeks.
This web site is a mine of information for us newbies.
By the way I noticed your signature - do you have llamas? We do....and goats....and tortoises.....and cats....and a mad dog......we are also renovating our original property, a large water mill, on a very limited budget.
I'll try angloinfo and I have put an ad on total france. I thought about estate agents but also thought that as I'm specifically looking to rent to house hunters this winter it probably wouldn't work...somebody visiting our local estate agents would probably have somewhere to stay wouldn't they?
Washy: yes this forum is a mine of information. Where did you look for your house hunters? It's not the end of the world if we don't find anybody and in someways makes things simpler for us...I just thought of it as a way to help pay the winter wood bill last years nearly broke us.
We do have llamas, 6 at last count plus chickens, cats and dog whoops forgot children too. I'd love goats but we just don't have space...I'd love to talk llamas with someone I could do with a llama forum
I wonder if Paolo ever dreamed he'd be hosting a llama -speak forum 