Possibly Another Silly Question............

[EnglishBadger]

[:$] Is it really necessary to supply a washing machine and a dishwasher in a gite? Surely if people are going on hoilday for one week or even two, they take enough clothes to last them the whole holiday. If these items are there, then surely the paying guests will mis-use them or am i wrong? Does everyone supply these items?

Just a little curious thats all........ [:$][B]

[Poppy]

It does sound silly but one of the first things  British guests do on arrival is put the washing machine on [8-)]. I don't think they would book if there wasn't one [:@]

[KathyC]

Just a personal opinion, but I would consider a dishwasher a luxury but a washing machine  a necessity. Even if taking a car (and don't forget some people come by train and some fly) two weeks' worth of clothes  is an enormous amount. I don't think I own enough clothes to last me for two weeks without washing them! As for people with children, it doesn't bear thinking about. I think that you would be seriously limiting your market if you didn't have access to a washing machine, although not necessarily one per gite.

[EnglishBadger]

[quote user="Poppy"]It does sound silly but one of the first things  British guests do on arrival is put the washing machine on [8-)]. I don't think they would book if there wasn't one [:@][/quote]

 

I have read other things on this site about washing machines, so i think when we start our gite, i will log how long it takes people before they put the washing machine on.........[:D] or maybe i should just want to get out more.......

[EnglishBadger]

Just had another thought, (thats two in one day, i had better go for a cider !!!) do you supply the washing machine tablets and dishwasher tablets?

[Eslier]

I must say that we have quite a good laugh waiting to see which of our new arrivals will be the first to use the laundry room. It's rare that someone hasn't put a load in within 24hrs of arrival.  Personally I can't understand why people would want to spend their holidays washing and ironing but that's their choice and our job is to provide them with what makes them happy. I agree with Poppy, a washing machine is an essential item and something that many people make certain of before they book.

A dishwasher is, I suppose, more of a luxury but it is one that more people now appreciate. It's probably not so important for a small gite accommodating up to four people but anything bigger and it starts to become more vital if you want to attract the higher paying guests.

We don't provide washing powder or liquid (although we sometimes let people use some of ours when they need to get their wash on before they've even been to the shops after arrival) but we do provide dishwasher tablets. Not a whole box full, just enough for one wash per day of their stay plus a couple of extras.

[Coco]

It always amazes me, it's like Englishbadger says, why would you want to spend your holiday washing and ironing?  If I go away for a week I most certainly wouldn't expect to do ANY washing and ironing.  If going for two weeks then maybe knickers and a few T-shirts, but still virtually no ironing.  BUT... in our B&B we find that, even though it's nt self-catering, and we don't advertise any kind of laundry service or facilities, people that have been away from home for more than about 4 days seem to EXPECT to have facilities for washing clothes.  Our last lot of Americans that asked to do some laundry had only been in Italy for 5 days before they came here but from what went on the line they must have been changing their underwear at least twice a day and their socks 3 times!!!

[zeb]

I think you need to assume that some of your guests will be flying over (and then hiring a car) so luggage, especially with Ryanair/Flybe, has to be kept to a minimum. The other thing is the heat - here in Charente it's been 36 degrees in the shade every day this week - and I don't know about the rest of you but I'm changing T-shirts and undies 2 or 3 times a day! And then, there's the swimming stuff and towels, plus the towels etc provided at the gite (usually just two for the week).

At the moment, for the two of us, I'm doing a load every other day and I'd expect to do the same on holiday. It doesn't mean I stand about in the heat ironing things, just like to be clean and fresh.

I think a dishwasher is an essential on holiday as well. All the French owned gites we used to stay in had good ones and it was one of the treats/provisions I really looked forward to as I didn't have one of my own. Who wants to stand around washing up at a sink when they're en vacance?

[betoulle]

Said goodbye on Saturday to our first family in the 3 years we have been in the gite business who did not use the washing machine at all - a lady after my own heart who said 'I don't come on holiday to do housework......' I dont object to washing being done, what really bugs me is the size of the loads - running a machine for 2 hours for one change of clothes is such a waste of water & not good for the environment - particularly when it is done every day & sometimes twice a day across 2 gites..........& I have never had anyone wash the towels/bedlinen provided in the gites...........I wish they would sometimes........We do provide all the washing liquid etc as we have a septic tank so need to ensure that the right products are used or my husband has the horrible job of hiring a digger to unblock the run off pipe - not pleasant, particularly at the height of the season - for the same reason we also supply the correct toilet paper.  Have never had anyone request a dishwasher in the gites - it would just be another thing to breakdown & repair on our already very busy Saturdays......why don't guests tell you when the microwave, kettle, iron, blinds etc are broken...............  If we had a gite which accommodated more than 6 people regularly we would have to provide one as per the GdF rules & regs - we only ever have more than 4 in the school hols, so I guess the kids get to wash up...............

[Suandpete]

We have just one gite which will accommodate up to 7 but which rarely

has more than 4.  We have always provided a washing machine and

Calgon - as it is in the bathroom in the gite I have no idea how often

it is used.  We like to improve something each year in the house

and this years was the addition of a dishwasher - which is proving to

be very popular.  We provide enough dishwasher tablets for one

each day and a couple over because I prefer them to use the ones which

include rinsaid and salt.  If we didn't provide them the visitors

would probably use the wrong ones.  Once in three years 

someone staying there put the dirty sheets in the washing machine

before they left.  It  just doesn't seem to occur to people.

