The Seasonal Life of a Gîte Owner

Running gîtes has always held a certain degree of romanticism for me – being my own boss, being free of Government-driven targets; ultimately, having the freedom to choose what my day-to-day life is like. The reality, of course, is that it is all those things and lots of hard work and we are pretty much tied to our home. 

Here’s how we roll with the seasons at La Grue Gites: 

Winter 

Every year, we welcome house hunters to La Grue Gîtes , and there are lots of preparations involved. All our properties are deep cleaned after the summer season – cupboards emptied and a full états des lieux or stock-take of what we have is done, any required replacements are ordered, and improvements are made. Soft furnishings are steam-cleaned and washed, and out comes all our winter soft furnishings; nothing is missed on our thorough checklist. 

We also complete our annual safety checks – the boiler is serviced, chimneys are swept, and electrical wires and pipework are checked too. We use professional, registered local businesses. This is to ensure safety and to try and avoid any breakdowns over the winter period as much as possible. 

Wood and fuel deliveries are made prior to guests arriving, ready for the colder weather. You might want to consider cosy extras to ensure your guests are warm and feel at home. The gardens are pruned, and the summer geraniums give way to winter pansies for a splash of colour around the gardens. Christmas trees and decorations go up and come down!  

It is also the season of accounting – all our paperwork is filed for the accountant. Courage! 

Spring 

Spring is a popular time for longer-term rentals, so the thorough deep cleaning in between the longer stays continues. 

Spring is a time for spending! As the weather is usually nice, it is a great time for any renovations and painting. All the exterior walls, poolside and around the gîtes are painted. It is pricey, and there is a reason why: there is a French paint designed specifically for this climate, and we have seen it saves work in the long run. Metal gates are sanded and touched up, as are the pergolas. 

Anything in need of replacement or ‘project’ work takes place. This year, we are hoping to install more solar panels to reduce our impact on our planet in line with our écogeste status. Spring bulbs pop up and work starts in the gardens – the grass cutting season starts again – and days are spent on the ride-on mower with an occasional beer in hand! 

Summer 

Summer is characterised by peaks of frenetic activity and lazy moments soaking up the beauty of the gorgeous Charente while our guests are out exploring! We keep a store of ‘spares’ such as loo seats and bath plugs, tablecloths, coffee machines, toasters, microwaves, etc., just in case there is a last-minute issue between the busy summer changeovers.  

Days begin with watering the bedding plants from our water butts and making sure everything is looking its best before our guests wake. We must maintain the pool up to three times a day in the peak season – it is cleaned early every morning and checked three times a day to ensure the levels are correct.  

Autumn 

After being in beautiful Charente for eight years now, I feel summer stretches on forever, and then one day, snap, it is over like the flick of a switch. In Autumn, there are still many beautiful, sunny days, and it is a glorious time for guests to explore food markets, the brocantes and to sample the regional produce. But for La Grue Gìtes, Autumn means prepare for winter – all our summer wooden furniture is stored in the barn, we bring out plastic furniture for our winter rentals for those sunny days. 

Roofs are checked for leaks, and repairs are done; walls are pointed if necessary to protect them from the winter wet weather. If you need a professional, we recommend contacting them in the Spring to book them in.  

Woodwork is touched up again to protect it from the rain, and the pool is over-wintered. This is a movable feast – it depends on outdoor temperature, and then we are back to the winter months! 

In short, there is always something to keep you busy in a customer-focused business that you love. The ideas for development are endless! We have some truly amazing guests who return year on year, and many supporters too, without whom none of this would be possible.  

Best of luck with all your gîte-related work this coming year!