A booking when the builders are in

How to communicate with your potential renters - how to turn site visitors into enquiries, and enquiries into bookings.
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mon269
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A booking when the builders are in

Post by mon269 »

Hi,

The day after Easter Monday we have the builders in to do some work in the house. In fact, is quite a lot of work, they have to lower the downstairs floor and pretty up the ceiling beams. They reckon it will take them until the end of the month and I have marked all these dates as booked :wink: in our calendars (or a selected few).

We have just received an enquiry for a long weekend, the first one that is marked as available after the work starts. Thing is, we all know about the reputation of Spanish builders and I am concerned that they will not stick to the plan.

The 1st of May is a bank holiday in Spain and it would be a 4 night booking. This is very good considering that most of our bookings are 2 nighters.

I don’t know what to do. I would not want to go ahead with the booking and have to tell them later that it is not available. But what if the work finishes in time? :shock:

My gut feeling is to tell them that the house may not be available but this means a lost booking.

Any ideas on how to handle the situation?

Thanks
cc
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Post by cc »

We had exactly the same problem last year. Building work due to finish mid April at the latest, first guests booked in for second week in May.
Of course the work was delayed so a month before the arrival we contacted the guests and told them the situation and offered them a good discount. The reaction was "OK, the builders won't be working through the night or at weekends and after breakfast we'll all be off out anyway"
We were lucky in that the work was not directly where the guests stay BUT they still complained at the end of the holiday!
They have booked to return the middle of May and of course the Ayuntamiento are building directly behind our house at the moment, work is due to finish in early May.
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linda147
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Post by linda147 »

Personally I wouldn't risk it - you will only spend the whole time worrying about the work being finished, and suppose it isn't!
Anything could happen to delay the work starting, or it is more complex than they thought and will take longer.
As somebody who has taking a booking for one of our houses on the basis that we will be in the other, which at the moment has no power or water I know how worried I am, and that is for us, let alone a paying customer!
I know it is very disappointing to turn a booking away but how I wish I hadn't taken that booking for April!
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Partridge
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Post by Partridge »

Difficult one Juan, this is where living nearby is a real bonus. If you have someone who can 'kick a*s' for you in your absence then I'd say go for it but if you aren't confident and aren't there, then maybe best go for gut instinct.
Don't waste energy on things you can't change.

Costa de la Luz apartment rental
www.ownersdirect.co.uk/spain/S5386.htm
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mon269
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Post by mon269 »

Hi Caleta Galleta. So, your guests complained but still booked for next year. You must be doing something right.

With an end date mid April, was it intentional that you had no bookings until mid May? Knowing that the work would finish mid April, when would you have taken the first booking after that date?

Judging from their message, they are quite keen, that’s why I want to have a plan of action. If it was a normal weekend I would offer them the next one but this is a bank holiday weekend and I don’t think an alternative date would be convenient.
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mon269
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Post by mon269 »

Linda, Partridge, sorry I missed your messages earlier. I think you are right, I better not get that money and have peace of mind.

I will explain the situation to them and make sure they understand why I can’t take the booking. Hopefully, honesty will bring me a booking from them at a later date.

Partridge,

During that period we will have the best RR kicker in the plante, my OHs father. Even then, as Linda says, they can find unexpected complications and inevitably it would take longer.

How long do I allow before I accept any bookings?
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Partridge
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Post by Partridge »

Maybe the answer to that question will become clear once they have started work ie yes, unexpected problems can happen but if your Father in law is there, then once they start you will know better about whether this will be a straightforward job.
Don't waste energy on things you can't change.

Costa de la Luz apartment rental
www.ownersdirect.co.uk/spain/S5386.htm
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Big Sis..
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Post by Big Sis.. »

Hi All...

Im sorry I really, really ,wouldnt take the booking...

Party its all very well saying Kick arsx but in Spain it just means ....shrug......
Trust me in England noone gets away with anything with me :evil: ...and it took me 8 months to get a hole filled :roll: .....

Worst still is they will even say it will be done 'no problemo' [knowing it wont] most times they just tell you what you want to hear.....

If you had a contigency plan[maybe someone with a place nearby who could accomodate them[then again they might get booked by then]...maybe...

Even if it is done it will be last minute so youll have all that worrying...

Maybe we should ask any of the other forumers if theyre Spanish Builders have finished on time[maybe even a poll]....
or if theyre houses were finished when they should have been......
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Partridge
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Post by Partridge »

Sorry, that last answer was more to the question about when to agree to take bookings again rather than this particular booking. I agree Ros, I personally wouldn't take the 'earlier' booking.
Don't waste energy on things you can't change.

Costa de la Luz apartment rental
www.ownersdirect.co.uk/spain/S5386.htm
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mon269
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Post by mon269 »

It’s done! I explained that we could not take the booking and the reasons for it.

It’s hard to turn bookings down when they are so scarce. :(

Thanks for all the advice
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linda147
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Post by linda147 »

hopefully with the fact that you have been honest they might come back to you in the future.
cc
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Post by cc »

sorry mon, just saw your message.
We thought we were OK giving more or less a months grace between the scheduled end of work and the first booking and it was still not enough.
I think you have done the right thing.
We have a house full for the next 3 weeks and the digger behind the house is still there, it should have finished by now.
Luckily being a B&B most guests bugger off for the day so won't be disturbed by it but we are expecting complaints.
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Big Sis..
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Post by Big Sis.. »

most guests bugger off for the day
:wink: :roll: :lol:

When My Mum had people in our Guest House...
she liked em to bu**er off too......
in fact she actively encouraged it :wink:
CostaBlanca
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Re: A booking when the builders are in

Post by CostaBlanca »

Hi Mon,

I have just caught up with your enquiry. I would certainly leave adequate time before taking your first booking in May. I wouldn´t imagine a 3 week quoted job extending beyond 4 weeks normally especially if it indoors - no weather delays. But you need to consider if your builders could be delayed at their previous job (this is very usual as clients always ask for extra things to be done as soon as builders are on site :) ); are they using subcontractors for any of the work ie. tiling; are your new floor tiles already in stock or do they have to be ordered, etc. etc.

With your "fil" (father in law) on hand to kick a**, hopefully you will be ready to recieve new guests in early May.

Best of luck,

Maria
Maria
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mon269
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Post by mon269 »

Thanks a lot, looks like I’ve done the right thing. I was expecting some sort of response from the enquirer, a sort of “well, thanks anyway�, but nothing. No response, how typical of my country folks. :evil:

I must be the unluckiest person in this business. :evil: I have just received another enquiry, time for the first weekend after the builders move in. Can they not see the calendar? Don’t they realise how much it hurts to receive a query for a week you can’t book?

We tried to choose a quite time to do this but it looks like we were wrong. Three weekends out of action and we’ve received queries for 2 of them already.

Can you tell I’m not having a good day?
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