Passing information to caretakers

[Marg]

GG - we have a similar problem. Our savings(!) weren't doing a lot in this country so we decided to buy abroad so that at least we could enjoy it. The only trouble was we didn't have that much money so have had to take out a mortgage. As we both still work we can only spend a limited time at the villa and so we rent it out to help pay the bills. Friends think we are raking in the money but they forget about all the expenses involved.
We usually go out to Portugal at Easter and I just give our cleaner a list of all the bookings so far and then email her with any additional bookings or amendments. Seems to work!
The gardener and the pool man don't speak English so we do have a problem there and have to liaise with the chap who organised them for us. I give him a list for the pool man to be aware of when we have guests and the gardener comes once a week all through the year.

[Martha]

I use Basecamp myself for everything to do with the chalet - free online project management software
http://www.basecamphq.com/

Which could be used in the same way if we needed to, and might be worth a look.

Very useful as I just add to the appropriate list of tasks as I think of them, and then when we are out there, work our way through them. It was a massive help during the purchase and refurbishment, to keep all the different task lists seperate and organised.

Google docs is a good idea too!

[Mountain Goat]

Basecamp looks good.

I've started to use the whole suite of Google stuff more and more: mail, docs, photos etc. It's so useful having everything in almost one place and I can get to it from anywhere.

I also use Gmail for my Todo lists by composing an email message for each project and holding them indefinitely as drafts.

There's a therapist out there who recommends scrapping all Todo lists and instead have a Done list - makes you feel better apparently looking at your Done list rather than the dozens of Todo lists by your bedside....on standby for 3am brainwaves.....

MG

[enid]

I'm a big fan of to do lists - I like the look of BAsecamp too - I am currently using todoist http://todoist.com/

[Martha]

yes - I really like the way that Basecamp shows what's been crossed off the to-do list, it's very satisfying!

They have a "light" version called Backpack as well, which is essentially just the lists. I like to have the calendar though, so I stick with basecamp.
http://www.backpackit.com/

Todoist looks good as well...

[la vache!]

I never write lists, not for shopping or to do. I keep everything in my head, I'd lose a list.
I have a spreadsheet for bookings, but rarely have to consult it.

[Giddy Goat]

Good grief LV, you must have an encyclopaedic memory! Awesome!

Will check out the links when we've dealt with the flooding crisis: I don't need a to do list as it's patently obvious what needs doing!!

I like the idea of a done list though MG, that therapist knows his/her stuff!

[e-richard]

Oh dear, like LV, I never used a diary. When I was business, I managed to keep all appointments, meetings and schedules in my head without writing anything down. But then mysteriously on my 60th birthday, I got infected by a "virus" that seems to go round my brain every hour and types in "delete all files"

I now keep google docs updated, my hard disk calendars are backed up weekly and I'm even now planning on backing up my mobile phone numbers on a regular basis - if only I can find some connections and software to do it for me.

[Big Sis..]

if only I can find some connections and software to do it for me.

OOH Richard and theres me thinking your only 27 ..youll do for me at any rate
Ros who writes everything in a diary and on the computer and still cxxcks it up..
especially recently which was a Corker!!!!

[Fraise]

From your posts e-richard I thought you would be talking about a 30th or 40th birthday maybe, certainly not a 60th ! Hope your virus is under control ! LOL

My caretaker doesn't do e-mail so I take a hand written list at the start of the season, so far we haven't had any gaps so there have been no additions. No alterations either, if there were, I would have to ring her. I try and be over there for most changeovers so she could ask if there was a prob. Hmmm, seems easy? There's sure to be a flaw somewhere, so far so good though.
The pool and garden are different and I have e-mail contact for those cos they do like to know when the changeovers are.

[e-richard]

Ros, Fraise, bless you both. But how do you know I was telling you a true story ? This is the anonymous internet you know

Anyway, back on topic, I remember my first management agent in Postugal was a proper company, with office, staff, photocopier and all the machines, but no email. All communication was phone or a lot of faxes. After a couple of years, the boss lady announced proudly that she was on email, so I would send instructions by email. One of her junior staff woudl then print out the email, the boss lady would write her answer on a printout of the email and fax it back to me - sigh!

[Big Sis..]

One of her junior staff woudl then print out the email, the boss lady would write her answer on a printout of the email and fax it back to me - sigh!

My caretaker Paula is on Email and I really dont know how Id manage without it[or her] shes a gem!!!

[ginelli]

Anyway, back on topic, I remember my first management agent in Postugal was a proper company, with office, staff, photocopier and all the machines, but no email. All communication was phone or a lot of faxes. After a couple of years, the boss lady announced proudly that she was on email, so I would send instructions by email. One of her junior staff woudl then print out the email, the boss lady would write her answer on a printout of the email and fax it back to me - sigh!

I know exactly how you feel on this one. I too have set up a gmail account just so I could use the spreadsheet option. It's been one of the best moves I've made in my first year of renting.

I've set it up so that it has become my complete booking system, with details on deposits paid, balance due dates, reminders sent to my assistant's mobile if payments are overdue, and a colour coded system when a stage of the booking is complete. I'd heard bookings could get complicated, and having only just completed my first season, I now see why. I've had 2 houses to deal with from 2 different countries, so a step by step system was essential.

I have an assistant (my niece!) who deals with the bookings because I'm away a lot with my other job as a tour guide. The spreadsheets are excellent because we can both view and make amendments to them.

In theory, this should also be the case for my 2 cleaners. They look at the spreadsheets to see when guests are coming. However, NEITHER of them has email which could have otherwise really have put the icing on the cake. I therefore print it out once a month and post it to them, along with their cheque (yes, me too, I don't live anywhere near on-site!).

France works really well but Turkey has given me a real headache this year because more often than not, the letter never even gets there!!!!!!!!!!! Just thinking about it makes me what to smash up something. So I'm working on a new system for 2008 in Turkey.

A propos of which, internet banking seems the way ahead on paying cleaners if you don't live on site. You have a bank account in the same country as the cleaner and just simply transfer the money when needed. Saves a lot of hassle and costs nothing.

GG, I empathise with your story. Paying someone a fixed monthly wage when you're not even there opens up a lot of potential problems in my book. I think you'd really have to find a good and trustworthy sort for it to work well. Have you ever thought of paying him or someone else per job only?

[Giddy Goat]

GG, I empathise with your story. Paying someone a fixed monthly wage when you're not even there opens up a lot of potential problems in my book. I think you'd really have to find a good and trustworthy sort for it to work well. Have you ever thought of paying him or someone else per job only?

Thanks Gino - yes is the short answer, and now we're beginning to know a few more people in the area (it's been a slow process only visiting occasionally) we have maybe found someone who could help. We wouldn't mind quite so much if our caretakers were doing a fantastic job, but they are only doing an average one, apart from the meeting and greeting - the guests really like them, but as we know, there's more to the role than just that! And they have begun to charge for jobs which we consider are covered by their monthly retainer. So we're down in September and have arranged to meet with our new friend, to talk through some ideas.

Things seem to be going well for you Gino - I'm delighted!

[ginelli]

Thank you GG. Hope your little problem sorts itself out too.