Blanche Neige Posted February 16, 2007 Share Posted February 16, 2007 A quiet time of year so to keep this forum going how about listing some good ideas / housekeeping hints that you have discovered. I'll start:Buy one of those large tin trunks from Carrefour to store your bed linen. It will not only keep the linen clean and dry but the trunk can be locked when you are away or the house is let. If the trunk is kept in a bedroom people can also put their suitcases on it.[:)] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ngh Posted February 16, 2007 Share Posted February 16, 2007 Its the time of the year for bargains. So buy your linen and crockery in the sales. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoddy Posted February 16, 2007 Share Posted February 16, 2007 Blanche Niege I bought a couple of old metal cabin trunks from the local junk shop in the UK, painted them in appropriate colours, and use them to keep bed linen in. Perfect for second home owners because they are mice and moth proof.Hoddy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patmobile Posted February 20, 2007 Share Posted February 20, 2007 Not many replies!I think there's a message here. It's that people who run successful gite businesses don't want to give away any commercial secrets.I can, however, give some advice to anyone who's interested. If you have ever run a business - and were good at it, you'll find running a successful gite business easy. If you haven't, or you weren't, you won't.Patrick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blanche Neige Posted February 20, 2007 Author Share Posted February 20, 2007 quote user="Patmobile"Not many replies!I think there's a message here. It's that people who run successful gite businesses don't want to give away any commercial secrets. You could be right but I don't think my tin trunk idea was of great commercial value. LOL[:)]I don't run a gite business either, we only let our second home for a few weeks of the year when we don't need it, so not quite the same business. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CatherineS2 Posted February 24, 2007 Share Posted February 24, 2007 Actually Blanche, your idea is of great value to me, because I have just been wrestling with exactly that problem. I had been considering buying a large plastic trunk, one of those you see in pound shops, but was reluctant because a) you can't lock them, and b) they're ugly.Do you by chance have a link to the item on their website? Or do you have a photo? I've just done a search, unsuccessfully. OK, in return, here's my hint....Log on to www.laymyhat.com, the website for rental home owners. There you will find an absolute cornucopia of hints and tips, as well as a very lively discussion forum where rental owners are NOT reluctant to help out and share their secrets! (Well some of them anyway!). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blanche Neige Posted February 24, 2007 Author Share Posted February 24, 2007 " I had been considering buying a large plastic trunk, one of those you see in pound shops, but was reluctant because a) you can't lock them, and b) they're ugly.Do you by chance have a link to the item on their website? Or do you have a photo? I've just done a search, unsuccessfully. " CatherineS2 I don't have a link but I am sure you will find it easy to buy one in your local Carrefour. These trunks come in different sizes, you do need to buy a padlock in addition to the trunk. They are really sturdy and great for keeping the linen "safe" and dry and as Hoddy said, also keep the mice and moths out! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Owens88 Posted February 25, 2007 Share Posted February 25, 2007 Ay more hints? I am an absentee Gite owner and do have a local manager, but anything to make life more controlled would be useful. My contribution... a keybox is a good idea even if you have a 'meet n greet' management service. Mostly you only provide one key anyway and often a booking contains many responsible people. Locking the key near the door is a good compromise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tresco Posted February 25, 2007 Share Posted February 25, 2007 Are hints from a very occasional gite user welcome?[;-)]Allow time check and ensure that garden furniture is clean. The inevitable back story...I made a late booking (but with a weeks notice) for early March last year. The accomodation was immaculate, but the furniture outside had been overlooked. A casual glance revealed no problems, but it was really filthy, after standing outside all Winter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blanche Neige Posted February 25, 2007 Author Share Posted February 25, 2007 Good point Tresco,we keep all of ours in the garage over winter and make sure we clean it at the beginning of the season (and during when we are there). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ngh Posted February 25, 2007 Share Posted February 25, 2007 I really think that our guests appreciate us living on site. I know its not everyones cup of tea. But we seem to become friends with most of our guests and if a problem arises then we can sort it there and then.nich the wood (joiner) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blanche Neige Posted February 25, 2007 Author Share Posted February 25, 2007 nich the wood (joiner)said "I really think that our guests appreciate us living on site. I know its not everyones cup of tea." Some guest do like this and some like to have their very own little bit of France for their week / fortnight and not have any English speaking neighbours.[:)] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ngh Posted February 25, 2007 Share Posted February 25, 2007 Lets start a survey. Who would choose to stay in a gite with the owner close by or on site, and who would not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dick Smith Posted February 25, 2007 Share Posted February 25, 2007 And that would tell us what? That there are two different points of view...How many gîte owners are there in France?How many of them read this forum?Of those that read, how many post?How many gîte users are there?How many of them read this forum?Of those that read, how many post?We know that two people have different points of view. If a hundred people respond we will still know no more because we are such a small percentage of those owning or using gîtes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cassis Posted February 25, 2007 Share Posted February 25, 2007 Samples as small as 100 are used in quantitative market research if the population being sampled is homogeneous or if the client is a cheapskate who wants a result for peanuts. [:)]100 responses from users of this forum on any topic represents the views of nothing other than a not very well constructed, and in all likelihood an unrepresentative, sample of forum members. Not in any way representative of, say, gite users or balanced, rational human beings.Anyway, my tip:Even in winter, run the mower over the grass occasionally, even if it doesn't look like it really needs it. Makes a heck of a difference to the general appearance of the property. