The Gîte Podcast

Hello fellow gîters! Today we talk to Helen and Kevin from Maison Palissy about running a gîte in retirement. They share insights into living in France, which they've done for years, and balancing the business, the guest experience and their own privacy.  This discussion offers valuable advice for those navigating the hospitality industry and considering a moving to france journey. https://www.maisonpalissy.com/ https://www.giteguru.com/ https://lemasdordogne.com/

You want to move to France and open a gîte (holiday home), so you start property hunting - and you might be surprised by how difficult it can be, especially when searching online.  I talk to Rose Caldwell, an estate agent working in Issigeac in the Dordogne, to find out why it can be such a struggle to find properties and what tips she has to make it easier.  She also talks us through the process of buying a house, which protects the buyer when compared to other countries.  I'm sure that this will help those of you wanting to buy in France - and if you're looking in the Dordogne, then get in touch with Rose! Rose Caldwell - Agence Immobilière Valadié  https://www.instagram.com/maisonsissigeac/ Email: [email protected] https://www.giteguru.com/ https://lemasdordogne.com/

You hope for a smooth season for your gîte (holiday accommodation) in France, but what happens when one thing after another goes wrong? How do you cope with challenging guests, swarming bees, arguments with your insurance and difficult guests.  Unfortunately, that's the reality Neil and David faced this year with their gîte Domaine de la Banne near Belvès in France.  We talk about their revenue, occupancy, costs, trust, safety and working and living as a couple.  https://www.labanne.fr/ https://www.giteguru.com/ https://lemasdordogne.com/

A live Q&A session gets the juices flowing, not knowing what people are going to ask about gîtes (holiday homes) in France!  We talk about being bullied by the big websites, the pitfalls of renovations, pool considerations and much more. So if you're an expat wanting to move to France, or you've already set up a small business here, there's lots of gîte information here to get your teeth into.  Thanks to Ben from Ibanista for moderating the session. Ibanista helps you with your move to France, like with long-term rentals, utility setup, and currency transfers. https://www.ibanista.com/ https://www.giteguru.com/ https://lemasdordogne.com/

Tracy and David wanted to move to Spain and open a B&B, but instead they remained in the UK and bought a gîte in France! That was in 2005, and they have built up a successful gîte business and a boutique agency representing other gîtes.  We discuss the changes that Tracy has seen in the past 21 years, from the dominance of the platforms, to guests' expectations changing.  Wow factors feature, as well as the challenge of Covid.  https://www.holidaycottagesandvillas.com/ https://www.holidaycottagesandvillas.com/property/france/la-maison-montignac/ https://www.giteguru.com/ https://lemasdordogne.com/

Natasha and Tony bought a large property in the Dordogne in 2024, the majority of which was just a shell. They opened 2 small gîtes whist renovating the rest, which they hope to open in 2026. We talk about doing the renovations yourselves, getting discounts on building materials, their social life, who their guests are, and what they think of their new life in France - which you will be able to watch on TV next year! I loved the fact that they were also so honest about the challenge living and working together in a new country, and what that has meant for their relationship. https://latrilogiedor.com/ https://www.giteguru.com/ https://lemasdordogne.com/

Sven and Sandra bought a house in the Dordogne as a second home, but soon hit upon the idea of running it as a gîte when they're not there. But does it still feel like a home now?! We talk about costs vs. investments, tv crews staying, joining the hunt, doing your own renovations, being the same target group as your guests, and how much money they made this year.  Sven and Sandra has also given up their jobs to open more businesses connected to their gîte.  https://maisonsaintblaise.com/ https://sandmarkers.com/gite/ https://www.giteguru.com/ https://lemasdordogne.com/

It's our turn to talk about our gîtes! We published this episode on the 10th anniversary of having bought Le Mas. A lot has happened in that time... We talk about good guests and difficult guests, our renovation of the property, what's changed in the past 10 years, how running gîtes together has affected our relationship, the mistakes, the joy, the stress, profitability and what we've learnt about ourselves.   https://www.giteguru.com/ https://lemasdordogne.com/

Tom and his wife Emilie bought their gîte sight unseen in Emilie's father's village. Tom admits getting it ready for paying guests nearly broke them, but  the sense of achievement is obvious. We talk in detail about the challenge of running a gîte from a different country, never meeting your guests, and relying on others to maintain, clean and present your gîte.  https://toumassou.com/ https://www.giteguru.com/ https://lemasdordogne.com/

Elsa and her husband are in the process of setting up a gîte on her grandparent's old horse ranch in Sologne. We talk about why they came up with this plan, which involves moving with their baby daughter and dog from California, what their action list is for the coming months, values, bullying, marketing and target audiences and lots more.  https://www.instagram.com/leclosdebauzy/ https://www.giteguru.com/ https://lemasdordogne.com/

Suzie talks to me all about the two big gîtes she ran for 7 years, before deciding to sell the property and buy another French property without a gîte. She looks back, both with the rose-tinted glasses on and off, at her time as a gîter and has some great tips for others wanting to start out.  https://www.giteguru.com/ https://lemasdordogne.com/

Julia and Mac decided to end their careers in the UK and make their dream of moving to France a reality. They fell in love with Les Chauvins, bought it, adapted the previous gîte set-up, and opened it to paying guests.  We look back over the process and find out if they have any regrets! https://leschauvinsfrance.com/ https://www.giteguru.com/ https://lemasdordogne.com/

Valérie has been advising people about setting up businesses in France since 2009. We talk about the differences between then and now, and why increased regulations and restrictions aren't necessarily a bad thing! We discuss visa application, especially important for Brits post-Brexit, taxation, registration and much much more! Valerie's website Valerie's YouTube If you want to know more about Gîte Guru, please go to our website

Paul and Fiona run a beautiful 6-bedroom gîte in the Dordogne, welcoming families, holidaymakers and bikers. They're avid motorbike enthusiasts and offer their guests facilities, services and a choice of routes to ride in the Dordogne. They talk about finding the property, moving from the UK and getting residency in France post-Brexit, renovating, being on TV and in the papers, accepting a service dog to stay and lots more. https://www.lechaivilla.com

How is it living and working together, what are their costs, some words of warning about gîte Facebook groups and lots more! Real stories from gîte owners about the highs and lows of running a gîte business in France. Paul and Charlotte from Maison Montruf talk to Rupert, aka Gîte Guru, about renting their own home out for 17 weeks over the summer to paying guests.

Real stories from gîte owners about the highs and lows of running a gîte business in France. Paul and Charlotte from Maison Montruf talk to Rupert, aka Gîte Guru, about renting their own home out for 17 weeks over the summer to paying guests. How do they do it, how much do they earn, what do they do before, during and after the season, how do they show their love and loyalty to their guests?