Cottages4U, French Country Cottages etc

[Richard51]

Does anyone use the above (with all its various trading names: Cottages4U, French Country Cottages, Individual France, French Life, Welcome France etc)?  We have been looking at renting our house for a year or so (just until I retire next September) and so we contacted the above to request a price.  We had to provide contact details and were subsequently called by a rep.  He said that one of their local reps would visit to assess the property for rental price etc and in the meantime they would send a brochure.  On receiving their brochure our initial reactions are that we are not too impressed.  In particular:

It seems that they only market to the Brits

They require an exclusivity agreement (not a good idea, we felt, if their market is restricted)

They guarantee a rental receipt but set their published rental price higher - marginally so in the shoulder seasons but significantly higher for peak months.  This would seem to motivate them to let peak weeks only and not the more difficult shoulder seasons.

They seem to have a very prescriptive (and very Brit focussed) equipment list.  i.e. we must have a teapot (!?)  We also have to remove any china, pots, pans, knives etc that are not on their prescribed list.  To where?  This is our home - we have no real desire to turn it into an Ikea look alike rental.

Are they really so good that it is worth going through all the above?

[Clair]

Richard51,

The number of enquiries I get from the UK has diminished over the last

couple of years and I have not renewed any listing targeting the UK

market.

I have not dealt with any of these.

You might get a better feedback on Lay my hat [:)].

[bannie]

For us they have been brilliant, we've had more bookings than we ever hoped for - Christmas too - with visitors from Canada/Australia and Belgium but mostly Brits. Ours is a home too and the list is a guide, we have much more in the way of kitchen equipment and the furnishings are not Ikea! They do like you to have 'new' matching utensils etc which isn't unreasonable.

If you'd like more specific info, please email me

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[Théière]

[quote user="Richard51"] we must have a teapot (!?)  [/quote]

Sorry i'm busy all year [:)]