French Gites - your new lifestyle?

Before you set out on this new Gites lifestyle - have a look at our checklist:

Being clear about your motivations.

Do you speak French?

Do you have the right business / marketing skills?

Do you have the right level of commitment for the ups & downs?

Do you understand the Gite Business?

Consider your family - are you familiar with aspects of life in France, including education, healthcare, tax and bureaucracy?

Choosing and buying a property – Where to buy? What to look for? To renovate or not. Are you going to buy an existing business? Are you converting buildings into a gite business!

Have you a realistic Business Plan?

Fully understood and considered the day-to-day practicalities of running a gite, including:

- Buildings – what to expect

- Renovation costs / maintenance, fosses septiques, plumbing, electricity, phones etc

- Occupancy levels

- Gite standards – checklists

- Equipment

- The competition

- Welcome packs

- What actually happens on a changeover day (even at 40 degrees centigrade!)

- Setting and maintaining standards

- Running a pool – the law.

- Money making opportunities and additional services – what you can and cannot do.

- Cleaning, washing and ironing

- Linen, towels

- Fridges and food

- Dealing with complaints

- Management companies

- Sales and promotion – you may have the most delightful gite, but how do you keep it occupied?
 

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