Letting a Gite in France.

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jock
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Letting a Gite in France.

Post by jock »

As rank beginner in 2017 I am thinking of letting out a gîte in SW France and am looking for a platform. An experimental sweep has suggested that for French guests gîtes-de-france.com would seem to be by far the most popular. I have been trying to find out how to sign on with them and how they function. Their website refers to a guide but I cannot find out how to apply for one. It is apparently called 'Getting the Label'. All searches, no matter how worded just bring me back to their website. Can anyone throw light ?
louloup
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Post by louloup »

Is this any help?

https://www.gites-de-france-landes.com/ ... taire.html

You would need to contact the local office for more detailed information.
jock
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Location: Condom, Gers

Post by jock »

This is indeed a great help louloup. Thank you very much.
la vache!
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Post by la vache! »

I'm not sure gites de France is the best place to get French guests now - I've never used them and I don't know any French people (and I know a lot) who book through them. Most use AirBnB or Booking now. Gites de France are expensive and I'm not sure that they are really worth the cost.
jock
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Location: Condom, Gers

Post by jock »

Thank you very much la vache! I am using only Airbnb at present and am taking soundings from my guests (mostly French) who tell me Airbnb is the favourite platform for French people, but they of course have come from Airbnb so therefore are fans. When you say 'Booking' do you mean Booking.com ? Since you are obviously in the know perhaps you might give me your thoughts on Airbnb Smart Pricing (SP). I am wondering if this is a good idea or not. In theory it should be but Airbnb are constantly harrying me to reduce my prices and I am concerned that if I use SP they will manipulate them to lower them, after all if the guest cancels they still get their fee (albeit less). I have recently had a lot of cancellations and have wondered what is going on. Apparently it is very difficult to get Airbnb to switch off SP once you are on it.
la vache!
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Post by la vache! »

I didn't think 'smart pricing' was imposed - sometimes I use it then often change it back because it is nonsensical to me. They 'smart price' the nightly price of my 6 bed house sleeping 12 with the same price as my 2 bed house sleeping 4. There is no logic to it.
For me it isn't something you switch on or off, you an smart price per period/month etc.
I came off booking because the commission was high and I hated the calendar (I think it is easier now) because it took ages to update and was for hotels not rentals previously. I was scared of double booking and having to refund the client 2 x the rental that I didn't receive in the first place, but it seems to work for a lot of people now.
I can confirm that AirBnB is very much used by French people, my friends and students all use it, I honestly don't know anyone who uses G de F now.
Hells Bells
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Post by Hells Bells »

I'm getting loads of French bookings through Bookin.com and nothing from ABB at all.
lasourcetranquille
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Post by lasourcetranquille »

We're committed to Gites de France but am quite happy with them to be honest - we pay one week's peak rent each year as a subscription then use their online booking engine, which is improving all the time. You pay 8% commission if you set up the bookings or 15% if they book direct. But then they handle all of the payments including CC bookings - you get paid two weeks after guests leave.
jock
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Location: Condom, Gers

Post by jock »

I am most grateful to have this feedback la vache! Interesting that Airbnb are so far adrift in their pricing of your different houses. This confirms my suspicion that they cannot possibly be in a position to recommend an individual pricing structure in such a diverse market and therefore apply realistic Smart Pricing. Thank you also for input on platforms where one's choice is important. I find that most enquiries on Airbnb are for short stays and I have even considered reducing my 3 nights minimum to 2. Brits will go for longer stays but there are not many of them around this year or maybe they use a different platform.
jock
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Location: Condom, Gers

Post by jock »

Thank you also Hells Bells and lasourcetranquille. It seems it is horses for courses and will perhaps be trial and error until one finds the right platform/s.
baringa
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Post by baringa »

I think it is trial and error, finding out what works for you and suits your property. Pour les vacances is a very good French site, very simple, personally run, not expensive. So refreshing in these days where everyone else is part of a big chain. If you are going to sign up, let us know as there is an offer for referal which benefits both parties ;) There are other small sites like Amivac and Agites, I switch around them, funny how one site will give several reservations one year and nothing the next!

I am not with Gîtes de France, but they keep sending me the forms, as we are have the classement préfectural, which is done by the same person, so she wants me to sign up. I consider it expensive as I can easily fill peak weeks, and they want to charge a peak week rate for us to subscribe! although this year she made me a slightly better offer, still not thinking it is worth it as there is so much competition.
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Bassman
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Post by Bassman »

A-gite is also a pretty good site & not expensive. GdF is really expensive in my mind, it has a core following but that is slowly diminishing!
la vache!
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Post by la vache! »

I take back what I said - I finally had a student today who sometimes books his gites through G de F. He said he was very old school but finds G de F a PITA because to book you have to go through to the G de f site for the specific dept you want to stay in.
Hells Bells
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Post by Hells Bells »

I do still look on GdF if I am going to an area of France I have not visited before.
lasourcetranquille
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Post by lasourcetranquille »

I've tried Pour les Vacances and A-gites this year - nothing but a couple of time-wasting enquiries from both of them...
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