Our series of useful articles on how to get the best from your gites business.

Running a successful gites business in France.

The Gites Business : What to charge.

Properties with private pools can generate between £150.00 - £200.00 per person per week in high season depending on the region and standard. It is of course possible to demand more for really luxurious properties but it is difficult to get this message across in general advertising. This is where an accreditation can help.

Properties with shared pools can comand between £100.00-£120.00 and properties without pools £50.00-£70.00 per person per week. The latter tend to be in far less demand during high season except in Normandy and Brittany. The investment return on a swimming pool, especially for larger properties or complexes, can be recovered in a very short space of time. Other criteria people look for in a property include, enclosed gardens and swimming pools (required by law shortly), dishwashers, washing machines, satellite TV (essential during major sporting events like Wimbledon etc.) and adequate bathrooms to avoid queues. A property sleeping eight with only one bathroom will be difficult to let.

Properties in Provence and along the Mediterranean coast can charge more than properties in the North of France. The more luxurious the property, the more one can charge but make sure you don't charge yourself out of the market. People will expect to pay more for a chateau than a cottage and more to be close to the coast but at the end of the day, the market is price driven and money in the bank is better than an empty week.