Starting Out Questions 3 (in an ongoing series): Consumables

[baylor]

OK now for the next round... What do you "provide" for your guests of a rental house/gite?

I've rented holiday homes before in the US, the UK, and France, and found quite variable levels of provision in the various places.

In the US, for instance, there is usually laundry soap, dish soap, paper towels, toilet roll and bar soap for the bathrooms, and there were always a few staples in the cupboard: coffee, sugar, salt, flour, pepper, and so forth. There was also usually a note asking people to replace what they use, so if you use the last of something, replace it.

When we were in France, the standard was... well, nothing. There was about a half a toilet roll in the bath (whatever was left over from the last folks, it looked like), and a squirt of dish soap in a container near the sink, and that was it. In all the Chambre D'Hotes and B&Bs we've stayed in in France, only one has had bath soap. (all have thankfully had toilet roll.)

I have read about some of you who give a "welcome basket" of coffee and milk, and others who say no way. So I know there's a variety of opinions on that issue alone.

But now we're hoping to rent out our place in France, so the question has come up for me. I'm just wondering, what do people provide for a holiday rental home and what's the expectation? What "sets you apart" or, on the other hand, seems like more trouble than it's worth because people aren't expecting it?

[Don Ciccio]

We provide the essentials such as washing up liquid, liquid soap, washing machine liquid, (i've said liquid three times there!), enough toilet roll to get them settled in the house and our welcome basket includes essentials such as wine, bread, cheese, ham, tomatos, milk water and tea. Fruit is an easy option too as it is grown and sold by the roadside in abundance in Sicily. Sometimes we include sweets or chocs if there are kids in the group. Matches and lighter are also provided for the cooker.

We also offer them shopping service if they want to arrive and find the fridge fully stocked.

Ciccio

[vrooje]

Hi baylor,

This topic has been a favorite on LMH over the years. Starting with the most recently created threads, these are the topics I was able to find:

• Leaving basic consumables for guests
  So which part of "self-catering" don't you understand?
  Welcome packs again!
  Dangers of the welcome pack
  Welcome package (drinks, food, etc.)
  Welcome packs
  What have you learnt from renting other people's properties?
  Supplies
  Welcome Packs
  Welcome Packs
  Treating guests like at home

I don't think this general topic will ever get old. I mention the above links just to keep the forum as useful as possible for new members, not to suggest that we shouldn't discuss it again! I think it's helpful to re-visit these things.

I don't really know what the general expectation is, but I expect it depends at least somewhat on the image you're selling to your guests.

Our rental is marketed as a tranquil holiday and a home away from home. So we try to provide everything our guests would expect to find in not just a house, but a home. That means we adhere more to the US description you gave. (It's hardly tranquil to arrive at your destination after a long trip and find that there's only half a roll of toilet paper in the house!)

Aside from what you mentioned, we also provide trash bags/bin liners, and dishwasher and laundry detergents (including fabric softener). In the kitchen, we provide the basic staples, in as hygenic a way as possible (e.g., a big box of individual packets of sugar and coffee beans in an airtight canister), and we make sure the ice cube trays in the freezer are full.

We do ask that guests replace what they use the last of, but we ask that they let us know what it cost so that we can reimburse them. We'd be happy to do so if anyone ever asked, but no one ever has.

We also provide a welcome pack with water, bread, and local wine, cheese, and produce. If a guest has told us they may arrive late, we also include a packet of dried pasta and a jar of sauce, in case they haven't had the chance to eat dinner by the time they arrive. That costs very little and our guests really appreciate it. (We used to surprise guests with the welcome pack, but now let them know about it in advance.)

I do think it sets us apart, and in the grand scheme of things, it's not very expensive given our prices. In all our years of renting, we have only ever had one group of guests take advantage of it. We figured they must have really needed all that toilet paper and dish soap.

[Moliere]

Opinions differ on this; I observe that people "on-site" are more particular and generous in what they provide, which is certainly natural.

As a median way: obviously soap, toilet rolls, cleaning and washing products, then tea, coffee, sugar, condiments, and any unused herbs and spices and ketchup etc in the kitchen (obviously not perishables, but a bottle of half-used ketchup is unlikely to kill you - in my experience anyway).

In addition, we provide fresh bread, plus "half-baked" frozen bread, milk, cheese, ham, eggs, and a bottle of wine - plus any special requests, such as gluten-free products.

By and large, we rely on guests to replace what they use, and we are only disappointed 50% of the time - on one famous occasion, some guests stripped everything out of the kitchen cupboards and lugged it all back to Paisley, and I still pray that one of the three half-used ketchup bottles burst in their luggage.

But that's life, and it's not worth losing sleep over - you just do the best you can -you set things up so that the tired travellers can at least get a simple meal and refreshment when they arrive, and for anything else it's down to the shop.

It's all a question of managing expectations and how much you are in a position to provide, Brooke says it all really.

Mols

[la vache!]

We recently had a thread on this recurring LMH theme that you might find useful to read viewtopic.php?t=11120

[Ju]

We don't ask guest to replace what they use. We top up the herbs and spices from time to time (usually the beginning of season) and the rest is provided fresh for each customer. I would not leave a half used bottle of ketchup - that goes into our fridge

Sugar is one of the things people often don't provide, which is a real pain if you take it in coffee and can't have a cup when you arrive. Needless to say we provide it - but should we provide granulated as per UK tastes or lumps as per the French?

[apexblue]

The basics all lettings should provide are toilet rolls, hand wash, Stardrops (does everything), dishcloths, tea, coffee, sugar, salt, pepper.

[la vache!]

Needless to say we provide it - but should we provide granulated as per UK tastes or lumps as per the French?

I provide both because sugar lumps don't go easily with Weetabix or cornflakes or natural yogurts.

[Paul Carmel]

We do the little long sachet's, and no one's moaned yet, plus easy to top up in a nice ceramic pot.................get a life Paul

[Mouse]

We do the little long sachet's, and no one's moaned yet, plus easy to top up in a nice ceramic pot

ditto!

I hate when loose sugar goes hard or has bits of coffee granuales in it.

Mouse (also searching for a life!)
x

[Tizfata]

The basics all lettings should provide are toilet rolls, hand wash, Stardrops (does everything), dishcloths, tea, coffee, sugar, salt, pepper.

What is the "continental" equivalent of Stardrops, please?

[Ju]

We do the little long sachet's, and no one's moaned yet, plus easy to top up in a nice ceramic pot.

I like that idea - can you buy them at the supermarket, or do you half hinch them everytime you go out for a coffee?

[Paul Carmel]

Super U & Casino, do them in a box, we tend to get through a box a season. I think the make is Daddy, it comes in a rather lurid pink box, maybe 100 or so in a box.

[lorca]

The basics all lettings should provide are toilet rolls, hand wash, Stardrops (does everything), dishcloths, tea, coffee, sugar, salt, pepper.

What is the "continental" equivalent of Stardrops, please?

Stardrops? is this another thing my best friend didn´t tell me ?

[yourlamanga]

We have an agent who looks after our place and they put in a bathroom pack and a kitchen pack as a matter of course. These consist of (off the top of my head) a couple of tea bags, sachet of instant coffee, small carton of long life milk (enough for a cuppa), couple of packaged biscuits, a bin bag, a cloth, small bottle of washing up liquid and a scourer for the kitchen and both bathrooms will have a new toilet roll, small bar of soap and a few sachets of varied toiletries. In addition to this there is often soap powder/dishwasher tablets etc left behind by previous guests. Our agent can also provide welcome packs of food etc at an additional cost, although I don't think many of our guests take them up on the offer as we have a decent supermarket close by.