Sunday March 25, 2007
How to run a gite in France
1. An all-year-round business?
If your property is in a rural setting, then your rental period is more likely to be limited than if it is in a town location, such as Honfleur, where winter breaks can be a more attractive option to holiday makers. If you are buying a property to rent out as a gîte, this is well worth taking in to consideration.
2. Size of your property
The size of your property will likely determine your client market, e.g. couples, large families etc. If you have a large property and are looking to get rentals out of season, it might be worthwhile renting part of your property out or renting it out to a smaller number of people in order to maximise rentals.
3. Advertising
There are many commercial websites which will advertise your property online at a reasonable rate. Whether you select an online or brochure provider for your advertising, it is advisable to have your own website as well. The reason for this is that, once a potential client has seen your advert and contacted you, he/she will probably have lots of further questions. If you can direct him/her to a website that covers the most frequently asked questions and displays additional photos of your property’s interior and exterior, this will save you a lot of time in handling queries on an individual basis. It is important in your description of the property to be honest. Promote its most attractive features but also point out potential hazards, e.g. steep stairs or low ceilings.
To market your property, you may also wish to invest in creating an ‘E-card’ or postcards of your property, which clients can send to friends and family.
4. Booking
It is advisable to have a booking form that all clients will fill out to ensure that you systematically capture all information required. There is no need for this to be a bind. You can simply send the form to them by email and have them return it to you or have an online booking form that they can fill in directly on your website. Top tip: ask clients to provide you with their mobile phone number so that you can contact them during their stay in case of emergency.
Ensure that you provide booking terms and conditions to your clients. State clearly whether you will or will not allow pets and/or smoking in the property. Here you will also need to outline your refund policy, i.e. will you refund deposits in case of cancellation. It is advisable that you state that clients should take out travel insurance as, if they cancel due to illness, they can claim a refund for the cost of the rental from their insurance company if you provide proof of the cancellation. This means that your cancellation policy can be a little stricter (i.e. you don’t provide refunds).
5. Property management
If you are unable to carry out your own property management, it is essential that you have good, reliable contacts to do it for you. Your safest bet is probably a property management company that can handle all aspects of managing the property. However, this can work out costly. Alternatively, you will need to recruit a reliable cleaner/caretaker. He/she should be given:
a) a printed tick list of cleaning duties and items to be checked on changeover day.
b) a budget for cleaning materials (receipts to be kept for allowances against tax etc)
c) A cupboard, preferably lockable, for storing cleaning materials, spare light bulbs etc.
You should also, if possible, check standards of cleanliness during the rental period by arriving unannounced on changeover day(s).
6. Garden contractor
If you have a garden, ensure it is well maintained all year round and especially through out the rental period. The Normandy weather requires lawns to be mowed weekly. Again, you can either use a property management company to co-ordinate this or source your own local gardener. Whatever you do, make sure that he/she is reliable!
7. Key management
To pay for your caretaker/cleaner/property management service to be on call to provide keys on arrival of your clients can be an unnecessary additional cost. We have found that posting the keys to the client works well. We send out the keys on receipt of final payment in a padded envelope. All the client has to do is post the keys back on their return. The only thing is that you need to have several sets of keys at the ready as you can never be sure how quickly the keys will be returned to you.
8. Changeover Day
The most common changeover day seems to be Saturday. Whichever day you choose, try to stick to it or risk losing rentals. Also, give your cleaner/caretaker sufficient time to carry out changeover duties remembering that, if you are in a rural location, they may have to travel and/or have other commitments.
9. Bed Linen
Providing bed linen can be an unnecessary burden for a property in Normandy. If most of your clients are from the UK, the chances are they will be coming by car given the close proxixmity to Normandy so it is easy for them to bring their own bed linen and towels. Some even prefer to bring their own. However, it is important to supply good quality mattresses fitted with protective covers. We also discovered it is advisable to avoid bed frames with a foot board. This enables taller clients more room for manoeuvre! Also, when buying a bed, beware that in many typical Norman cottages and houses the bed and/or mattress may have to be hoisted through an upstairs window!
10. Feedback
Encourage clients to provide feedback either in a visitor’s book and/or in a brief questionnaire and, where possible, act on constructive suggestions.
11. Where to go
Provide an up-to-date information pack/file of places to visit and opening times of local shops, markets etc. Encourage visitors to record places and restaurants they recommend.
12. Essential Contacts
Display prominently a list of emergency service numbers, directions to local hospital etc. and an English-speaking contact number in the event of a serious problem.
You and your caretaker should build up over time a list of a reliable electrician, plumber and joiner that can act quickly in case an emergency repair is required.
13. Facilities
When furnishing your cottage for use by others, try and answer the question, ‘Is this what would appeal to us on a self-catering holiday?’ We find that, if you provide good quality cooking facilities and comfortable, functional furniture, you set a certain standard for your clients. They will then respect your property and, apart from minor mishaps and wear and tear, there will be little or no damage to the property. Finally, if you have the space, reserve a lockable cupboard or room to store your personal belongings. That way, when you come to stay in your own property, it is not like moving house!
14. Ongoing administration
Protect a small amount of time each day to check and respond to email enquiries. You can really save a lot of time if you have standard email models with attachments, which only need to be personalised for each client before being sent. Printed copies of standard emails will also be required for clients who do not have access to a computer.
Reproduced from www.frenchentree.com/france-normandy
