Yes you are correct about the ski resort people,
But things are changing regarding heating etc and life is getting crazy
exspensive in that direction.
What worked in 2018 maybe does not work now,
But also interestingly if the summers continue to be this hot we have some guests who would prefer to come on the shoulders of the season - Lot & Garonne in spring and autumn can be lovely - and I am wondering whether to open for longer during the year and to raise my low season rates to make them closer to mid/high to cover the cost of heating. Iāll see what happens this coming year and then decide.
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just reminds meā¦ when we first came to France, we rented a holiday let out of season for 3 months to establish ourselves here, the Gite owners offered us wood for the wood burner which we had to pay for as well as the electricā¦ meter reading taken at start and end of stayā¦ All notified in advance of the tenancyā¦
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Very common, And definitely for a long let. Many places particularly with GƮte de France, with normal holiday rental you still get the paying for electricity above 7kWh a day.
We hate having all these add on charges so prefer to have an all-in price. May have to reflect on this! One family managed to use 7m3 of water and 200kWhā¦a little excessive. Not a very profitable rental that one.
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isnāt that the point of doing it - for profit 
Not always. For us, itās about making sure the costs of the gite are covered and if we can make a bit on top of that great. For a few years the cottage was hardly used and costing us - not any more.
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surely thatās same meat, different gravyā¦ no profit means out of pocket
Not āveryā profitable! We set our prices to be sure we can have an oxo cube, but prefer if it was a full on bourguignon sauce! However sometimes you canāt control other peopleās behaviour. And since our preference is to provide a good quality for fair price, the margins arenāt massive.
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We all do it differently. We prefer high end rentals and within the summer season.
but running a gite well we need to make a living. Clever buying and selling helps
but that means we are living on savings or investment,Just to add that we begun with nothing
and that means no family handouts, There was nothing to hand out.
Jane i am sure that you did not begin your working life as a gite operator.
What did you do begore you came to France?
Were you an accountant?
Just interested.
Shhhh donāt ask (she was an MI5 spy)
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Actually i have directed this to the wrong person
No it was meant for Jane,
Actually I met a spy in the 90s ā¦Did not consider him famous and his secret
stays with me,
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An actual spy or a member of the intelligence services?
couldnāt have been a very good oneā¦ real spies remain unknown 
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Had a friend who worked for MI5 in a couple of roles, firstly as a translator of conversations in bugged Chinese restos in Soho and then (because she got bored) as a MoD chauffeur who got trained in defensive driving.
Fast forward some years to friend and self leaving a nameless pub in a nameless English city long after closing time, (in a 4x4 3 litre LHD Capri that sheād been given in lieu of back pay when her German racing team had gone bust) Soon we were being followed by a patrol car so we stopped at a roundabout near my house, the police pulled in behind and I got out from the passengerās offside door. āāSee you laterāā, she said. As one of the policemen got out to question me, the Capriās lights went out and the big black car screamed off up the dual carriageway on the far side of the roundabout . Policeman jumped back in his car and they set off with lights flashing and siren wailing.
About twenty minutes later, there was a knock on the front door and my friend explained that she went up the road very fast, with lights off, took the first exit and pulled into some bushes, watched the police car go past and then returned through the back roads (with her lights on) .
So now you know what to do in such an eventuality, but of course since the abolition of eleven oāclock closing time in the UK, this sort of high quality goverment sponsored training has become redundant!
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Preparing for Winter 2022ā¦ we have successfully replaced an empty 13kg butaneā¦
39,47ā¬ and worth every centā¦ as we cook on gas.
Should see us through the next 12 monthsā¦ 
Our wood burner has a switch for a fan with two settings. Iād assumed it was simply to create a draft when lighting the fire a bit more sophisticated than a sheet of newspaper. But then Iāve just realised that every room has a vent in the ceiling so Iām thinking the two settings are for the living room and bedrooms. So in theory we could heat the whole house with the wood burner. Could be a bit smelly but weāll give it a go.
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No ideaā¦ but sounds a good ideaā¦ letās know how you get on with itā¦
I thought your original account @barbara_deane1 had been restored to you and that @barbara_deane1 had been deleted by @james
Has it all gone wrong again?