Please stay in your gite before renting it out!!

[tessa]

Just a few tips for anyone starting out...

Please, please, please stay in it for a couple of days/nights and use all the facilities you offer.

We spent a week in a fabulous farmhouse property in the mountains as we wanted a ski/snowboarding holiday, the property advertised for 6 people and there were six of us, we were the first guests. All was fine, super decor, well equipped and warmish (although the central heating was an extra ), delightful antique furniture, pretty bedding and just down the mountain from the nearest ski station.

But
1) No wardrobes and no hooks anywhere...so no where to hang clothes(not so much of a problem as there were ample chests of drawers), coats or ski gear (this was a real problem as it's mid winter and four of us were skiing so had wettish gear to dry overnight)
2) The hot water cylinder was on a cheap rate overnight timer (and inaccessable to us), so once six of us had showered in the morning, washed breakfast stuff and cleaned up, there was no hot water for anyone to shower after skiing in the evening, and their bathroom was fab but one person bathed once and that was that....no hot water!
3) The heating system was also on a timer (we think) as it just came on for a couple of hours early morning and early evening. The woodburner wasn't working properly; too much air got in from somewhere and it burnt the wood away in next to no time. (We are all woodstove experts!)
4) The main problem though was that the lush new hob ran on bottled gas but the correct jets hadn't been installed, so the flames burnt yellow and all the lovely new pots and pans got very black; as did we when we scrubbed them
5) The TV only played DVDs, although it was advertised as having a TV. We hadn't taken any DVDS, but luckily we'd taken loads of games!

The house was owned by absent owners (no problem usually as we never rent a place with onsite owners) and no contact number for local help so we grinned and bore it; no insurmountable problems but the little niggly things do annoy by mid week...this could all have been sorted if the owners had stayed there for a weekend after they'd finished the works...

When we were able to contact the owners after our stay, they were really apologetic and assured us that everything would be put right before any further guests arrived. We had had a super holiday so it wasn't a major problem (indeed, we recommended the house and region on the net when we got home), but other guests may make a fuss....and demand money back.

[salmoncottage]

This is perhaps a good example of how a star rating system could work on occasions, to assure renters of certain details (previously discussed in a different thread). Maybe if this property had been visited in advance by an official from a tourist body all those glitches would have been pointed out to the owners and rectified prior to letting? Just a thought. Saying that, the owners just sound a little bit too thrifty to me.....

[Martha]

Heating as an extra in a ski property is very odd, and no local contact at all? What would have happened if there had been a real problem with the heating??

[greenbarn]

This is perhaps a good example of how a star rating system could work on occasions......... Maybe if this property had been visited in advance by an official from a tourist body all those glitches would have been pointed out to the owners and rectified prior to letting?

There's a lot or merit in that idea, although I very much doubt if the most thorough inspector on the planet would have picked up on the wrong burner jets in the hob.

Some sort of trial run is really important; we had family stay, then some friends at half rate on the basis that they would snag the places and tell us of anything and everything that was an issue, with no holding back. It was surprising what major issues it threw up - like a new oven that had an internal wiring swap such that when the door was opened the oven and the fan came on, and when it was closed the oven went off...... not ideal for doing a roast, then.

[Martha]

Another useful thing to do is sleep in every bedroom - throws up all kinds of things.

[DaveN]

Hi,
Couldn't agree more! I'd go so far as to say that it's vital when first starting up, and pretty useful on an onging basis.

We stayed in our place while we were preparing it for rental and snagging included leaking sealant around the bath, and a chimney which leaked smoke into the upstairs wardrobes! Both would have been annoying to guests, and neither aparent without living in it.

We're off-site, and even though we didn't manage to fit in any personal use last year, we did do a decorating trip, staying in the cottage, and picked up a few minor issues that you just don't spot on a flying visit.

[salmoncottage]

Dave, that sounds like the perfect place to keep your smoking jacket whilst on hols.......

[Marks]

When we first started renting we used the apartment several times a year when we lived in the UK so put right things as we went along. When we moved here we didn't stay in the apartment for about 6 years but decided to have a long weekend January last year. We came up with a list of 7 or 8 things that were just mild niggles but put them right straight away. So yes, try to use your rental with the eyes of a guest.

[Nemo]

I do it several times a year to cover both properties. Well it beats getting paying guests to tell you all the niggles and as it's only a few hours drive, it's easier than catching a plane.