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Smiley

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Everything posted by Smiley

  1. Grays if I was in your position I would be livid. Not only because of the lease agreement but because of the personal attack. Sounds to me like they were trying to intimidate you. Why else would he have his son with him. If the father signed the lease then he is solely responsible surely. Having said that anger won't solve anything in this situation. As you have stated you have given them the best part of the letting season. Maybe the best way forward is to ask the father for a coffee on his own (and you without your partner) and explain the problem to him, show him how much you would have charged weekly on a summer let and explain that is why September is chargeable. At least you will have done all you can. People are far easier to handle if they do not feel outnumbered. Maybe you can reach some common ground. Only you know how you feel on this score.   Keep us informed as this is an interesting problem.
  2. It is a sad fact that some people will not treat your property as they would treat their own. I like some other members have been fairly fortunate not to have to charge yet. I have had odd breakages, normally glasses etc. but I absorb these as part of the running costs. I do find people who leave dirty cookers / pans etc. and who use 2-3 towels a day, not bothering to wash them, annoying but I accept that it's part of the job unfortunately. Back to the original post though. I would definately charge for the table, at cost + delivery charge and would  deduct an excessive cleaning charge but only for over and above time. I would provide it in the form of a bill along with copies of the receipt for the table. This way they couldn't argue really.
  3. [quote user="wen"]Clair, there is a one-word reason why we refuse to build a pool for our Auberge. 'Parents'.  I come from a country where too many little kids have drowned in backyard pools simply because Mum and Dad 'took their eyes away for just a second'. For all sorts of reasons. But there is always one common denominator...no direct parental supervision. You have to literally sit and watch them at ALL times. I know of a three year old who drowned while Mum was hanging out the washing ten feet away, she had her back to him!. It is not your fault it is theirs. Sorry, but incidents like this just make me want to retch.[/quote]   The only trouble is what next? In my house I have architectural guards on the second floor windows to prevent falling. no doubt a 4,5or 6 year old could climb them. How far should we have to go to prevent mis-parenting. Is there one Gite owner who can honestly say that there is no danger to children from one thing or another in their property? Do we have to put guards round the cookers? make sure there are no knives in the kitchen? It could become impossible. All we can do is comply to regulations, stay above the laws and hope. That is why we have insurance surely.
  4. Hi Clair, There are obviously 2 ways of handling the situation. Personally I would have taken the lead party member (who signed the original agreement) to one side and told them they were in breach of the tems and conditions and asked the new guests to fill out and sign another booking form including the additional guests, before allowing them to stay (assuming the group were giving you no hassle) at least this way they could not bleat about knowing about things. Alternatively of course if you did not want them to continue to stay then you could simply ask the guests to leave as they were in breach. Personally, I am absent from my property as I still remain in the UK but my caretaker always attends and checks who is in the house etc and e-mails me to double check. Probably 25% of my guests ask if extended family or friends can visit. As the house accommodates 10 people it's not a problem for me. I do worry about Insurance though and always insist on the names. Are you sure your terms and conditions are firm enough? I have sent you a copy of mine to compare Paras 4&% relate to your problem. As they rated you 5/5 you must have handled it pretty well ! Unfortunately it is a natural instinct for many people to try to blame others for their carelessness.  
  5. Hi Clair, I too have an above ground pool with removable ladders. I send out a terms and conditions with every booking saying that it is the parents responsibility to remove the ladders when the pool is not in use and that children must not be left unnattended in the garden. The guests have to fill out a booking form with all guests who are to attend and only those listed can stay in the property. This needs to be signed to acknowledge they have read and will abide by the T&C's and returned along with their deposit before I accept the booking. I also have posters up around the house and pool area with the pool rools attached. I agree that you are very patient and I think that I would have pointed out that they are their children, not yours. If you would like me to send you a copy of my T&C's to look at feel free to PM me.  
  6. I had not heard of motrail before so I thought I'd take a look. They quoted £990 To take the car down and back on my travel dates.. Am I doing something wrong with getting the quotation or is this how expensive it really is? By the way I normally go via Evreux and Dreux, it doesn't save that much time but it's much less stressful.
  7. I have to admit that I was one of the members who previously complained in another thread about Ryan Air and it's baggage charges along with comments about Flybe too. I vowed not to fly with RA again. However I have somewhat changed my opinion on this now. Last May I needed to fly out at about 3 weeks notice. When I checked I found that, by a considerable difference, RA were the cheapest and were flying out of East Mids which is much closer to where I live.. I bit the bullet and went with them. I have to say that I found it much clearer with the baggage allowance rules, yes they did charge £5 per hold bag but this was still way way cheaper than their competitors. You don't have to book the bags in advance but it works out cheaper. The staff were helpful, friendly, the flight on time and comfortable. Also E mids is a much nicer airport to fly out of as I have always found Stanstead a bit of a nighmare. I fly twice a year and drive twice a year so I am simply taking down spare clothes to leave at the house so that I can fly light thereby overcoming the baggage charges. I don't have a problem with companies that make it clear up-front, just those that change the rules halfway through. 
