top tips from the owners
Brian and Gill Driver bought a watermill in France’s Poitou-Charentes in 2006 having lived in Hong Kong for seven years. At 54 they decided to retire. “We lovingly restored it and decided to share it!” says Brian.
1. Buy in a place people want! 2. Make it aff ordable. 3. Identify your USP: ours is a beautifully tranquil setting. 4. Enjoy sharing it - so your responses are quick, helpful and professional.
5. Answer people’s questions. (see
holidaylettings.co.uk/125238)
Do you need the help of a good property manager?
K
eeping overheads down might seem like a good idea when you decide to rent out your property
but cutting corners could cost you. You may not think you need a property
management service but can you really juggle everything remotely? “Eighty per cent of our customers have come to us aſt er going down the route of using a neighbour or a friend to prepare their property for rental, while they themselves advertise, take the bookings, organise payments and breakage deposits, etc. from their own country,” says
Connie Bowens (above), who runs a property management service on the Costa del Sol (
bowenspropertymanagement.com) “T ey then decided to get a property
manager because renting their holiday home became a major headache in their lives.” T e main problem is cleaning. “If your charging people to come and stay
in your property, they expect a high standard of cleanliness. But another major issue is what happens when there is a problem with the property that requires fi xing immediately. “What happens if you get an SOS call late
at night about a major problem with your property abroad?” says Connie. “T is scenario is the most stressful. T e
owner is faced with trying to source workmen to fi x the problem over the phone or internet while relying on the neighbour/ friend to be available to allow access to the property. Or they have to book a fl ight and fl y over to sort the problem themselves.” A good manager will give an honest and
102 |
aplaceinthesun.com
accurate appraisal of your property, advising how to present in the best light, what fi xtures and fi ttings required and how to make it client friendly. T ey will give you advise on the rates you should ask for. Below Connie suggests some questions you should ask prospective managers. But how much might the property
manager charge? It depends exactly what sort of services you go for, but Bowens charge a fl at 25 per cent fee of all bookings in an eff ort to simplify the process.
How to choose a property manager? • Meet face to face. You should ensure that you meet any prospective property managers, aſt er all, they will be representing you to your clients, so it is important that they have a courteous and friendly manner.
• How many properties to they manage? A small company will be able to off er you a more personalized service.
• Do they off er all the services you will require – keyholding, meet and greet, cleaning & laundry, etc? Discuss with them your concerns and needs.
• Is the price competitive in relation to other property managers?
• Have they got what it takes to be a good rental manager? Have they experience, do they have local knowledge and the contacts to call on in all situations, are they bilingual, have they got the skills that matter, ie advertising, marketing, property maintenance.
• Will they be available 24/7 for you and your clients?
SEE PAGE 137
FOR THE CHANGES TO RENTALS LEGISLATION IN SPAIN
Five-bed luxury villa in Benissa Costa, Montemar, near Moraira, €595,000 (£506,031) • Large, stately, modern villa with panoramic valley and sea views. • Designed for the Med lifestyle: Large ‘rock feature’ pool , south- facing naya and balcony terraces, gazebo and al-fresco dining area.
• Large solarium/roof terrace featuring a summer kitchen/BBQ • Jacuzzi hot tub within a delightful, secluded courtyard setting. • Fabulous, luxury decor, furnishings and equipment.
All properties for sale from Costa Blanca Select, (0034) 966 490 861,
selectvillasofmoraira.co.uk
Three-bed, three bath villa in Benitachell Les Fonts, €285,000 (£242,384) • Established rental income stream. • Modern, attractive and photogenic –inside and out. • Quiet rural location, yet two restaurants within a walk, Moraira and Javea, within 10 minutes.
• Beautifully equipped and furnished – ready to rent. • Very separate distribution of the three ensuite bedrooms
Five-bed duplex apartment in Moraira, split into two self-contained units, €149,750 (£127,358) • Two properties for the price of one, double the income. • Proven rental history in current condition. • Fabulous communal landscaped gardens of lawns with palm trees for shade and large pool.
• External maintenance & gardens c/o the residential community. • Within a two minute stroll of the Swiss Hotel, with bar, gourmet restaurant and health spa.
THREE PERFECT TO RENT IN COSTA BLANCA HOTSPOTS
The Costa Blanca is
aplaceinthesun.com’s most searched- for location as far as property listings. Here are three properties that are ideally positioned for holiday rentals.
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122 |
Page 123 |
Page 124 |
Page 125 |
Page 126 |
Page 127 |
Page 128 |
Page 129 |
Page 130 |
Page 131 |
Page 132 |
Page 133 |
Page 134 |
Page 135 |
Page 136 |
Page 137 |
Page 138 |
Page 139 |
Page 140 |
Page 141 |
Page 142 |
Page 143 |
Page 144 |
Page 145 |
Page 146 |
Page 147 |
Page 148