There are three distinct ways of purchasing and using the property …
1) Extended Holidays
To use it for extended holidays inviting family, friends and business colleagues.
The property lends itself to this usage very easily because :
– It has an appropriate amount of space inside and out to accommodate large numbers of people without the group ever feeling ‘on top of each other’.
– Though large, the house, garden and pool are of such a size and configuration that their upkeep is never a burden.
– The general security and facility to easily lock-and-leave the property are exceptional. See the section Security for more detail.
2) Home plus business
To use it to live in all year round and, during the long summer season, rent out three quarters of the building to clients.
It was with this dual usage in mind that the present owner renovated the property. See the section Gite Business.
Whilst clients are in residence the owner uses just the independent apartment which comprises of the main salon (lounge) with its corner kitchen, the 6th bedroom and two bathrooms … in total about 130sqm. There is a ‘secret’ second staircase which leads to this area from behind the internal garage.
The clients have exclusive use of the kitchen and dinning room on the ground floor, 5 bedrooms and 5 bathrooms, the garden and pool. In the past groups of up to 10 have rented the property for anything from one to five weeks.
It would be equally possible to run the business on a purely Bed and Breakfast basis.
The property’s average earning in the past has been €35,000 a year and there is now a database of over 400 previous clients and would-be clients, in other words people who enquired about renting the property but did not go ahead with the reservation.
On YouTube, in the channel ‘LaMaisonDuFaiencier’, there are 11 short interviews with past clients talking about their holiday experience.
3) Fractional Ownership
To be a part owner of the property.
Fractional Ownership (FO) is where a property is bought by several different parties, for example six couples, who share between them the capital purchase and maintenance costs.
Fractional ownership gives the opportunity to each of the different parties to own a property which is likely to be far larger, more luxurious and in an area of the country otherwise reserved for those with a superior budget.
There are compelling advantages: each of the six partners, though having paid a fraction of the cost, is able to enjoy the entire property with family and friends each year; the holiday home is not left empty for long periods of time (as is normally the case); the costs, labour and necessary expertise to maintain the property are shared; and each partner owns a part of the property and can sell their part at will.