'Expectations' that Don't Lead to Disappointments

You may be a French property owner, an aspiring French property owner or just a frequent visitor to France, but no doubt, it is natural to have ‘expectations’ of your stay in France, regardless. If you’re simply vacationing here, then you’ve likely been planning it for weeks or months and certainly dreaming about all the things you’re going to do while you’re in the City of Light, on the Riviera, in the hilltowns of Provence or wherever your travels take you in this beautiful and ancient land.

But don’t. Take note of what Benjamin Franklin said, “Blessed is he who expects nothing, for he shall never be disappointed.”

I personally subscribe to this philosophy and believe me, it will take you happily far into your life in general. If you reduce your ‘expectations’ to zero, you will greater appreciate every aspect of your life and particularly, your experience in France — a place that may be very culturally different from your own. I warn you, though, very few people heed Ben Franklin’s words, and intentionally or not, set up many unrealistic ‘expectations’ for themselves and the others around them.

This article is prompted by only a couple of rental clients who came to Paris with unrealistic ‘expectations’ of what they would find in their luxury rental apartment and in the city in general. They had not prepared themselves for the reality of the situation, leading to disappointments for themselves as well as for the owners and the agency acting on behalf of both parties.

If you own a rental property in Paris, Nice, Provence or anywhere in France, then you understand the business of providing accommodations. The properties we represent at Parler Paris and Parler Nice Apartments are luxury vacation apartments designed to provide as comfortable a home as possible. We wa
nt our guests to have an idyllic stay — and that means understanding the needs of our clients — as well as their ‘expectations.’

The apartments we represent are owned by individuals much like yourself. They came, they fell in love with the city and decided to invest in a property. Then, they hired the most capable team they knew to find it, renovate and decorate it in a luxurious style so that vacationing people such as themselves could enjoy it. It takes a lot of time, energy and money to put a luxury vacation apartment on the rental market with everyone doing their best to ensure that it will meet all the ‘expectations.’

The owners have the pleasure of enjoying the property themselves and are rewarded by the guests who appreciate it. Achieving that outside of their own cultural comfort-zone is no easy task, as there is often a cultural divide between the investors and the providers upon which they depend, much more than just a difference in language.

This is all a preface to some valuable insight that will help you manage your ‘expectations’ between what you or your renters will think will be the experience and what will really be the experience when renting a luxury apartment with us (or any apartment or house anywhere!).

Here is a numbered list of ‘expectations’ one can realistically have when contracting to rent an apartment or home for a France vacation:

1. The chances of a successful rental are best when working with a professional and reliable agency. Individuals who manage their own properties can only do as well or as badly of which they are capable. Therefore a renter takes a risk when dealing directly with an owner. It is not always a bargain, either! With an agency acting as liaison, a more perfect stay can be negotiated.

2. Apartments cannot be booked in the same way one reserves a hotel (by the night with a 24-hour cancellation). Many apartments require one-week minimums and in our case, three nights is the shortest booking we can afford to take. Each stay requires a full cleaning, regardless of the length of stay, and therefore there is a minimum expense for the owner. The longer an apartment is reserved, the less is the cost on a nightly basis. Cancellation policies vary between agencies and owners, but neither can take the risk of too short an advance notice of cancellation because of the time it takes to secure a new rental contract. If you or your renters are concerned about canceling a contract and forfeiting some rent, it is advisable to take travel insurance that covers the potential loss.

3. Owners want and need to know exactly how many and who is occupying their precious property and are concerned about how it will be cared for. This is the reason often children under a certain age are not allowed, and certainly not pets. If an apartment accommodates no more than four people, there is a reason. Failing to list all the occupants on the contract is a breach of contract and would be ill advised and unappreciated.

4. Pricing the apartment stay is different for all agencies and owners, but normally it depends on the season, length of stay and availability, plus of course, the level of accommodations and amenities. Generally, pricing is based on what the market dictates. Agency-represented apartments are generally a bit more expensive than those represented directly by their owners — for the obvious reason: service and security. A renter can’t expect much from an absentee owner, but can expect an agency to provide a certain level of service and treat the rental as a business. Renters who ask for a discount may think they are clever saving some money, but are a “red flag” to the agencies and owners as guests who do not appreciate the business — often leading to unsatisfied customers with unrealistic ‘expectations.’

5. Renters should read all they can about the apartment they are renting so there are no surprises. It’s important to get to know the location and local attractions as well as learn about the apartment itself and its amenities. This is where ‘expectations’ can play the most dangerous role. Owners are advised to make as much information about the apartment as possible, while renters are advised to make no assumptions. A renter who is averse to climbing stairs, won’t be happy to discover the apartment they rented is on the 5th floor without an elevator! If the property overlooks a busy street, then a renter sensitive to noise will be very unhappy for lack of sleep. Photos on a Web site showing every aspect of the property are very important to reducing disappointments from unrealistic ‘expectations.’ Use them!

6. Spaciousness is quite different in North America compared with European cities. The French live much more modestly and live well with less space — fewer bathroom facilities, smaller kitchens, etc. Studio apartments are the size of U.S. bedrooms, one-bedroom apartments are generally half the size of an equivalent apartment even in New York City and two-bedroom apartments are considered large by French standards. Two-bedroom apartments with two toilets or two bathrooms are rare, although North American owners make every effort to add more facilities to their properties. Often you will see two bathrooms with one separate toilet — as the ability to add a toilet is dictated by the available evacuation pipes — so it can often be a big challenge to a renovation project.

7. The French use their bathrooms differently than Americans, so you may find that a tub has a hand-held shower head, but no hook on which to perch it for showering hands free, nor a shower curtain. The toilets are generally in a separate room as is the French custom for hygienic reasons. More often than not, there is no sink in the toilet room with which to wash your hands. In the apartments we represent, we’ve made every effort to “Americanize” the bathroom facilities, but again, there are limitations that may prevent a fully American-style bathroom experience.

8. Electrical current and appliances differ in France from North America. If your apparatus is not duel-voltage, don’t bother bringing it. Plugging in a 110-volt hair dryer into a 220-volt plug is sure to blow out even the strongest electrical system and could easily cause a fire. Well-equipped apartments will have plug adapters for American-style plugs and provide the necessary appliances so you can leave your hair dryer at home.

9. Paris is a busy noisy city and with that comes the trade-offs of living in such an exciting place. For example:
    a. Older buildings in the central city have lots of charm, but rarely elevators.
    b. Windows overlooking courtyards tend to afford quieter accommodations, but perhaps not as much light or view.
    c. To have light and view, usually the apartment must be on a higher level, particularly in Le Marais where the streets are narrow.
    e. Neither the owner nor the agency has any control over construction that may be going on in the building or on the street. By law, construction can take place and noise can be made from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday. “Expect” to encounter noise and dust as the cities are always gentrifying and improving!
    
10. Properties with elevators are ideal, but often difficult to find, particularly in older buildings. It seems great to be on the 5th floor with an elevator, but if there is only one elevator, and it malfunctions (which they do often), you will be walking up (and down with or without your luggage)! If the elevator isn’t operating, don’t “expect” the repairperson to work nights or weekends!

The guests whose unrealistic ‘expectations’ could not be met left disappointed and damaged everyone in their wakes. “Quel dommage!” Be blessed, as an owner or as a renter, and ‘expect’ nothing, but do hope for the best, an
d you will never be disappointed in whatever life brings your way — particularly here in France, where the cultural divide can be vaster than you might ‘expect.’.

A bientôt,

Adrian Leeds
Editor, French Property Insider

Email: [email protected]