We have two gites here and are finishing an annexe to gite 2(we decided not to make it a 3rd gite - but that's another story!) We finshed one bedroom of the first gite completely but had no stairs or other rooms finished when we started advertising. As Ju says we used lots of photos of the grounds ,the pool and the region and we got bookings. As each area was finished I added it to the web site. I didn't mention that we were still building it! - but the availability calendar showed unavailable until our agreed starting date.Although we do most of the work we do use artisans and I was able to chivvy them along by keep reminding them that we had clients due.
We think we are serious people - well about business matters anyway - and we're not stupid but whilst the construction work was finished on time - just - the furnishing took us longer than expected - e.g. I three times bought the wrong sized curtain hooks!!!! We finished the last tweak at 3.45 p.m. and our first guests arrived at 4.10 - never been so tired in my life!!
Now we`are finishing the final part of the gite side and it is advertised for this summer. I think you are right not to extend the deadline to next year - the work rate will only slow down - better a push now and then it's over - but as Alexia says you've got to have good artisans for that.
Bonne chance et courage!
Advertising a place that's still being renovated?
Ha - I know what you mean! We had a terrible time getting our loft conversion done - it took double the time it should have.alexia s. wrote:Dean,
I'm sure that you have a realistic time plan.
We've had several of those. Each time, we've found that we should have had a seriously realistic time plan. This is easy to figure - at least, where we are - you make your realistic time plan and then multiply it by 2.
(You're not in our area so this may be a totally wild calculation.)
If your realistic time plan works out, can I have the telephone number of your artisans, please? Seriously - you could die, waiting for a plumber around here. Our neighbours import artisans from Poland - I'll import yours if they are reliable.
You seem to be a serious person (you should see some of the members around here - you'd swear they were another species. No names!), so I'm crossing my fingers. This could be the year the plumbing gets fixed!
However, the good thing about that is that we weeded out quite a lot of artisans who were not serious or "débordé" and found some gems!
Our roofer / carpenter is always on time (in fact he has finished his work ahead of time) is always there when he says he will be and is usually the cheapest quote. The mason is his cousin and in a similar vein. Both plumber and electrician have been excellent - but they both have 4 workers so can put people on the job when need be.
We have had a problem with the plaster board guy - he has been late on the first building - with some reason - illness / change of plans but my wife is in charge of supervising the artisans - 6' Germans are quite rare down here, especially ones that have as good command of French as hers - she frightens me, let alone the locals!
One big thing we did is have an architect work out an exact plan with the artisans and we made them sign contracts that involve penalty clauses - they may be difficult to invoke, but it certainly seems to concentrate the mind!
7 months into a 13 month project, I'm happy where we are at - though the last months are the important ones. Prompts like yours are good for me to keep on my toes (and the artisans') - thanks!
"All men dream: but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds wake in the day to find it was vanity; but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act their dream with open eyes, to make it possible."
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Paul Carmel
- Posts: 3836
- Joined: Tue Dec 07, 2004 12:25 pm
- Location: Palma Mallorca & Greece
- Contact:
An update ......
I thought I'd get round to giving you an update ....
We did get things done on time, although despite giving ourselves 2 months leeway, we were finishing things as the first people drew up, in typical fashion!
Some points:-
1. We did have very good artisans (except for one guy, who after pressure and consistent supervision only finished 3 weeks late). I think this has something to do with the local people here - the Basques have reputation as difficult characters, but I think they are superb and deliver what they say they'll do.
2. I was on site for virtually every day of the project (something to do with receiving an estimate for the painting of €72k - I did it myself for €5k). We could see problems coming, and get people to do the right thing at the right time. It also gave the workers an incentive to turn up as they knew I would see if they were there or not.
3. We worked very hard in the planning stage so that there weren't big changes that could lead to delays and overruns.
4. We didn't have an architect or "maitre d'oeuvre" - we supervised the project ourselves -see 2 above. It saved money and we were there much more than a professional would have been.
5. We worked out what would be our "fatal errors/delays" - usually to do with utilities - water/elec/sewers. We had big delays with water and elec. but again they delivered when they said they would (which was only a couple of days before the first guest arrived!) We knew that if the pool wasn't ready or some curtains weren't up, it would cause problems with our guests, but wouldn't mean they couldn't come. Thus, we were always on top of the key services, and once we knew they were under control, we could relax.
6. We organised an "opening night" party for all the people concerned with our project - architect/mayor/artisans/workers/estate agent/ neighbours/friends who helped etc for the night before the first guests arrived. Everybody (and I mean everybody) told me I was crazy, that we'd never be finished in time, that the place would be a tip, that we'd rush things to be ready... But I was determined to do it and it turned out to be a masterstroke - the artisans figured out that everybody (nearly 100 people) would get to see their work and accordingly saw it as a showroom - they worked so hard to get things finished that the project got its final push that meant we were completed on time. And we had a great party......
