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Property Management Services – Charente Weather Alert

Property Management Services in Adverse Weather Conditions for Week Starting Monday 26 February 2018

La Charente is currently experiencing extreme day time temperatures ranging from 0°C to -4°C, although the real feel temperature will range from -6°C to -11°C.  However, together with the wind chill factor, the overnight temperature may be as low as a real feel of -20°C for the earlier part of this week.

Wednesday 28 February 2018 may bring the potential for heavy snow.  Consider access to and from your property and plan ahead for snow clearance and laying grit and salt to avoid slips and falls of staying guests and occupiers.

 

Gîte Property Management Check List

If you have an unattended gîte or holiday home in La Charente area, then ensure that your property is protected from this week’s weather damage.

Taps

  • Turn off the water to any outside garden taps.  If it is not possible to turn off the water, then lag the tap with insulation material.

Solar Lights

  • Remove and store garden solar lighting and solar-powered water pumps.

Plants, Shrubs and Trees

  • Remove terracotta plant pots and containers from outside spaces and store in a sheltered place.  If the pots and containers cannot be moved, then protect with insulation material.
  • Young plants, delicate shrubs and ornamental trees should be covered with winter fleece, breathable weed matting or warm plant jackets.  Alternatives may be bubble and straw to protect the tops of plants.

Wooden Shutters and Gates

  • Check wooden window shutters are closed to protect window panes
  • Check that the wooden window shutters are not swollen pushing against hinges
  • Check for swollen wood on gates preventing entry and exit from the property

 

Remember to avoid or to minimize any loss.  If you cannot take steps to protect your property from this week’s adverse weather conditions, then contact your property manager or arrange for an emergency property check.

 

 

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Gardening Services . . . More or Less?

Garden maintenance services are essential for your gîte and its holiday rental income growth. 

However, a finely manicured minimalist lawn upon which your gîte may sit poised in readiness for this summer season’s marketing photos may come at a price if poorly managed.  Minimal garden design and conservative soft landscaping does not necessarily equate to low cost maintenance care-free gardening.  Indeed, the ‘Less is More’ approach in spacious garden design requires specialised care.

The easiest way to provide that special care is to invest in regular garden management services to ensure the maintenance of your garden design throughout the year, even out of season.  January and February may portray garden dormancy, but these winter months are important if your garden is to flourish in quality condition for your guests from early to late high season.

With the security of this summer’s holiday rental income firmly in mind, our winter garden maintenance and management task lists may assist:

 

Soil preparation

January and February are the months to prepare the garden’s soil for the year ahead.  If the ground is unfrozen, then fertilize the soil throughout.  Organic fertilizer is environmentally best and economically cost-effective.  If you have been diligently training last year’s guests to fill the garden’s compost bin, it should now be well rotted and ready to mulch into the soil.  If your garden design has been minimalised to design out a compost bin, then purchase a bag of good quality horse manure.  The latter will, of course, reduce your annual gîte yield, therefore, financially plan ahead in purchasing a compost bin with the aim to compost-train your forthcoming guests.

 

Grass

The ‘Grass it all!’ for low maintenance is the inadvertent ‘More for Less’ garden design.  High on active input management, high on increased cost and effective on lowering annual yield.

Grass requires specialised care. From weeding, aerating and conditioning to frequent watering and mowing from spring to late high season, the garden lawn is labour-intensive and cost-ineffective.  Winter guidance for lawns?  Try not to walk on the lawn if the grass is frozen.  Damaged grass will increase cost.

 

Natural Garden Planting Design will feature on our next post.

 

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Gite Security Sense | Property Check

Keep your Holiday Home or Gîte Safe and Secure after Summer! 

So, your last summer guest has departed and the clocks roll back by an hour.  But is it time to put your gîte or holiday home to bed?

Your holiday property investment may now be at greater risk looking tightly shuttered against a grey sky and early night fall.  A closed for winter swimming pool highlights that your property is not in use.  Marketing flyers, local newspapers and magazines quickly mount upon unattended post boxes which communicate a vociferous message that nobody is at home.

Take steps to protect your property . . .

Get to know your neighbours!  Ask them if they would be willing to remove accumulating printed matter from your post box and from around your front door.  Would they be willing to carry out a Garden Check to ensure that your garden does not look over grown should an Indian Summer arrive unexpectedly!

Think about your property’s window dressing at ground floor level.  Keeping the curtains open may be a good idea so that your neighbours can see if there are any uninvited guests.

Although advances have been made in technology with surveillance carried out by installed cameras via cyber, it may not compensate for the human touch when your investment may be at risk.  Remember, a good property manager who undertakes your security checks is better than a barrel load of tears.  More importantly, you may be saving a fortune!

 

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French Property Owner but not in France?

As a non-resident property owner, do you worry about what is happening to your property investment when you are not there?

You are justified in your concern.

Living miles away or across the pond from your property investment can be worrisome and is rarely the adage of ‘out of sight, out of mind!’ for many overseas owners.  It can instil high levels of anxiety knowing that your property is tenanted or occupied by holiday guests whilst away from your watchful eye.  In addition, if you are unable to permanently live or reside for long periods of time in or near to your rental property, it is difficult to build up local knowledge as to the threats and weaknesses which may put your investment at risk.  More importantly, it may be difficult for your property to be included in its local neighbourhood watch if there is a frequency of holiday guests.  Both of these factors are important in increasing your investment property’s exposure to risk.

La Charente and Charente-Maritime welcome large numbers of tourist during the summer months who many occupy the holiday homes and gîtes within their regions.  But when your rental property is not at work with its holiday guests it may attract the unwanted attention of numerous travellers noted by observant residents.  Lack of movement, lack of lights and shuttered windows and doors many render your investment to risk.  Local newspapers often highlight the burglary hot spots within the Charente départements with the sighting of police cars within the quiet French country lanes becoming the norm.  Of course, it is reassuring to know that the police are patrolling burglary hot spots, particularly if your property has become categorised.  However, your investment may now be at risk with higher insurance premiums eroding the return on your investment. Prevention is better than cure and it is important to take steps to protect your asset.  Consider undertaking regular property checks and property inspections in the out of season months or when occupancy is spasmodic.  With regular property check reports together with dated photographs and video clips, this may help to reduce rising insurance premium costs.  However, more importantly, the services of a property manager ensures that your investment is safeguarded by a manager’s regular impromptu visits.  Further, a professional property manager ensures that he or she is kept updated with area alerts as to crime, adverse weather and local market conditions which may affect the value of your asset.  Moreover, a good property manager will strive to develop rapport with your rental property’s neighbours to help your investment to be included in the neighbourhood watch.

What are the disadvantages of a hiring the services of a property manager?

Availability!

A professional property manager will have a range of qualities – built environment knowledge, architectural, construction and/or surveying expertise, maintenance and facilities management to name a few.  But, more importantly, a professional property manager will be a real estate person with a good grounding in valuation and investment who is quick to recognise a threat to your return on investment.

Because of the range of qualities a good property manager needs, a professional property manager may have limited availability, therefore, he or she may only be able to manage a limited number of properties at any one time in specific areas.  It takes a while for a professional property manager to build intelligence of certain localities, to develop rapport with local neighbourhood groups and to be knowledgeable in local market conditions which may affect a property’s value or return.  In addition, the dedication which a good property manager devotes to his or her properties is time-consuming and necessary to ensure that the return on your investment is safeguarded.  Therefore, the disadvantage is that you may need to wait for a vacancy to become available in your property manager’s property care portfolio.

And are we different?

We think so.