Unless you’re planning to move into your brand-new property, purchased with the assistance of a South of France surveyor as a permanent home, you may be somewhat disheartened it will spend much of the year sitting unoccupied.
Laying down a significant amount of money on a new property, only for it to be unused a lot of the time, can make the purchase of foreign property a far less attractive prospect.
One way to combat this is to rent out your property while you aren’t using it. Renting can bring you a good income and help ensure that your property will be maintained throughout the year.
How Much Can I Charge?
This is not an easy question to answer. One-bedroom chalets in the South of France start at around €360 per month. So, depending on the size of your property, the location, and whether you want to rent the entire property out to a single tenant, or split it and rent each bedroom separately, will impact the amount you can expect to yield.
The best thing is to research the rental market in your area of the South of France and see what rent similar properties are asking for. Don’t forget to check how long they’ve been on the market as, if they’ve sat unoccupied for a significant amount of time, it could be the rent is set too high.
Market research aside, there are a few things you can do to make sure you are adding value to your property letting and maximising your potential income.
Advertising
Make sure you’re advertising in the right places. Obviously, you want to advertise on holiday websites, but think outside the box a little as well. For example, if your property is located near a golf course or a vineyard, then look at advertising in specialist locations, such as golf or wine clubs.
Don’t forget to cater for the people who will inevitably be dragged along on things like golfing holidays (partners, children, etc.) and make sure to suggest other activities they can enjoy as well.
Luxury Extras
Things such as a welcome pack filled with local produce, wine, and/or toiletries will go a long way towards adding value to your holiday lets. With a little negotiation with local suppliers you can arrange these things to be delivered on moving day, without you needing to be present yourself.
Smart Partnerships
If your find yourself too busy to make arrangements, then you can also hand off the responsibility to a local agent. This will obviously come with a cost, but having local people handling the business of letting can make your property a far more attractive prospect to potential tenants, as they can be confident there will be someone nearby who can handle any problems or queries.
South of France Surveyor
If you are looking for a knowledgeable and passionate partner to help you purchase your property, then South of France surveyor, Charles Mackintosh has more than 30 years of experience and will act on your behalf.
Please get in touch today for more information.