Ever heard of French Country Cottages?
French Country Cottages are one of the leading companies!
(Their name was Country Cottages in France until a couple of years ago.) They are part of the massive Holiday Cottages Group, they own Chez Nous amongst others, took over Blakes which was the leading cottage agency in the UK etc. etc. They are properly registered in France (which I doubt many others are) as Vacation Rentals SARL.
Paolo, they are not "just another advertising site", they are a very efficient and successful agency with a loyal clientele who use their group to book year after year. Yes, the price the customer pays is > or < around half what the owner is paid, but the customer has their crossing and insurance included, and the owners achieve a level of publicity that could only be dreamed of by the independent cottage owner. They publish a huge (362 pages) glossy catalogue, distributing 200,000 to previous customers and enquirers, plus travel agencies, and they have a vibrant web presence, marketing through other brand names as well as FCC, and through agencies in the US, Canada, Australia, also other European countries.They obviously have to make a profit, and bear in mind that by operatingly LEGALLY in France they pay high costs. The UK and French authorities are cracking down on revenue that is currently slipping through the net and as other companies are forced to operate correctly you will no doubt find their costs increasing.
This sounds like a press release! I have no connection with the company other than being a satisfied customer (owner). 32 out of 34 weeks let last year isn't a bad occupancy rate...
We have had repeat customers choose to book through FCC in preference to booking directly, when they discover the price of ferry fares, insurance, etc. Actually works out cheaper.
Another aspect - when people book a gîte holiday you must ensure that they have proper insurance. French nationals have "assurance villégéature" in their normal policy to cover holidays. UK policies do not. If you use a legally operating agency like FCC you are protected. If visitors don't have appropriate insurance you can be held liable for all sorts of awful and expensive things - how many of you check your visitors' insurance? Do you know the consequences if anything should happen?
We have been operating for 15 years, firstly with Gites de France (v. low rental price and occupancy) and with Brittany Ferries for a couple of years (expensive for us, few bookings and mostly only in high season when we could let anyway; they're probably better now). We then let privately, no way would I go back to that hassle. Cancellation with no payment, cancellations when we felt obliged to refund (illness, death...), advertising costs. No, letting through FCC produces max. occupancy at prices that are, actually, slightly MORE than we charged privately.
Sorry, gone on a bit, but I was astounded by some of the replies above.
Jo
(Their name was Country Cottages in France until a couple of years ago.) They are part of the massive Holiday Cottages Group, they own Chez Nous amongst others, took over Blakes which was the leading cottage agency in the UK etc. etc. They are properly registered in France (which I doubt many others are) as Vacation Rentals SARL.
Paolo, they are not "just another advertising site", they are a very efficient and successful agency with a loyal clientele who use their group to book year after year. Yes, the price the customer pays is > or < around half what the owner is paid, but the customer has their crossing and insurance included, and the owners achieve a level of publicity that could only be dreamed of by the independent cottage owner. They publish a huge (362 pages) glossy catalogue, distributing 200,000 to previous customers and enquirers, plus travel agencies, and they have a vibrant web presence, marketing through other brand names as well as FCC, and through agencies in the US, Canada, Australia, also other European countries.They obviously have to make a profit, and bear in mind that by operatingly LEGALLY in France they pay high costs. The UK and French authorities are cracking down on revenue that is currently slipping through the net and as other companies are forced to operate correctly you will no doubt find their costs increasing.
This sounds like a press release! I have no connection with the company other than being a satisfied customer (owner). 32 out of 34 weeks let last year isn't a bad occupancy rate...
We have had repeat customers choose to book through FCC in preference to booking directly, when they discover the price of ferry fares, insurance, etc. Actually works out cheaper.
Another aspect - when people book a gîte holiday you must ensure that they have proper insurance. French nationals have "assurance villégéature" in their normal policy to cover holidays. UK policies do not. If you use a legally operating agency like FCC you are protected. If visitors don't have appropriate insurance you can be held liable for all sorts of awful and expensive things - how many of you check your visitors' insurance? Do you know the consequences if anything should happen?
