A Guide to Good Property Management and Successful Holiday ... property management and... · Saint Antonin Noble Val Owners Club 2 Management, homecare and rental "We work on your

Saint Antonin Noble Val Owners Club

1 Management, homecare and rental

"We work on your holiday" www.saintantoninnobleval.com 00 33 (0) 5 63 30 84 15

[email protected] Siret No: 451 872 386 00011

A Guide to Good Property Management and Successful Holiday Rental in France





Hello and welcome to our guide through the often onerous task of finding the right property management company for your holiday home in France.

Travelling to France to maintain your property, is a very fraught and time-consuming experience, and owning a holiday home can create worries for the owners back home, worries about security, maintenance and letting.

Although homeowners have varying and often diverse requirements and require differing service and support levels, we have been delivering a complete one stop service for all our clients property needs for many years.

I hope it helps you in choosing who cares for your "maison secondaire" whilst you are away. The guide covers both pure property and project management as well as income generation through commercial rental and is written to help you, whatever your plans. It will cover the potential pitfalls and risks when looking for assistance, give you some ideas about making money from your property and giving you peace of mind when back home. Property and project management....You pays your money..... Many people ask us for help and advice on looking after their holiday homes in France. For some it's just for friends and family with monthly house checks, property and pool cleaning, laundry and key-holding. (You would be surprised how many clients forget or lose the keys to their property) For others however, its a commercial proposition that will allow them to enjoy their "maison secondaire" when family or friends want a holiday and to make money on it when not in use. Either way its important to find the right local property management company to assist both you, the owners, and of course your guests. There are always shortcuts and cheap options but believe me, in this business it's worth finding a company that goes that extra mile for their clients





Finding a professional management company can be a difficult, time consuming job and if you are buying a French property with an eye to renting out as a holiday home, find your management company before you sign on the dotted line. You should be able to talk to them about the house location, the market rental potential and any downsides to that particular property so you are prepared when the negotiations commence. I've set out below a long wish list (sorry) for those looking for a property management company. Some of the questions are glaringly obvious but others are not so regularly raised by potential clients. What to look for in a Property Management Company

Are they SIRET or SARL registered? Do they speak French? Have they got a good trading history? Are they local to your holiday home. In case of emergencies within a

maximum of half an hour by car of your location? Can they offer testimonials from existing clients? Do they have knowledge of the local area? Do they work only with French registered craftsmen (artisans)? Can they provide a copy of a "House Manual/ Guest Book" to show you from

another rental property? The manual should include lots of local information, ,machine instructions, pool rules, restaurant and shop guides and local market days.

Do they offer additional services such as baby-sitting, welcome packs, special dietary requirements, and a 24/7 emergency phone line?

Do they have a user friendly web site with clear property descriptions and good quality photographs?

Do they advertise their rental properties on other web sites? Will they allow you to advertise the property yourself? Do they offer a fully detailed price list for the services they offer? Do they provide regular emailed status reports and where needed

photographic evidence of issues or problems? Do they have all necessary gardening and pool equipment? Do they provide individual fully itemised invoices for work carried out on your

property and commission on rental bookings? Do they provide proper estimates (devis) for any work to be carried out on

your property with a staggered payment schedule as work progresses. Are they happy to show you previous projects they have managed (New

bathrooms, kitchens, septic tanks, garden makeovers etc)