7. We advertised the project before it was ready, and added photos/ commentary as and when we could. If I had the feeling someone was hesitant about it being finished, I offered that they could make a no-commitment reservation subject to photos and progress reports - a few people took that option and all confirmed in due course.
8. We did our utmost to finish one apartment and use the photos from that to advertise the rest.
9. We did go over budget, but only by 15% (that was secretly factored into my reckoning anyway!)
10. The people that booked for June (our first month) got an extra 20% discount for potential noise/ unfinished building problems - this meant we could do some extra work whilst people were there.
11. We've booked 76 weeks so far - giving us around a 7% return for this year - not too bad for year 1.
12. Customer satisfaction has been very high - with most people saying they'll come back, and we've already taken bookings for next year (for our other place here July/Aug is already booked for 2007 from repeat customers).
Would I do it again - I would, but I don't think my wife would!
Cheers,
Dean.
We did get things done on time, although despite giving ourselves 2 months leeway, we were finishing things as the first people drew up, in typical fashion!
Some points:-
1. We did have very good artisans (except for one guy, who after pressure and consistent supervision only finished 3 weeks late). I think this has something to do with the local people here - the Basques have reputation as difficult characters, but I think they are superb and deliver what they say they'll do.
2. I was on site for virtually every day of the project (something to do with receiving an estimate for the painting of €72k - I did it myself for €5k). We could see problems coming, and get people to do the right thing at the right time. It also gave the workers an incentive to turn up as they knew I would see if they were there or not.
3. We worked very hard in the planning stage so that there weren't big changes that could lead to delays and overruns.
4. We didn't have an architect or "maitre d'oeuvre" - we supervised the project ourselves -see 2 above. It saved money and we were there much more than a professional would have been.
5. We worked out what would be our "fatal errors/delays" - usually to do with utilities - water/elec/sewers. We had big delays with water and elec. but again they delivered when they said they would (which was only a couple of days before the first guest arrived!) We knew that if the pool wasn't ready or some curtains weren't up, it would cause problems with our guests, but wouldn't mean they couldn't come. Thus, we were always on top of the key services, and once we knew they were under control, we could relax.
6. We organised an "opening night" party for all the people concerned with our project - architect/mayor/artisans/workers/estate agent/ neighbours/friends who helped etc for the night before the first guests arrived. Everybody (and I mean everybody) told me I was crazy, that we'd never be finished in time, that the place would be a tip, that we'd rush things to be ready... But I was determined to do it and it turned out to be a masterstroke - the artisans figured out that everybody (nearly 100 people) would get to see their work and accordingly saw it as a showroom - they worked so hard to get things finished that the project got its final push that meant we were completed on time. And we had a great party......
7. We advertised the project before it was ready, and added photos/ commentary as and when we could. If I had the feeling someone was hesitant about it being finished, I offered that they could make a no-commitment reservation subject to photos and progress reports - a few people took that option and all confirmed in due course.
8. We did our utmost to finish one apartment and use the photos from that to advertise the rest.
9. We did go over budget, but only by 15% (that was secretly factored into my reckoning anyway!)
10. The people that booked for June (our first month) got an extra 20% discount for potential noise/ unfinished building problems - this meant we could do some extra work whilst people were there.
11. We've booked 76 weeks so far - giving us around a 7% return for this year - not too bad for year 1.
12. Customer satisfaction has been very high - with most people saying they'll come back, and we've already taken bookings for next year (for our other place here July/Aug is already booked for 2007 from repeat customers).
Would I do it again - I would, but I don't think my wife would!
Cheers,
Dean.
"All men dream: but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds wake in the day to find it was vanity; but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act their dream with open eyes, to make it possible."
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Hells Bells
- Posts: 13173
- Joined: Sat Apr 30, 2005 8:42 am
- Location: French Alps
- Contact:
Hi Dean, glad thing went well for you. Fortunately we had 3 days to spare until our first guests, but only because we had to go back to England. Bookings are going really well for this winter too.
Summer was a bit quiet, but as they've been building the pool and it's buildings it was probably just as well.
Summer was a bit quiet, but as they've been building the pool and it's buildings it was probably just as well.
Re: An update ......
Dean,Dean wrote:We've booked 76 weeks so far - giving us around a 7% return for this year - not too bad for year 1.
Congratulations! Your place looks stunning and I'm very impressed that you managed to squeeze 76 weeks into a year! There's quite a few of us would like to know how to do that ....
