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Brits who bought a place in France in the boom turn to renters to make sums add up,,,

Back in the days of booming property prices and a strong pound, thousands of British people realised their dream of owning a holiday home in France.

These lovingly renovated farmhouses or grand manoirs were intended to be used by themselves or family and friends for weekends and holidays. But not any more.

Today, increasing numbers of holiday homes are being turned into part-time gites.

Enlarge   To market: Second home owners are increasingly renting out their holiday houses

Sally Stone, whose company Les Bons Voisins manages properties in France, says: ‘When I went into business ten years ago, the vast majority of my clients kept their home for themselves.

‘Over the past five years this has changed — considerably more than half now look to recoup some of the costs of owning a home in France by letting it commercially for holiday guests.’

But maximising a home’s rental potential needs careful preparation.

‘Guests now expect high standards — similar to staying in a good hotel,’ says Stone, who recently launched the online advice site ‘The Gite Doctor’ for owners.

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‘This means it has to be well-equipped and in excellent condition. You might love that squashy sofa but it won’t cut the mustard with your clients, so be prepared for some initial investment to bring your property up to scratch.

‘All of this takes time, thought, experience but not necessarily vast amounts of money.’

Regardless of whether it is rented out or not, maintaining a second home has to be a priority.

Some try to do the work while they are there on holiday. But according to Stone: ‘We have found that for the first 12 to 18 months, people are happy to spend their breaks mowing knee-high grass and painting shutters. Then they realise that they have no time to relax.’

ESSENTIAL TIPS FOR RENTING YOUR FRENCH HOLIDAY HOME Expect to rent out your home for eight to ten weeks a year. It needs to be wellpresented and properly marketed. Guests will expect a dishwasher, Wi-Fi, satellite TV — and often a swimming pool. To get sufficient bookings, you need an agency.About 30 per cent of rental will go on caretaking costs. Any income earned from letting a property is taxable in France and in the UK. Under the double taxation system, charges made in France can be offset by UK income. If you have a swimming pool, you need the correct safety measures (adequate fence, alarm or cover) or you risk high fines.

An empty property is also vulnerable to extreme weather such as freezing temperatures, which can burst water pipes. One solution is to ask a local friend or neighbour to keep an eye out. But Sally says: ‘This can be a difficult relationship. If you are not paying someone, they don’t feel obliged to visit regularly and may not do so.’

Property managers are a popular solution — and often a must-have for commercial lettings. They charge a regular fee for holding the keys and a monthly check of the home.

All other services, from cleaning and gardening, to welcoming guests, cost extra. ‘Good caretakers are like project managers — aware of all possible problems,’ says Stone.

‘So if there’s a storm or torrential rain, a caretaker should automatically check your property and email you an update.’ However, holiday-home insurance is compulsory. ‘And it must be in place from the day you purchase the property,’ says Sally.

Home owners in France must also pay two local taxes to which all homes are subject — taxe foncière, for local services, and taxe d’habitation, which is payable on January 1 of the year being taxed. Stone advises having a French bank account for these and other bills.

‘While it is possible to pay utilities without one, a French account makes running a second home much easier,’ she says. ‘And that is, after all, what every owner wants.’

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