It is quite a daunting list but one that is well worth using when looking for a property management company. It is also an excellent idea to meet the people you will be dealing with. They should be happy to meet in their offices or your home or just to chat over a cup of coffee at a local bar. Get to know them personally, they will be spending your money and managing your property and will be a first contact in the event of a crisis! (I know this sounds obvious but we have clients on our books who we had never met and who just posted us the keys and we just got on with their requirements) You have now read the list so lets get into a bit more detail What is property management? It is a simple and cost effective way of having your holiday home professionally cared for and maintained by a specialist local company. It should provide you with peace of mind and remove the worries that are so often associated with owning and visiting your property abroad. In the hands of a dedicated team of professionals who will care for the property as if it where their own, you can just relax, enjoy and make the most of your investment. Who needs property management, what can go wrong? Whether you already own a property in France or you are thinking of buying, then there are many physical and practical reasons for using a property management company, especially if you leave your property for long periods of time. Across France there are incredible extremes of weather even here in the south and south west, with occasional very high winds, huge cloudbursts with hail, temperatures as low as -19C and as high as +42C. Your house needs to be prepared for the worst the elements can throw at it and checked very quickly afterwards to make sure there is no short or long term damage. Add to that pool, shutter and garden checks and the outside is covered, but internal problems can also occur, with burst pipes, pest and animal problems, damp and electricity failure. If left such problems go unnoticed for too long they will be a costly surprise the next time you arrive for a well deserved and relaxing holiday! Security checks are also incredibly important as most holiday homes are fairly isolated and considered an easy target for criminals. There may be nothing of significant value in the property but the cost of shutter, window and door repairs can be shocking. Regular checks whilst checking the pool, mowing the lawn or just popping in can reduce the risks of a burglary. If such a disaster does occur dealing





with the local police and the insurance company is, believe me, a nightmare and from your country of residence, almost impossible. We spend a lot of time with, and get to know our clients when they are in residence and know and understand the panic when leaving their property to return home as they run out of time, or forget to lock the house when they dash to the airport or leave the foie gras in the fridge following the 4am start for the drive back to the ferry terminal. The fridge is still full, the bins haven't been emptied, the pool cover has not been put on, the lawn didn't get a cut, and the house wasn't given a good clean. It would no doubt be embarrassing to have friends or family turning up later in the year to discover your bijou residence in such a state! I am sure there are friends and neighbours in your locality who offer to look after the property and may even help out with rentals, but when things go wrong, do they have the resources, the time and the expertise to quickly and professionally resolve the problems...Ask the question The other question you have to ask yourself is who would be best to care for my property and deal with any emergency that arises whatever it may be. These days finding a reliable, professional, trustworthy property management company is a very sensible, cost effective necessity. What value can you place on peace of mind? Level of care, service and personal attention So we have established the need for a professional trustworthy company to look after your home away from home, and any good property management company should offer a wide range of services to suit your exact requirements but should include as standard the following: Communications ("are vital") The company should be able to phone you from site, email you with reports and send photographs of any issues as they arise. They should also have a 24 hour helpline number for both you and your guests for emergencies. Inspection visits ("a necessary cost") We suggest to our client base that we visit the property at least once a month to check the interior and exterior, the pool and pool house, the security features, air the house and check the electricity supply, appliances and the plumbing. A number of our clients request visits every two weeks for their own peace of mind





It is also very important to follow up on these visits with an e-mail status report of the findings. If there are problems they are highlighted supported with photographs and recommended actions and quotes for repair (devis) provided by qualified local trades people. Once work is approved reports on the ongoing repairs or maintenance should be e-mailed on a regular basis. Housekeeping (a "must do") Every owner has differing requirements from their property management company but services should include some or all of the following: Weekly cleaning and laundry services for holiday visits and commercial rentals Spring cleaning including curtains, duvets and rugs Winter house and pool shutdown Gardening as stipulated Pool opening for the summer and cleaning in season at least once a week Bureaucracy.......("The dreaded EDF, GDF, Orange, SFR etc etc") At some stage the chances are that you will need help, advice or assistance dealing with the local and national bureaucracy concerning your property in France. This can range from having one of the utilities cut off for absolutely no reason, or a transfer of funds that doesn't arrive in time to cover a bill, or broadband and satellite TV installation or just a strange letter from the local authority or the town hall. Whatever you need done or problems you encounter you will need a bilingual property management company with experience to sort out such issues as quickly and efficiently as possible. Maintenance, repairs and decoration ("well someone's got to do it!") Yes you can do all of that, but this is supposed to be your holiday and instead of lying by the pool or having a long lunch at your favourite restaurant you are repainting the bathroom, unblocking the loo or changing the sand in your pool filter. It goes further than that, you need a new kitchen for example, you have chosen it from IKEA or the very expensive local kitchen shop, but it has to be delivered, installed, tested and approved, so unless you get two to three months holiday a year you will need assistance from a property management company with project management expertise. Your property management company should have the experience, the in-house resources and the vital local contacts to arrange quotes (devis) for a wide range of





maintenance and repair services with registered, insured and reliable local craftsmen such as:

Pool cleaning, repairs, maintenance and construction Laundry services General painting and decorating (interior and exterior) Garden landscaping and general weekly/monthly maintenance Kitchen and bathroom installations Tiling and plastering Plumbing and electrical repairs and refurbishment Repairs and replacement roofs Septic tank and mains drainage installation and cleaning Property refurbishment and building work Pest controllers Installation of phone, gas, telephone, satellite and communications services

This is the bread and butter of a property management company so ask the questions when you meet with them. They should offer the benefit of their experience and recommend local, registered suppliers and craftsmen who will provide not only a high quality, reliable service, but also legally compliant invoices and receipts with guarantees, and don't forget many of these invoices can be used against future capital gains charges if you ever decide to sell your property. If you are contemplating commercial rental they can also advise you on the security of your personal possessions, decorating and equipping the interior and exterior of the property for paying holiday guests. So you want to rent out your holiday home commercially? It is a difficult, sometimes emotional process renting out your beautiful home (something you have built, redesigned, furnished and decorated) to complete strangers and it is important to have someone with expertise and experience, who you can trust, looking after your holiday home, your guests and of course yourselves. Finding a rentals management company The quickest and easiest solutions are either to put "rentals management company" and your nearest town/village/conurbation into one of the major search engines and see what comes up and of course simply ask local friends and neighbours for recommendations





What a rentals management company should provide.

A full inventory (including photographs) of your property for security and insurance purposes

Advice on what personal possessions should stay and what should be locked away

Advice on bedding, towels, garden furniture including local suppliers A comprehensive legally binding rental contract An adequate security deposit, held by the rental company, refundable when

your guests vacate the property at the correct time and in the right condition as per the contract

A mid-week or mid-stay visit to check on guests, the state of the property, garden and pool

Emergency assistance (Doctors, dentists, hospital etc.) A call out service for disasters in the house, plumbers, electricians, pool

experts, as well as problems with kettles, fridges and washing machines. Who should handle the rental bookings? The "Do It Yourself" approach Renting out your holiday home yourself is not that complex if you have the time, the patience and the wherewithal to handle the marketing, the selling and the administration. (Think rental contracts, booking forms, security deposits and roughly seven or eight emails per booking enquiry). There is no reason you cannot offer your property to neighbours, friends, work colleagues, put an advertisement in local shops, newspapers or magazines or use a commercial rental web site. But be aware if you are thinking of using some of the more prestigious holiday rental companies, those with glossy brochures and large advertising budgets, check before you sign that they do not demand exclusivity.....most do I believe (and it seems to work) that with the right lines of communication between client, rental company and property management, using both the DIY approach and a commercial rental company, the bookings soon mount up.





