purelyfrance

Time to roll the sleeves up!

After your recent French property purchase, hopefully you have had a champagne celebration (when in Rome……..)   The next step means putting aside momentarily the romance of your adventure and focus on any renovations your property may require.  They normally do!!

For each of our three purchases, we have always taken the approach of buying a property that was currently being lived in.  This lowers the risk of unpleasant surprises; usually means water, sewerage, electricity are at least in working order; and unless you plan major changes any structural reconstruction is of a ‘minor’ nature.

If you can live ‘on site’ when the renovations are being carried out, so much the better. The sub-contractors then know if they are scheduled for work ‘chez vous’ you are going to be there expecting them. It also means you can react immediately to any questions that arise (there will be many!) and be involved if some minor changes come along during the work. This also usually happens.

Even seemingly small tasks such as the placement of a power point can be managed straight away, having them placed exactly where you want them.  Consider this conversation Anne had with Franck, our electrician:

F. Where in the kitchen do you want your spots?

A. I don’t want spots.  (Anne thinks spot lights have a place in a home, but not in her kitchen)

F. How many spots do you want?

A. I don’t want spots.

F. Do you want two spots or three spots?

A. (emphatically) I-do-not-want-spots - merci.

F. It is summer now and it is light, in the winter you wont be able to see to cook.

A. (resignedly) Three spots s’il vous plait, right here above the window, right in the centre.

For renovations involving plumbing, electricity, knocking out walls etc we recommend you employ an architect.  Yes it will add to your costs, around 10%, but there are many advantages, particularly as he/she acts as a Project Manager.

1. They will select the sub-contractors. We would not have had a clue as to who was good bad or indifferent.  An architect has a professional reputation to protect so he will select subbies who are going to do quality work. They will lay out the work spec and request the devis. (quotes)

2. They will co-ordinate the sequence of the subbies work and therefore save you time. There is nothing more frustrating than waiting two weeks just for a plumber to come to disconnect a pipe before other work can proceed.

3. Often they will make suggestions which will save you money. And they can be quite inventive. Our lady architect in Provence completely transformed our kitchen in a layout we would never have thought of.  Here in Burgundy, our architect located an exterior drain by using a ‘diviner’ stick. I kid you not!!

4. The work completed under their jurisdiction is guaranteed, so you have some degree of security that the work will be completed to your satisfaction. And actually completed!!

As you receive each ‘devi’ read through them carefully, with a French dictionary beside you if neccessary.  We made a point of always asking questions - not that we expected to have the price reduced but we thought it was good practice to make everyone aware we were keeping an eye on the ‘devis’.

We found that  the costs were generally within or confined to the prices quoted. The biggest challenge is ‘time’ and this becomes very important if you are creating a Bed and Breakfast or self-catering holiday accommodation.

Your season for guests starts around Easter each year. So you want all your work done by then. However, the prime selling/booking season starts straight after Christmas, so ideally you want all your renovation work completed by the end of November. You need at least a months lead time as you need to take photos, activate your website and/or  arrange to be listed in some of the internet based directories. So if you estimate you have 3 months of renovation work in front of you, allow 6 months and you will be close. Don’t forget, as we did (twice - slow learners!!) that no work will be carried out in August, so you need to plan for that being a ‘lost’ month.

After that, all you need is the 3 P’s mantra - patience, persistence and perserverance.

Bon Courage!!

A Bientot, Bruce.

Here in Burgundy the grape harvest is once again in full swing.

Given that vines have hung around since the Romans invited themselves into Burgundy in the 1st and 2nd centuries, this year would be about the 2000th harvest!!  However, in spite of the Romans’ best efforts, most credit for establishing the quality and fame of Burgundian wines is generally given to the monks of Citeaux circa 12 c.  Today it is claimed Burgundy wines are the best in the world. (I have two brothers who grow grapes in Marlborough, New Zealand who may contest that claim!)

Harvest time sees a rapid change in the landscape. Only the other Sunday we were cycling through the vineyards of Santenay, Chassagne-Montrachet and Puligny Montrachet.  There was a clear blue sky hosting golden sunshine, the vines heavily laden with their grapes, and practically no one to be seen other than the odd stray dog. We absorbed ourselves in the tranquil and peaceful environment.

But when the balloon goes up to commence the harvest, it is all change and it is impossible not to know it. Over the previous week or so, literally thousands of workers have made their way to Burgundy in anticipation of the harvest. While some vines are harvested mechanically most of the premier and grand cru grapes are hand picked. Then an assortment of tractors and machinery start to ramble past your home any time after 0600 each morning. Buses, vans, people movers, motor homes congregate all around the region to pick up the ‘les vendangeurs’ and transport them to the vineyards.