[nimportequoi]

I have washing machinges in all 3 cottages and dishwashers in the 2 which sleep 6 and 12 people. I think that they are essential for groups of 4+ people now - most people have them at home and I don't think they are considered a luxury anymore. I supply all dishwasher tablets, but not washing powder/liquid. I've been looking at putting a dishwasher into the small gite which sleeps 4, but there isn't a lot of room and the small dishwasher type that can fit in a cupboard costs a fortune and it doesn't hold  lot of inventory. Having spoken to guests they prefer a washing machine over a dishwasher when there is only a max of 4 people (2 adults, 2 children) in the house - particularly if they have babies.

In the four years I have been renting out the gites I've had 2 incidents with the dishwashers, one breakdown and one blockage because the guests weren't cleaning off the leftover food properly.

[Blanche Neige]

Washing machine YES, dishwasher probably essential for large groups.

If we had space I would add a dishwasher but like SusanAH we can't put one in our kitchen without completely re-doing it. The washing machine I use when we are there and I do like to get the laundry up to date before we leave as I hate unpacking dirty washing when we return to the U.K.

I do believe that the fewer gadgets you have the less there is to go wrong.[;-)]

 

Have a good Summer everyone and happy lettings.[:)]

[Just Katie]

I would certainly not rent a gite for 2 weeks without a washing machine.  How can a person say they don't do housework the the 2 weeks they are on holiday?  I would be alarmed.  Does this person not wipe around the kitchen and clean her crockery daily?  I bet she looked like a sweaty ape!

When we rent a gite we sweep and mop through every other day.  We eat our breakfast and usually diner there so I would also expect a dishwasher too.

I load the washing machine every other day and take advantage of the southern climate to make sure all my clothes are clean for my return home.

 

[Quillan]

We get a lot of people come via Ryanair and the limit is 15kg for the hold and 10kg for the cabin, it's nt much. Although we are a B&B we find most people who use Ryanair wanting a wash done around the 5 days mark. Most save the weight to take presents home.

[nimportequoi]

Katie,

I wish all my guests did the same as you! I find generally that with one family, the gite is always kept quite clean, but when there are a group or 2/3 families no-one seems to want to do more than anyone else regarding cleaning, so therefore nothing in the way of housework gets done and the place is generally left quite dirty. Except when Grandma is in the group, then the place is usually spotless.

[Benjamin]

KKK

I've used a few words to describe you over the last months but I never thought "naive" would be one of them. I'm not involved in gites or B & B but I have seen the results left at houses of friends and, on occassions, it ain't very nice.

Benjamin

[Just Katie]

Benjamin,

What has me needing a washing machine that got with naivety? Please explain.

[Benjamin]

KKK

It wasn't anything to do with the washing machine but your blind faith that everyone will bother themselves with sweeping and mopping on a daily basis. Just because you personnaly like to keep a place neat and tidy doesn't mean everyone is the same.

As I said before I've seen both the "before" and "after" state in houses that friends rent and some of the conditions that people were living in defies description.

Benjamin

[Just Katie]

Benjamin, I said nothing about having a blind faith that other people clean.  I said I was appalled by those who don't.  .  Just an opinion thats all. 

With regards to you calling me naive, I have poked about in enough homes over the span of my career to understand that some people live like animals.

[Owens88]

Is it really necessary to supply a washing machine and a dishwasher in a gite?

Well, it depends.  Ours is for families / groups so yes there will be some washing needs, probably, and without a dishwasher who does the dishes ?

Also we are far south so most come by plane and are not cramming a car with clothes for a fortnight including 3 changes a day etc.

P.S. WHAT'S IRONING ?

John

 

 

[Hoddy]

KKK wrote "some people live like animals".

I object on behalf of the animals. I can't think of any animal that chooses to live in filth.

Ironing - I'm with you John. My kids grew out of things while waiting for them to be ironed.

Hoddy

[Just Katie]

You missed the point there Hoddy,

If you put an animal to live in a gite for two weeks it would hardly give it a little wipe around with flash and a sweep out now would it?

Oh and my old labrador would have chosen to live in filth.  Loved rolling in mud and poo.  It made him as happy as a pig in shit.  Ooops there's another one[:D]

[Owens88]

[quote user="KatieKopyKat"]

...When we rent a gite we sweep and mop through every other day. ..

[/quote]

It is an interesting one this. We don't want to live in a tip so we would all do simple tidying/cleaning as we go along (hey no peeking in my offiice !) .

The reputation is that a French visitor will clean more thoroughly than that as they leave. Truly I have seen a French family even mopping steps in the common stairway of a , frankly, not well kept spanish property. But in a short holiday I don't budget for a half day spring clean on departure, and I don't think that others should either,  so we insist on our cleaners cleaning our gite between rentals. I'll take money out of the deposit if somebody has left the place in such a state that the cleaner's job is very difficult (only one occurrence - a dog !).

However. When we have rented in Portugal (several times, a few years ago) the cleaners came in daily or every other day. That's nice  !

[Quillan]

Although some will break this rule on occassion I would rate (in order) the Germans, French and Belgians as very, very, tidy in as much as the rooms are always as they found them on the first day, bed made, rugs shacken out of the window, shoes if not in the wardrobe then in a neat little line (his and hers) toilet well if you could get in there you could swim in it as it;'s so clean. At the end of the list at the most dire I would say Spanish (they seem to just dump everything over the floor and everywhere else making it inmosible to enter the room and clean) followed by......... the Englsih. I shall now put my army helmet and body armour on and duck down below the parapit and await incoming. [:D]

[Hoddy]

KKK wrote "If you put an animal to live in a gite for two weeks it would hardly give it a little wipe around with flash and a sweep out now would it?"

An animal wouldn't choose to live in a gote for a fortnight.

Hoddy