Advantages of using a rental company. Your rental company should care for you, the property and your guests, whether they be friends, family or fare paying holiday makers. a close relationship with all is absolutely essential. Lets face it getting to know the vagaries of a property, a pool or even a lawn mower can be quite difficult, sometimes frustrating and more than often time consuming. Therefore a thorough knowledge and understanding of your property and its working parts is absolutely essential. (I often think we should go and live in any new property coming onto our books for a couple of days, just to get to know its charms and its foibles) Another issue that crops up time after time is having a single point of contact for the owner and your guests. From a distance it is extremely difficult to divide up the work loads and responsibilities between the gardener, a pool man, a cleaner, a handyman and your rental company or managing agent. Blame for something going wrong can be easily passed around and it's you that gets the dreaded phone call. With a local agent they will deal with your guests, the problem, emergency or mouse in the pool, so you don't have to get involved. The single point of contact should also include a 24/7 emergency number for you and your guests, even if its the home phone number of your rental company's boss! We have experienced heart attacks at six o clock in the morning, broken limbs at nine o clock at night, as well as lost guests in the middle of the night, and I do mean middle!! It is also vital that you are kept up to speed with what is going on. Your rental company should report back immediately any complaints from your guests (including weather related issues, dead mice in the pool or shops not open on Monday) or defects with the property or its contents. A broken or non working kettle or fridge, a satellite receiver on the blink, or a non-working pool pump, should be reported immediately with a proposed course of action and a quote to sort it out. The rental management company should oversee or action any work or purchase required based on your agreement and ensure it is carried out professionally with as little fuss and minimal inconvenience for your guests as is humanly possible . Once chosen, your rental management company will promote your property, professionally and effectively, but don't forget you can advertise your holiday home directly, just to add to the mix.(Local newspapers, notices in local shops, or holiday rental web sites); Your rental management company should be happy to provide their





words ( beware the dreaded poetic licence, keep it fact not fiction) as well as some advice as to which web sites work best. A small selection of current examples of web sites we use are:

www.ownersdirect .co uk www.holidaylettings .net www.lost-in-france.com www.vacationrental people.com www.apartmentsdirect.ie

If you don't have the time or inclination, ask your rental company to handle the enquiries and bookings for an administration fee...but ask the cost first!! A local management rental company "will work on your holiday and that of your guests" It's not just about getting bookings, you will need someone local who can follow up and look after your guests and their holiday So ensure that your local management rental company will be on hand to "meet and greet" your guests to your property. We suggest a "welcome pack" that could be just a few beers and a bottle of water (for your guests arrival on a hot summers afternoon) or include enough for a light supper on the evening of arrival (bread, ham, cheese, orange juice, English tea, coffee, real milk, butter, eggs and cheese) It costs around €25 but its worth it!! The rental company should have a 24 hour emergency phone number and people in the locality for emergencies who can care for your guests should things go wrong. Marketing your property On average about 55% of our rental bookings are either repeats or recommendations to friends and family from previous guests, many guests return year after year, some "test driving" a new property when it comes onto our books. For late bookings and those with very specific holiday dates we can offer two centre holiday options, where they stay in two properties over their two or three week vacation. Many enjoy the concept having two locations to compare and contrast. We have found over the years that people have specific expectations of their holiday home





1) Be able to walk into town to the bars and restaurants ( and walk back after a drink or six) 2) Be in a very private location in the middle of the countryside with a pool. (Don't ask!) 3) Have UK television for the kids or dad who wants to watch the football, Olympics, rugby etc.etc. 4) The most recent and popular request is for a broadband WiFi connection which apparently is for the children to keep up on Facebook, but I think it is for the adults to stay in touch with the office!! 5) Be able to accommodate their pet dog. 6) For our summer season here in SW France far from the sea, a pool is a must, as is an outside eating area with shade. Conclusion There is no doubt that renting out your holiday home and looking after your paying guests can be both an administrative and practical nightmare. By making use of a local rental company with bilingual staff, expertise and resources it will help to maximise your property's rental potential and give you peace of mind when back home. With years of experience behind us we are confident that this guide will help you choose the right company for the job. We now have two successful franchised "owners clubs" operating rental management companies and we are always on the look-out for more. If you are interested in further details of our franchise opportunities go the web site at http://www.ownersclub.me For further information of our activities take a look at www.saintantoninnobleval.com To see the other franchise operations go to: www.caylusownersclub.com and www.verfeil-ownersclub.com

Documents

A Guide to Good Property Management and Successful Holiday ... property management and... · Saint Antonin Noble Val Owners Club 2 Management, homecare and rental "We work on your