Derkins Posted September 7, 2006 Share Posted September 7, 2006 Is there anyone selling their gite complex privately?We are looking for a 4 bed family house plus 2 or 3 gites in a good non isolated location between Limoges and Toulouse.Let me know if you are selling.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derkins Posted September 12, 2006 Author Share Posted September 12, 2006 Thanks to all those who have emailed me, I am stunned to see how many gites there are for sale, is there something I don't know - why is everyone selling up - is it a bad time to be buying one?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miki Posted September 12, 2006 Share Posted September 12, 2006 I and others no doubts on here, will not be at all surprised. The last5 years or so, have seen a boom in Brits arriving and manyof those came to run gîtes and B&B's on the back of TV programmesand the want to lead a "better life" in France. Now the fall out of all that is appearing. Many attempts are now on themarket, having found out it is not quite as easy as it looks on theexterior, nor as cheap to restore nor as cheap to actually live inFrance, as many people would have them believe ! Those places, alliedto the places on the market, where the folks who have done well enoughbut would now like to retire or move on, means a look around thesites will show quite a choice gîtes and complexes to choose from. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frogslegs Posted September 12, 2006 Share Posted September 12, 2006 [quote user="Derkins"]Thanks to all those who have emailed me, I am stunned to see how many gites there are for sale, is there something I don't know - why is everyone selling up - is it a bad time to be buying one??[/quote]could it be....hard work for little return? or dream turned to nightmare?www.le-tilleul.comever the optermist[;-)] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derkins Posted September 12, 2006 Author Share Posted September 12, 2006 From your experiences, what are the top 5 requirements for a successful gite complex? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexis Posted September 12, 2006 Share Posted September 12, 2006 I will start you off...then you can all argue[:D]1. Location2. No loan3. Location4. A minimum of four gîtes5. Location Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nimportequoi Posted September 12, 2006 Share Posted September 12, 2006 Not sure about all 5, but a good location is important and if you are not right on the coast a heated pool is almost a must now to generate enough income to live on. I don't think gites involve a huge amount of work, in fact I'm sure they are the easy option compared to B&B, but there is more and more competition now and you need to offer something pretty good to get more than the minimum 12 weeks let a year. Do not underestimate the cost of general maintainance/decoration/furnishing that is involved in keeping the rental accommodation to a good standard. Other things really depend on the market you are aiming for, if it is families, a big garden with lots to do is important, if you want the golfing market then the requirement will be different. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grays Posted September 12, 2006 Share Posted September 12, 2006 Learn the language, if you don't already speak it.even those of us who have a large percentage of english speaking customers/guests still need to have a reasonable level of French language.perhaps i might add that, it is possible to get by with less than 4 gites, but only if other sources of income are also investigated Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nimportequoi Posted September 12, 2006 Share Posted September 12, 2006 The minimum number of gites also depends on the size of the gites - I only have 3, but the one with 6 bedrooms generates over 3 times the income of the 2 bed house. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChezShells Posted September 13, 2006 Share Posted September 13, 2006 I would say the best thing is presenation in advertisements.Those selling I would say are doing due to -They aren't getting as many bookings as they would like probably due to poor advertisingAnd because they are making a mint from their property by selling it (nothing wrong with that). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derkins Posted September 13, 2006 Author Share Posted September 13, 2006 Regading location, apart from close to transport links, tourist attractions, restaurants, shops etc, is there anything else that is really important? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Val_2 Posted September 13, 2006 Share Posted September 13, 2006 Yes. QUALITY of the lettings. For a holidaymaker who has been saving hard all year,he wants the best he can afford and not some run down cottage that has been furnished with second hand rubbish that a lot of people seem to do and then wonder why they get no takers. I've seen some horrors that people have done up and also, a lot of people don't like the owners in their face all the time whilst they are staying. If I was going into this trade I would furnish with stuff better than my own residence. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Riff-Raff Element Posted September 13, 2006 Share Posted September 13, 2006 [quote user="Val_2"]If I was going into this trade I would furnish with stuff better than my own residence.[/quote]I am happy to confirm that we furnish our house (with the exception of the girls' rooms) with the hand-me-downs from the gites! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KathyC Posted September 13, 2006 Share Posted September 13, 2006 [quote user="Val_2"]Yes. QUALITY of the lettings. For a holidaymaker who has been saving hard all year,he wants the best he can afford and not some run down cottage that has been furnished with second hand rubbish that a lot of people seem to do and then wonder why they get no takers. I've seen some horrors that people have done up and also, a lot of people don't like the owners in their face all the time whilst they are staying. If I was going into this trade I would furnish with stuff better than my own residence.[/quote]I'm sure this is true if you are hoping to get really high prices but I sometimes wonder, as a punter, whether some accommodation is too smart and, therefore too expensive. When you look at the price of some places, you could stay in an expensive hotel for less or go to a more exotic location. Some of the rooms look so smart that they must be a nightmare to stay in with young children. As long as the standard of accommodation is appropriate for the prices charged, don't you feel that there's a place for both luxury and more basic accommodation? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hastobe Posted September 13, 2006 Share Posted September 13, 2006 The very same thought crossed my mind - great for small two person (aka couple) gite but for a family it would be my idea of a holiday from hell!Our last gite we chose (or rather the kids chose) because the pictures showed that the kids had moved the outside hammock into the big kids bedroom. There were no precious things around we had to worry about and the owners clearly had a relaxed approach to the house as their grandchildren seemed to spend many weeks in summer building dens etc around the place, moving furniture etc etc.(Just as an aside though - this was one of the gites I referred to on the gite cleaning thread - where we had to chip food off kitchen appliances etc etc - so they were clearly relaxed in their approach to hygeine too!)Kathie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chauffour Posted September 13, 2006 Share Posted September 13, 2006 [quote user="ChezShells"] Those selling I would say are doing due to -They aren't getting as many bookings as they would like probably due to poor advertisingAnd because they are making a mint from their property by selling it (nothing wrong with that).[/quote]...not everyone....we are selling after 5 successful summers, when we moved here we knew this was just temporary, we had a good time and loved every moment. we are moving forward, for sure not going back to the UK! next stop is South Africa and our experience here will be precious! we know it will take a long time to sell so we are ready and happy to run another season in 2007. ..and we will not make a mint, just the right price after having several valuations from more than one estate agent.the fact that there are so many gites for sale is not scary for us, it only means the buyers have to be more careful in choosing the right one... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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