  8. I don't think this is a silly question at all, in fact it's one that we have been debating just recently. Up until now we have provided unlimited towels and bedding however just recently (since the introduction of the swimming pool) we have noticed some abuse of this service. Our cleaner is now complaining that she sometimes ends up with 4 or 5 loads of towels to wash and guests sleeping in more than one bed ! Therefore we have decided to lock the linen and towels away and supply just two hand towels and one bath towel per bathroom free with the option of additional towels at a small cost. I know it sounds mean but I have to pay for my cleaner  and I can't think of another way round it  We have modern washing and drying facilities which the guests can use should they wish to have a fresh towel each day.
  9. Blimey, it's edited out Dick's surname !! You know who I mean, he played Bert, surname like a Dutch dam !!
  10. [quote user="KatieKopyKat"] Yes Dude I know what you mean but at the same time we all know it's really just a load of old pollocks. [/quote] Blimey KatieKopyKat I hope thats local slang for politics !!! I'm afraid it's true we do all tend to generalise nations, but we're not the only ones. The yanks think all English sound like Dick Van Dyke out of Mary Poppins or Prince Charles, Aussies think we are all whingeing Poms (with some justification if everyone moans at the slightest light hearted joke !) Most of the rest of the world either think we are warmongers or Drunk footie fans. It doesn't mean they hate us all, it's just a joke !!! I don't take it personally in fact quite the opposite, I am happy to laugh about it. We should be more open with our views, as long as it is not aimed at incitement.  
  11. Hi Susanah, The reason my property is so cheap for the peak this year is that the prices were set before I installed the pool, third bathroom and re-furnished much of the house, so those that booked have got a bargain for this year (They didn't know about the pool etc. when they booked). My prices will rise to reflect the investment next year, they have to. As I said, I am fortunate in that I bought the house primarily for a holiday home and eventually my retirement (an investment for my future enjoyment more than a financial one) I would rather meet the running costs and keep the house maintained than see it sat empty for 10  months of the year. I reinvest as much as I can back into improving the house and its facilities. This way money goes into the local economy and I keep the house in a good condition. If I was relying on the house to give me an income then things would have to be different.   
  12. I purchased an above ground pool from  http://www.maisonetconfort.com  It comes with removable steps and therefore is not subject to having all the bells and whistles for security. We checked with our local Mairie who told us we could fill it for the first time from the mains supply but requested we use a collector tank to top it up. It took me 3 days to install it with the help of a friend. All you need is a solid, level base. The company were very helpfull and delivered on the dot at a very reasonable price - 40 euros delivery !! It came with everything needed - pump, filter, winter cover, solar cover, ground sheet, internal /external steps and even a years supply of treatment. I went for this one :  http://www.maisonetconfort.com/site/Exterieur/Piscine/Piscines-hors-sol/Piscines-bois/Kit-piscine-bois-OSLO-ovale-6-55m-x-4-80m-x-1-28m-a1106.html#prix You can see the finished article on my web-site www.midipyrenees.co.uk  Good luck and enjoy the long hot summer days.
  13. I have a 1000 kilo tank from Total. The gas is 1.1 Euro per kilo and my deposit 2 years ago was 1150 euros. Trouble is that if I wanted to fill it it would cost 1100 euro's. However Total are very good in as much as you can ring up and just request whatever amount you want. I use a dual fuel cooker, gas oven and both electric and gas rings. For your set-up you'd probably be better with bottles, I have only kept mine because I have gas central heating and hot water.
  14. [quote user="TheWalkingDude"] That said it would be hard to turn away a dicount request if you are eating dog food (not that i am suggesting you are....).  An example I am on about is when a man contacted my wife and asked for a peak season week. he knew the rate was £750 and told my wife he only had a budget of £400. She simply asked why he was calling if his budget was about half of our prices and he became very abusive. Many holiday makers think we Gite owners are all poor and starving..... If we'd have said yes to that booking we'd have just reinforced that impression. I'd much prefer an empty Gite myself.... Cheers joe[/quote]     Joe, I understand your point fully. Requesting that kind of discount is a joke and I would have given the same reply. I offer 5% -15% depending on how late the booking is, season and number of weeks taken. I don't tend to offer it in the winter months as the gas bill is horrendous and I'd simply lose money, so why bother. However I have found that for April/May and October it proves worthwhile. Now shall I go for Laddie or Pedigree Chum for supper ? Just kidding, thankfully I'm not at the dog food stage yet Joe !!!
  15. I have only experienced out and out rudeness once in France. This was at a hotel I was staying at before boarding the ferry. We sat down for our evening meal and the waitress flatly refused to serve us. She tended to seveal french groups that came in after us and eventually she got a young waiter to serve us. She made it quite obvious as she she totally ignored me when I tried to speak to her (in French). That aside, I have always found the locals incredibly warm and welcoming. My French is not brilliant but I try my best and they accept this. They are always patient as I try to muddle through. There will of course always be the odd one in any town or village but this is the exception not the norm.   
