FRENCH PROPERTY SERVICES

If you do not live in the area, you need a very reliable person or management company to carry out French property services in France while you are not there to keep an eye on your property.

If you don't let out your property, you need just basic Property services France in your absence. If you have a friendly resident neighbour, they may be happy to carry out all the French property services you need.

French property services maintain your property when you are not around

You should have someone keeping an eye to make sure your property is secure at all times.
Checkings for burst pipes in winter.
Checking the inside is dry and secure.
Holding a key for access in any emergency.

Your needs of Property services France will be more complicated if you let your property. In your absence, French property services before and between lets will involve:

very reliable and very thorough cleaning between lets
key holding and letting the tenants in
a reliable local person to be be a contact point for your clients and to handle their queries
an odd job person for small emergencies

The person in charge of your property services France will need phone numbers for plumbers, electricians and builders who you can trust to help quickly when a larger problem occurs.

This person will be an important part of making sure your guests can relax and enjoy the holiday they have paid for.

French property services - handling arrivals

First impressions are important.

Do you want someone to welcome the guests in person when they arrive?
Or will you send out maps and tell guests where to find the keys?
In this case, always make sure you or your agent in charge of property services France contact them next day to make sure everything is working O.K- don't make them get in touch with you.

An unanswered question in French property services soon turns into a complaint!

You will always need an arrangement in case guests are unexpectedly delayed en route-
they cannot be made to sit in their car all night if they arrive at four in the morning!

French property services maintain your property when you are not around

Using a French property services agent

To use or not to use
That is the question.

You have to decide how involved you want to be in the rental and the property services France.

You can do everything yourself-

produce a brochure and web site

advertise for bookings in newspapers and the specialist magazines

deal with all the bookings and enquiries-

and anguished, angry phone calls, day or night, when something goes wrong!

You will save on commission to an French property services agency- but renters will usually expect to save 10-15% if they book direct, rather than using an agency, so you have to take this drop into account when weighing up your savings.

French property services maintain your property when you are not around

If you want to use a property services France agency, there are various levels of service you can pay them to provide.

You can simply take advantage of their advertising and booking services ,
while remaining responsible for cleaning, key holding, gardening, laundry etc.

Or you can use an property services France agency which not only achieves bookings,
but offers a complete French property service.

Similarly, you can use two different agencies- a rental agency to handle the lettings,
and a management agency to look after the cleaning and upkeep.

This choice will obviously determine how much you pay out in commission,
but also how much hassle the lets will be for you.

French property services agencies tend to charge 15-25% commission on a let.

You can expect to pay between £35-60 for a between-lets clean and linen change.

CHOOSING AN FRENCH PROPERTY SERVICES AGENCY

Other home owners in your area may be able to recommend an property services France agency-
or almost as usefully, tell you a few horror stories about which to avoid!

Some points to check out when comparing what different French property services agencies have to include:

How good is their brochure and web site?

Does it make you want to book a holiday?

Do they have representatives in your area?

Will they give you references on request?

What commission are they charging?

TOP TIP
You will make more money by getting lots of lets, even at a higher commission.

Ask yourself:

What exclusivity of rental periods do they demand?

When can you use the property yourself ?

How often can you use it without having to pay the rental to the agency yourself ?

Check that the contract (including the small print) is suitable for your needs before you sign.