lost DVDs and other missing bits?

[Big Sis..]

Hi Catherine,

youve not had Gascony round have you

[Normandy Cow]

I don't think she's that tall!

[Giddy Goat]

But I still feel deeply disappointed when I think about it

Oh Catherine -

And no, I didn't eat it...

Phewww! Even I would draw the line at eating someone else's little home.

But how mean - do housemartins return to the same nest each year?

[Big Sis..]

Good Morning Gascony,

I think they do but of course this nest wont be there[I knew you wouldnt have eated,not just after demolishing a basket....]

[Fraise]

I leave CD's DVD's and videos. As far as I know they are all still there ( they don't get checked every time tho)but I also leave maps and a French dictionary- the dictionary went. I am deciding whether to put another in. I haven't for this season but will probably for next. I don't leave a huge amount of games cos there isn't time to check them out every changeover and it's horrid to play a game and find a vital bit missing!

[memes]

Hmm I like the idea of labelling them up with a request to leave behind and take your point about people thinking that freebies are fair game Soodje. I will collect them all winter and try again next year because I'd like to leave a small library there - people do forget to bring their own and if we get a few rainy days it keeps the kids entertained.
I'm shocked about things like really nice baskets going and all the guides to Edinburgh - thats really mean of people.
I have tried to copy DVDs on my burner but they never seem to play properly on the cheap and cheerful DVD players we have..
Btw Tescos are doing players for less than £18 now and they work fine. My worry is they are so small and neat they too could fall into a suitcase, maybe I should buy lots and offer a free dvd player with every holiday?

M

[enid]

This is another difference for absentee owners - we have a list of DVDs available in each gite but the DVDs themselves are stored in our house - we also have some games in the gite but others can be borrowed from us - thatway we know who has what.

[Fraise]

Yes, that's deffo a plus for on-site owners . The idea of putting a label on the case is a good one tho- if I get the time and opportunity ( another prob if you don't live on site!) I'll use that idea, great , thanks Sue

[Giddy Goat]

But when does the labelling stop? We provide loads of fiction/non-fiction books, including dictionaries and guides (already labelled), cook books, DVD's, CD's, videos - it would take a long time to label them all and I imagine labelling some permanently would be a bit problematic too.

[Fraise]

Oh, yes, I provide loads of books too- I was only thinking of labelling the DVD's. I think if we provide stuff we just have to accept that some might go walkies but the DVD's can be expensive ( or free with mags sometimes), hence the labels. I don't leave any of my own precious books cos it's not my own home. I guess if it is then you'll have to lock them away or take them back to UK ? I have been thinking about letting out THIS house in the summer but because it's got all my precious bits in it I'd have to lock a room up and put all my stuff in there that I'd be worried about- trouble is, all the bedrooms have got the childrens ( yes, they are all in their 20's !! ) own stuff in them- they just leave it here until they come next time, and , yes,they do come! My son hasn't made it over this year as he got married this summer and has bought tickets for South Africa ( brides family) so couldn't afford to come over, to be fair, he only has a few bits here.The girls howevre are a different story-drawers and wardrobes full. I have 3 double wardrobes in my room,plus 3 double chests of drawers, it's only a holiday home but they are all full and the stuff just stays here. Ho hum- if I had bought it with the intention of renting it out I think I might have done differently and I now have a problem- think the answer is to keep it as our family holiday home

[Fraise]

Just re-read my ramble- sorry- I got carried away, sometimes when we post it's as tho we're talking to friends face to face

[enid]

No need for an apology - it was a lovely ramble - if you can it would be good to keepthis house just for you.

[Giddy Goat]

We were left a load of fitted shelves by the vendors, and although we took down half of them, we kept the remainder for storage and display purposes. But it's all or nothing - we can't remove just a portion of them because of the way they are made - hence, they need to be filled so they don't look sad. We do have some precious books etc there, and ornaments that I would miss too. I hoped that we'd be getting the kind of clients who wouldn't be tempted to appropriate stuff, but it shows - one can't generalise. We have a fifth bedroom which we've always used as the store room for very small items of personal stuff, plus the bedlinen etc, and if I ever do find a replacement for those sherry g - er that basket, it will be stowed away after each of our visits!

[Fraise]

That sounds the best plan. My house is so full cos we've had it almost 10 years and the children were just that when we bought it so obviously all their stuff just got left here-it's not all rubbish either- they leave some sentimental items here that they pick up on their travels as when they were students and we moved our family home, this became their family home so a part of each of them is still here. What price sentiment hey? My husband loves this house far more than our UK one so he's not keen to share either . On the other hand, I read about a lot of you happily renting out your holiday homes and I think of the money ! I would have done the whole thing differently if I had intended renting it out and I think Jine's idea of the locked room is good. My problem is I would need a locked 4 rooms minimum and it just wouldn't be the same...I even have my fave mug, sad hey...

[gh]

...I even have my fave mug, sad hey...

No not sad, we to have ours too , we, like Jane, lock the fifth bedrooms ours, and our 3 girls just box their personal things from their rooms, mainly summer wear and beauty products and marked whose it is and store it in ours. We have a locked storage room near the kitchen and again box all the things we value and are personal from the lounge, kitchen and dining room there, really quick to pull out and home again. Those collapsible type from Ikea, easy to store.

We learned the hard way by not perviously locking the linen cupboard, cleaner arrived to find most of the fresh linen changes used and put back in the zipped storage bags. You live and learn .

Oh and we lock the cave.......