The vineyards themselves look like they have come under attack. People everywhere, crates and containers galore to carry the grapes, tractors pulling large storage vessels used to take the grapes off to be pressed. There is activity everywhere and you sense the urgency of having the vines stripped in the shortest possible time. Les Vendangeurs put in long hours and at days end many a weary body is mollified by the finished product!

The last day of harvest is time to ‘make merry’. Mock fights errupt with unused grapes acting as the ammunition, pickers and tractors are decorated with vines, and a parade around the village celebrates the last bunch of grapes have been picked. Of course the celebrations go on well into the night, and well deserved they are too! 

Which leads me to this ‘cute’ wine quotation:

“I cook with wine, sometimes I even add it to the food.” - Anonymous

A Bientot, Bruce.

Keeping our Guests happy…….

Happy guests, or at least satisfied guests are of course paramount for any successful hospitality business.  I thought it might be of interest to share some of the things we do which seem to receive a near universal ‘thumbs up’ from our self-catering guests.  Bear in mind the mix of our guests over any season are approximately 50% British, 20% Australia/New Zealand, 15% USA/Canada, 10% Other European, and 5% Rest of world.

1. The Bread run.  We do not have a boulangerie within walking distance, so we do a ‘bread run’ for our guests each morning. We place a bread sac in each apartment along with a small order form for a range of pastries and bread. The guests make out an order, leave the sac on our front door knob during the evening and we leave it on their door knob complete with their order around 0800 each morning.  It makes for a very relaxed start to the day for the guests.

 2. Internet/Wireless.  We are fortunate to be able to access ADSL (broadband) lines in our small village so we provide a computer in our guest common room which stays online all the time.  We also have a wifi (wireless) hotspot in our private office which guests can access sitting in our courtyard.  There are very few guests who do not use this facility. Those who have been travelling around make a bee line for it almost immediately.

3. We speak english.  Not so much for the experienced British perhaps, but for most others you hear a sigh of relief when you first greet them.

4. Supplies.  We provide a standard ’starter’ pack of tea, coffee, sugar, milk and orange juice. But we also try to anticipate the ‘little’ items which travellers wouldn’t normally carry with them and can be an irritant for them to buy. So the kitchen is stocked with rubbish sacs, sponges, brillo pads, detergent, Tea towels, olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper. Washing powder for the washing machines, and pegs!  In the bathroom there is proper soap, (big cakes for the shower, small cakes for the hand basin) earbuds, tissues and make-up removal pads.

5. Washing machines.  There is one in each apartment and they are used extensively - particularly with this years weather!!  Again, those who have travelled from afar and/or have been travelling around are delighted. We always make the point the machines are not gender specific!

6. Welcome Notes. While these contain much practical information about the accommodation, various housekeeping matters, directions and the like, the most valued informaton are personal recommendations.  These cover restaurants, gems for wine tastings, shopping, things to see and do, attractons for children, and suggested routes for cycling/walking/jogging. They are all contained in a black folder and most guests take it out in the car with them. One lot all the way back to the UK!

7. Bicycles.  Burgundy is ready made for cycling, particularly around our area as it is relatively flat terrain. But I think ‘cycling in France’ is seen as another must-do for many visitors.  Our bicycles, which we offer without charge, are constantly in use and very often by guests who admit it is over 20 or 30 years since they have been on a bicycle. The lure of vineyards, villages and routes along the canal are just too strong to resist.

8. Wine in la Cave. For our B n B guests, we would offer them the opportunity to lay a bottle of wine in our Cave. It would be left for either a future visit or for family or friends. At the very least it made for good social talk back home! We would write up a little wine board, then take a digital photo for the record and for sending on to whoever the guests pleased.

9. Being flexible.  An over used maxim of marketing is to ‘meet the needs’ of your customer.  It is nonetheless a good business principle to live by.  And very often it is just little things.  Want to wash your car? No problem, there’s the hose, and I will fetch you a bucket and rag.  Careful about drinking and driving?  We’ll drop you off at the restuarant and you can get a taxi home.  Would you like a night out without the children? We will be happy to baby sit for you.  Need to see a Doctor? We will call our own GP, he can usually see you today or tomorrow.  Being alert to your guests requirements will greatly enhance their stay which in turn will often result in future referrals.

There are no doubt many other services that are equally well received by guests, but those are some of the ‘majors’ that have worked for us.

A Bientot, Bruce.