Insider tips and tricks to successful letting

Stephen and Jill Brann talk about the Maison de Vigneron they own in the thriving village of Nissan-Lès-Ensérune | Grande House – NISS102

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, as is the Canal du Midi’s Malpas Tunnel.

After extensive renovation works the Branns had their house ready to let out the following year. La Grande House is an impressive property; it is located right in the centre of Nissan but with enough outside space for a decent-sized pool and lounging areas. The Branns have retained a lot of the original features of this elegant house including several gorgeous marble fireplaces and stucco surrounds. The décor is quite lush and in keeping with the Grande House’s early beginnings when it was owned by a family whose wealth was based on the wine-making for which the village is still famous.

Stephen and Jill reckon to let the house out from April and well into September, which is a long season. How have they been so successful? Stephen says that the key to successful letting is the ability to react quickly, be pro-active and pay attention to detail. ‘If there’s a problem, you need to get onto it fast or it will get worse even faster. Similarly, if I see there’s a period coming up which has not been fully booked, I check out the competition and compare my offer against theirs. If I feel prices have dropped slightly then I do the same. A small drop in price can be the make or break of a week’s rental coming in. I also firmly believe that there should be no disappointment when clients first enter the house. It’s surely better to be overwhelmed than underwhelmed. Decent, appropriate furniture and clean paintwork make the world of difference’. Creature comforts such as air con in every room and WiFi on every floor ensure that the clients enjoy their stay even more.

So why did Stephen and Jill choose South France Holiday Villas as the website to advertise with? ‘Our estate agent recommended Juliana’s company and it went from there. The fact she was English helped a lot but we particularly like the personal service she and her team give us. We keep in weekly contact. Juliana also recommended we get the house professionally photographed and I’m sure that the pictures help to sell it even more than the words. Juliana handled everything and for the sake of a couple of hundred Euros we really have an advertisement that stands out.’