Owners' Experiences

As you’ve probably noticed by now, the South France Holiday Villas website has a huge range of properties. We handle anything from a substantial estate near St Tropez to a small village house in the High Languedoc. Properties - and their owners! - come in all shapes and sizes, so we asked ourselves the question: How and why do people decide to let out their properties as holiday rentals? We asked some Owners why they decided to take the plunge themselves and here’s what they had to say.

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  Insider tips and tricks to successful letting

  The Branns bought their lovely house in Nissan-Lès-Ensérune in Hérault in 2008. Nissan is a busy village located halfway between Béziers and Narbonne. The interesting tourist sites of the Oppidum d’Ensérune and the Etang de Montady are close by ...

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  Patience, planning and hard work are their own reward

  When Sally Shaw and her husband bought their lovely auberge in the Languedoc they weren’t entirely new to the hospitality industry. A previous life included owning a hotel barge offering gourmet holidays to small groups of bon viveurs ...

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  A great success far away from the main tourist buzz

  Martin Eidemak’s rural retreat is an eclectic collection of little houses hidden in the hills just outside Bédarieux. Located far from the madding crowd and quite different to the usual run of seaside villas, Wild Boar Mountain is the sort of place you would want to stay ...

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  Break evens, break downs and break ups

  Derek Arnold and his wife, Gay, were relocated to the Cote d’Azur by Derek’s american employer. The company was opening premises in Sophia Antipolis, the techno-park that makes up part of Valbonne, and needed Derek to be part of the team. The Arnolds soon ...

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  How to choose the right holiday property for you

  Mike and Olivia had always wanted to own a house in the south of France but weren’t quite sure where. They spent several holidays narrowing the choices down before finally choosing their place in the sun. Their first holiday took them to ...

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  Three generations... and counting!

  The Woolf family have had their delightful house in the little village of Nizas since 1980. This makes them possibly the longest-standing owners currently with South France Holiday Villas! Mr and Mrs Woolf and their family have been taking holidays in Nizas regularly for the last 30 years ...

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  Cultural differences can make all the difference

  Villa Valras is a 2-bedroom house on a small development that Val and Nick bought off-plan in 2004. They chose Valras because of its beach, the multitude of activities available and particularly the fact that it is a real town with people living in it year-round. ...

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  Rocks, sea and sun in Poilhes

  It’s not often you hear of someone buying a house because of its elemental properties but this is precisely why David and Julia Moore-Kelly chose their house in Poilhes. Earth, Water and Fire, or if you prefer, rocks, sea and sun. Julia is a geologist and both she and David are ...

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  Getting the most from your rentals and management company

  Matt Arnold has appeared on TV screens many a time and possibly even in your own living room during his time as News correspondent for GMTV and sports reporter for Sky News. You may even recall him as Capital Radio’s Flying Eye as he navigated Londoners ...

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  A Haven of Tranquillity in the Languedoc Mountains

  Lodeve is a lovely old town nestled in the hills of the Haut Languedoc National Park. It’s really well situated for a holiday as it’s fairly close to the Mediterranean beaches but within striking distance of spectacular walking and other outdoor activities ...