We have been operating for 15 years, firstly with Gites de France (v. low rental price and occupancy) and with Brittany Ferries for a couple of years (expensive for us, few bookings and mostly only in high season when we could let anyway; they're probably better now). We then let privately, no way would I go back to that hassle. Cancellation with no payment, cancellations when we felt obliged to refund (illness, death...), advertising costs. No, letting through FCC produces max. occupancy at prices that are, actually, slightly MORE than we charged privately.
Sorry, gone on a bit, but I was astounded by some of the replies above.
Jo
Hello Alexia,
Yes, it's on the FCC website (french-country-cottages.com), ref. no. F14131.
Nothing special - Normandy stone cottage, sleeps 4-5, no pool, reasonably priced. Nearly all the owners I know around here let with FCC and most get good occupancy, but we do have the most important factor - location.
Referring to your earlier comment, FCC's clients are happy to pay the price, they know the properties have to meet certain standards (they are inspected yearly) and they have back-up from them if things should go wrong, so they're not risking paying 300 quid less for a possible converted chicken shed full of cast-off furniture. Also, as explained in my earlier post, it doesn't work out at twice the price for the customer once the ferry fares etc. are taken into consideration.
"Fraise" - for the week price of £1881 that you mention, you would receive £1011 which is more than the £975 you say you charge. Factor in your advertising costs and time (= money) spent marketing, you'd be quids in and can charge for linen on top. You would of course need to fulfil the criteria for being in that price group (you might be put in a higher one!).
Cheers,
Jo
Yes, it's on the FCC website (french-country-cottages.com), ref. no. F14131.
Nothing special - Normandy stone cottage, sleeps 4-5, no pool, reasonably priced. Nearly all the owners I know around here let with FCC and most get good occupancy, but we do have the most important factor - location.
Referring to your earlier comment, FCC's clients are happy to pay the price, they know the properties have to meet certain standards (they are inspected yearly) and they have back-up from them if things should go wrong, so they're not risking paying 300 quid less for a possible converted chicken shed full of cast-off furniture. Also, as explained in my earlier post, it doesn't work out at twice the price for the customer once the ferry fares etc. are taken into consideration.
"Fraise" - for the week price of £1881 that you mention, you would receive £1011 which is more than the £975 you say you charge. Factor in your advertising costs and time (= money) spent marketing, you'd be quids in and can charge for linen on top. You would of course need to fulfil the criteria for being in that price group (you might be put in a higher one!).
Cheers,
Jo
Jo,
do you live in France near your house or in the UK? If it is the latter, I suppose it takes a lot of hassle out of things as FCC do everything for you. I considered going with them, but as I live out here I like doing everything myself and having contact with potential guests - I can also refuse anyone who I get a bad 'gut feeling' about. I can also give personal info on the area and the cottages, which perhaps someone in an office who has never seen the property cannot. I used to book cottages through CC in the UK and always found them efficient, but quite expensive on reflection!
Susan
do you live in France near your house or in the UK? If it is the latter, I suppose it takes a lot of hassle out of things as FCC do everything for you. I considered going with them, but as I live out here I like doing everything myself and having contact with potential guests - I can also refuse anyone who I get a bad 'gut feeling' about. I can also give personal info on the area and the cottages, which perhaps someone in an office who has never seen the property cannot. I used to book cottages through CC in the UK and always found them efficient, but quite expensive on reflection!
Susan
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Normandy Cow
- Posts: 2687
- Joined: Sun Nov 28, 2004 7:14 am
- Location: Normandy
- Contact:
Jo,
I'm a bit confused - you say that they achieve very high rentals for you, yet according to the FCC website, your house appears to still be available for 5 weeks in August and September - surely these should have been let months ago? (Or at least the 3 weeks commencing 13th August).
Or am I missing something?
I'm a bit confused - you say that they achieve very high rentals for you, yet according to the FCC website, your house appears to still be available for 5 weeks in August and September - surely these should have been let months ago? (Or at least the 3 weeks commencing 13th August).
Or am I missing something?