  16. I guess at the end of the day it all depends on what market you are aiming for. Our location doesn't tend to attract the lager lout type of people.  We have a TV with UK/French/DVD/Video but like some other owners we also supply a library of books and large assortment of games for both indoor and outdoor activity. I'm not about to start encouraging my guests that they should or shouldn't watch telly - It's their holiday not mine. My comment about £750.00 a week was not trying to say that there is not a market for it or indeed that properties aren't worth it. I was merely trying to point out that in an environment where there is a plentiful supply of properties, there are only so many people who can afford the more luxurious end of the market. I don't believe that the internet is an added overhead, yes you have to pay for advertising but you have to pay for Ads in magazines etc. At least on the internet you have the flexibility to alter when you need to. Most people have a pc anyway so this is not normally a factor. Also it gives you a worldwide market, something you don't get with papers and magazines. As for bumping up prices to then reduce them, it's not something I do personally, my prices are posted on my web-site so it would be a bit difficult. I have had 3/4 weeks of last minute bookings at a time when my property would have been left empty so it works for me personally. It is also good for the local area and the locals I employ to clean & maintain the house, so it benefits all round.  
  17. I'm sorry Joseph but I dissagree. Firstly the internet means more and more people are booking late. They also expect a discount for 'net' trading. Secondly we all know that there are plenty of gites etc. available so we have to make ours more appealing than the next. We'd all love to be asking £750 + per week but who's going to pay it. We live in a world of cut-price shopping, we need to adapt to that. Gone are the days of high profit rentals. I believe in high turnover at a realistic price, but then again I only rely on the income to pay the tax and the bills. The house is the investment for me. For those that rely on the rental for a living, it's going to get harder.
  18. Gabe, unless you live in a mansion your insurance is very steep. As always it goes on value. I paid 120 euros last year for mine. Have just got a new quote for the house this year and it's £220.00 for use as letting accomodation with swimming pool cover. I'll dig out the companies and post later.
  19. I have just been having discussions with a friend of mine in Northern france about this very subject. He is having to carry out extensive pointing and I am just in the process of posting him a gun out. It is about twice the size of a silicone gun and comprises of a short section of pipe and 2 nozzles, one small and one large. I have found that the tube is simply a piece of plastic down-pipe so if you damage it it's easy to replace. They are available from Builders merchants in the UK and are also used to apply expansion joints to buildings ( the purpose I bought this one for )  Screwfix.com do a similar but smaller tool  - item no.45910 Let me know if you need more help locating one.
  20. We found Feb and March really busy enquiries wise but slowed dramatically in April. Booked all but 1 peak week and had 'late' bookings for April and May. Nothing for June yet and only enquiries for Sept.Personally I don't mind the late-comers as long as you can get the funds cleared before their stay starts. Better late than never wouldn't you say?
  21. Hello Holly, received this request:   Hola, > I am emailing you to request further information on your property as > featured on the site.The dates I am interested in are August 1st 2006 till > Sep 30th 2006 and there will be people in our party the number of peopel > in our pert will be 3 in number and can we make uses of Pentium 4 Laptop > and its will not need connection it OK im hope that we can bring this > along during our stay in the property all these details i needs.Please > could you email me with your availability around this time along with any > further information and if the time i book from is not open let me have > the date and the time that the property will be open for 2 months ok. > Many Thanks, The Pentium 4 seems a bit strange, eh??   Reckon it could be linked???? Came through    www.theholidayhost.com
  22. I have been getting constant enquries from someone called Chris Coat Howard requesting my property for 3 months. I have told him it is for holiday lets so he has now reduced his request to 5 weeks . Like the scam mentioned previously he has said he will have laptops with the party that will need to be used. I politely told him that we require cleared funds  a minimum of 6 weeks in advance with a 25 % deposit immediately. Paid by bank transfer or Paypal which must be cleared before we will confirm any bookings. I think it may be a scam has anyone else heard of this guy or very similar?. Any advice?
  23. Thought I'd take a look at this as it's the closest port to my place, 835.00 Euros (about £580 pounds?) for return, 2 people and car in May. I Fear it may not be much of a pressure on BF's prices but we can live in hope. They do say it's a mini cruise tho. Thanks for posting the info.
  24. I got mine from the local fishing tackle shop too. 2 photos & Passport required. They also sell them at some Tabacs.
  25. I have just purchased Labyrinth to read while away at my house in  france. I felt I should at least buy it as Kate Mosse was good enough to allow me to use details on my web-site. Having communicated with her husband I know that they are passionate about the area and as a property owner I certainly hope the publicity will do the region a world of good. Did anyone see the recent Sunday Times article, predominantly about Ariege but also featuring Carcassonne. With unemployment as high as it is I think the regions could do with as much of an economic boost as possible. The times article can be viewed at  www.timesonline.co.uk/francetravel    
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