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cooperlola Posted February 25, 2007 Share Posted February 25, 2007 One person response to totally lop-sided survey. No, I don't like the owners to be on site - at the end of a phone is fine. I book a gite (or a cottage in the UK) for the peace, quiet and independence. I don't want to feel I'm being watched all the time - even if that's not what the owners are doing. But it's nice if they pop in to say hi. We've made great friends with the owners of the gite we used to rent around here (they're French) and they were a couple of miles down the road. However, for the owners I think it must be a comfort to see what's going on, n'est-ce pas? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clair Posted February 25, 2007 Share Posted February 25, 2007 I've had French people on the phone, horrified at the thought of having the owners next door, 'spying on them' (their words, in French though! makes me wonder what they were planning to do they would not want us to know about... [Www]) and I've had British visitors relieved to know they'd have English speaking owners nearby, in case of emergency (doctor called out at 9pm, late pregnancy health scare, car problems... all resolved satisfactorily). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pun Posted February 25, 2007 Share Posted February 25, 2007 We have our gite approx 4kms from our french home, we found that by being close but not living next door means we can be on hand for any problems or help needed by our customers and for any reason.By reading living france gite section over the past 3 years Ive found that more and more problems are with gite owners not being near. ie having friends do the change overs etc.If you live in france you'll learn a lot more by being here than you ever will by living away in the u.k.REF, good ideas,make sure you have smoke alarms fitted and check they work, and a first aid kit with tel/numbers on the lid of all emergency numbers, and a fire ext/blanket roll near the cooker.And a spare set of keys (for your own use) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KathyC Posted February 25, 2007 Share Posted February 25, 2007 [quote user="Pun"]And a spare set of keys (for your own use)[/quote]That reminds me; I do wish that owners of self catering accommodation would provide more than one set of keys. Even if you've only let to a couple, I find the idea that people spend their holidays joined at the hip quite frustrating. I'm sure that we can't be the only people who like to go our own way, at least some of the time and it spoils the freedom of being on holiday to continually need to make arrangements so that the keyholder is first one back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pun Posted February 25, 2007 Share Posted February 25, 2007 nich the wood,Inspite of what some people may say , I feel you have a right to ask the question and also the pre thought.I for one thank you, well doneI feel gite owners should not live on sight,(The reason,) the renters need both space to enjoy the holiday and not feel they have the owners looking at every move they take.And I also feel the owners are better not seeing the antics the renters get up to, after all we all have verious different ways of living and we may not agree with the way some people behave or the manner in which they talk etc.Once again well done for the idea of this thread. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pun Posted February 25, 2007 Share Posted February 25, 2007 A good point Kathyc, as you say no one wants tobe joined at the hip and it can lead to the one key being left under bricks etc,I should have said, "but you've already said it in a sort of way, " make the customers feel they are on holiday and for the right reason's stress free, happy, and wanting to come back for more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tresco Posted February 25, 2007 Share Posted February 25, 2007 [quote user="Pun"]nich the wood,Inspite of what some people may say , I feel you have a right to ask the question and also the pre thought..Once again well done for the idea of this thread.[/quote]I don't mind a diversion, but this thread was about hints and tips for gite owners, not the 'survey' Nich proposed. If you already live next to your gite, you're hadly going to be able to decamp for the summer are you?That said, I too prefer the owners to be accessible (by phone, at least) rather than on site.Another thought for people new to the gite business, especially: Please include in your 'instructions' details about rubbish collection - especially with regard to collection of recycleable glass/plastics etc being done on different days of the month in some areas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cassis Posted February 26, 2007 Share Posted February 26, 2007 Make sure your information pack is up to date for the forthcoming season (dates and opening hours of local attractions, chateaux, gardens, canoeing, restaurants, etc.). Not applicable to second home owners perhaps ... [:)] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pun Posted February 26, 2007 Share Posted February 26, 2007 Tresco.two questions asked, not one, and I was not the only person to comment on the 2 questions ,having said that if you feel people are going off the subject?and its so wrong of them, why are you joining in??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cassis Posted February 26, 2007 Share Posted February 26, 2007 No need to get excited - I thought Tresco was pointing out the futility of a 'poll' on whether gite owners should be near their property and suggesting that it might be better to stick to the hints and tips. [:)]Check all the light bulbs including bedside lights - easily overlooked. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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