Hello Susan,
We live right next door, always have done, so I do all the personal contact things too. (Just taking a coffee break from this week's chores, have gained one towel, four contact lenses, a jar of olives and some salt.) Family of Aussies arriving at 4pm. In five years we've had maybe three or four parties that we wouldn't welcome back (at least not without strict words about hygiene!) Nothing dreadful. Trying not to sound snobby, but FCC's targetted client profile seems to work; their documentation is efficient, customers receive what they expect and comply with guidelines on what is expected from them (basically, to notify what time they're arriving, let US know if there is any problem, and to clean before they leave!). We get on fine with most of them, many friendships having arisen over a bottle of wine in the garden.
Catherine, yes, that's odd - just one of those strange things. Those weeks will go. I think there was a booking in place for the two weeks in August but it's disappeared, probably a cancellation. Bookings this year have generally been made later I've found. This is our fifth year with them and they've all been good ones.
Cheers,
Jo (back to the bedmaking...)
We live right next door, always have done, so I do all the personal contact things too. (Just taking a coffee break from this week's chores, have gained one towel, four contact lenses, a jar of olives and some salt.) Family of Aussies arriving at 4pm. In five years we've had maybe three or four parties that we wouldn't welcome back (at least not without strict words about hygiene!) Nothing dreadful. Trying not to sound snobby, but FCC's targetted client profile seems to work; their documentation is efficient, customers receive what they expect and comply with guidelines on what is expected from them (basically, to notify what time they're arriving, let US know if there is any problem, and to clean before they leave!). We get on fine with most of them, many friendships having arisen over a bottle of wine in the garden.
Catherine, yes, that's odd - just one of those strange things. Those weeks will go. I think there was a booking in place for the two weeks in August but it's disappeared, probably a cancellation. Bookings this year have generally been made later I've found. This is our fifth year with them and they've all been good ones.
Cheers,
Jo (back to the bedmaking...)
I'm sorry - but I beg to differ with regards to Chez Nous...as an experiment when I was advertising with them (response was rubbish anyway) someone that was trying to book requested a brochure...4 times they requested - 4 months later it arrived.
the web site was a joke...maybe different now - but the indifference from the staff was dreadful - I think maybe some changes were afoot - but after my experience (all 4/5 years ago) and the cost involved - in excess of £1,200 - with result of 4 bookings plus loads of advertising in newspapers - total advertising bill that year was in excess of £2,600....I'll stick with h-r.com at £390 with the result of 40+ weeks...and mostly A,B's....we've even had celebritries and now a multi-millionaire who just loves our location staying...I personally wasn't too impressed with the calibre from Chez Nous...so sorry Jo I still won't be looking at this company no matter what name they have!
the web site was a joke...maybe different now - but the indifference from the staff was dreadful - I think maybe some changes were afoot - but after my experience (all 4/5 years ago) and the cost involved - in excess of £1,200 - with result of 4 bookings plus loads of advertising in newspapers - total advertising bill that year was in excess of £2,600....I'll stick with h-r.com at £390 with the result of 40+ weeks...and mostly A,B's....we've even had celebritries and now a multi-millionaire who just loves our location staying...I personally wasn't too impressed with the calibre from Chez Nous...so sorry Jo I still won't be looking at this company no matter what name they have!
Interesting. I've had a look at the FCC website and noticed that properties in Normandy,for example, seem to do a lot better than those much further south. Several I picked at random with varying capacity in Normandy seem to have more bookings in the high season and none offer discounts. On the other hand similar sized properties under what FCC call the Dordogne region (they include Lot et Garonne in there - which is where we are situated) have much lower occupancy and almost all offer hefty high season discounts. I'm begining to think that FCC works only if the inclusive ferry fare is of value to people i.e. people want to holiday in Northern France. If the price of the ferry is included in the price (and holiday insurance) then Normandy seems ideal. Who would want to drive eight hours to the Dordogne? People coming this far south would probably choose to fly. In which case, would the economics of an FCC booking make sense?
Cheers,
Gerry
Cheers,
Gerry
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Alan Knighting
- Posts: 4120
- Joined: Mon Oct 18, 2004 7:26 am
- Location: Monflanquin, Lot-et-Garonne, France
Tansy,
Perhaps what singles out Chez Nous is that it is basically a brochure company with a website as a back-up?
Gerry,
A good point. Many people still visit by car but an increasing number come into Bergerac by air. Driving is cheaper per head for the larger parties but air is much less per head for a couple.
Alan
Perhaps what singles out Chez Nous is that it is basically a brochure company with a website as a back-up?
Gerry,
A good point. Many people still visit by car but an increasing number come into Bergerac by air. Driving is cheaper per head for the larger parties but air is much less per head for a couple.
Alan
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Alan Knighting
- Posts: 4120
- Joined: Mon Oct 18, 2004 7:26 am
- Location: Monflanquin, Lot-et-Garonne, France
Fraise" - for the week price of £1881 that you mention, you would receive £1011 which is more than the £975 you say you charge. Factor in your advertising costs and time (= money) spent marketing, you'd be quids in and can charge for linen on top. You would of course need to fulfil the criteria for being in that price group (you might be put in a higher one!).
Hi- yes, but this is our first year and our prices are too low anyway.Next year they will be more realistic.I know a property just 1 mile away from ours that still has had no visitors this year( it is in the FCC brochure). I feel that I can control my own rentals better ( just a personal thing!),I don't believe we'd be quids in as the main holiday weeks we could have let many times over -it is the other weeks I am interested in and have found that apart from a blip in June we are almost full up to mid October,and the amount I would get from FCC is less during this period. A short Channel crossing is not of much use to most of my clients-they are tending to fly or for the summer family groups, take the longer sea crossings to have a shorter drive. Interesting discussion,
www.thepetitmanoir.com
Hi- yes, but this is our first year and our prices are too low anyway.Next year they will be more realistic.I know a property just 1 mile away from ours that still has had no visitors this year( it is in the FCC brochure). I feel that I can control my own rentals better ( just a personal thing!),I don't believe we'd be quids in as the main holiday weeks we could have let many times over -it is the other weeks I am interested in and have found that apart from a blip in June we are almost full up to mid October,and the amount I would get from FCC is less during this period. A short Channel crossing is not of much use to most of my clients-they are tending to fly or for the summer family groups, take the longer sea crossings to have a shorter drive. Interesting discussion,
www.thepetitmanoir.com
Hi- I've just re-read this thread. I suppose all I am saying is that at the moment it wouldn't suit my needs but if I were to work elsewhere and thus had very limited time to devote to my website/bookings etc or disliked doing it,then I might be tempted. I was interested which is why I asked for the inspection in the first place! There is a place for FCC, I think they do what they do well,but not for me at the moment. That's it- I'm finished with the issue! 
Interesting responses. Tansy, I know little of Chez Nous except that it's a very well known brand and a lot of people swear by advertising there, and have heard they are being selective (on what basis I have no idea) nowadays owing to too much demand. Despite being part of the same parent co. as FCC they are run autonomously and have independent staff. I believe their web presence has increased / improved since 4 - 5 years ago. FCC's certainly has - a far greater proportion of their business comes through Internet enquiries now than it did 4-5 years ago. When we started with them I don't think it was possible to carry out the full booking process online and the web site was a shadow of what it is now. I wasn't actually trying to "sell" FCC to anyone - in fact I'd prefer the opposite - less competition!
Interesting about the FCC bookings for Normandy vs South West. Apparently Normandy and Brittany have longer seasons than most places - probably due to accessibility from Channel ports. Do that many people fly to the SW region etc.? What about bigger properties with say 8 to 12 capacity - must cost a fortune to fly?
Cheers,
Jo
Interesting about the FCC bookings for Normandy vs South West. Apparently Normandy and Brittany have longer seasons than most places - probably due to accessibility from Channel ports. Do that many people fly to the SW region etc.? What about bigger properties with say 8 to 12 capacity - must cost a fortune to fly?
Cheers,
Jo