House rules (or rather guidelines)
/Welcome to South to South*
We really, really hope that you will make fabulous holiday memories here; that you will be comfortable; that you will
fall in love with our beautiful village and the
drop-dead-gorgeous areas around it.
We hope you will have many laughts, great food, fabulous wine and that when you leave, your heart will be full.
We know that’s a tall order, but we are confident that South to South will be a worthy home from home for you.
Let us know if there is something we can do to make your stay more memorable** – after all, we do have some local knowledge that can go a long way to point you in the direction of fun things to do ϑ
*Don’t worry if the name sounds strange – you didn’t stumble into the wrong property; instead, you may have booked the house under another name, assigned to it by the booking site of your choice.
That’s just how things roll in the vacation rental world!
** While we don’t offer a concierge service, we can provide useful recommendations. In fact, you probably received an email with an attachment loaded with local knowledge.
>> NOISE
We have neighbours who more than likely aren’t on holiday. Be nice and try to keep the noise levels down, especially after 10.30pm (which seems like a decent hour to wind down). Also, the courtyard has a nasty habit of amplifying sound. We discovered this when a neighbour halfway down the road complimented us on our choice of music. Oops.
>> FURNITURE
We have a few antique pieces that aren’t replaceable. We also have lots of Ikea furniture that we really don’t want to have to replace … and assemble again.
Be kind to our furniture, pretty please.
>> FLOORS
This is an old house, with beautiful really old tiled floors. Sometimes the tiles lose their grip a little and become a tad wonky (like one in the first floor passage). We have it on good authority that there’s nothing we can do about it without ripping up all the tiles, so please be aware and tread gently on, over or around it.
>> SMOKING
As a former smoker, one of us knows all too well that smoke seeps into furniture and linen and towels and clothes and paint and … you get the picture. Also as a former smoker, one of us could but obviously won’t judge you for smoking, as long as you do so in the courtyard or on the terraces (with doors to the house firmly closed to keep the smoke outside). Can we ask that you don’t leave cigarette butts lying around but that you make use of the ashtrays provided, and empty these before you leave? Thanks.
>> LIGHTS
Please turn off the lights in rooms you are not using, and when you leave, otherwise the house looks like a Christmas tree and you make the ozone layer cry.
>> LOCK AND SECURITY
Just to be safe, lock or shutter doors leading to the outside at night and when you go out (house and apartment). Also, there is a digital safe bolted to a wall in the attic where you can keep personal treasures and valuable documents. Your hosts will show you how to use if, if you’re unsure.
>> BREAKAGES
Sometimes things break, like a glass, mug or plate. If it happens during your stay, please let your hosts know so that we can replace it. That way the next visitors won’t have to drink their wine through a straw. If there are other breakages, or anything that needs repair, please let your hosts know as soon as possible.
>> DAMAGE/BREAKAGE DEPOSIT
Your damage/breakage deposit will be returned to you within 14 days after your departure, provided there’s no claim against it for, well … damages and breakages. We’ve only once had to claim after guests left the house in shambles. Don’t be like them. We love that feeling that we’ve somehow hit the jackpot when our damage/breakage deposit is refunded after living it up on holiday ϑ
>> ON THAT NOTE
Your hosts are Warren and Roxi Dauncey from South to South Property Management and you may have met either or both of them when you arrived. Otherwise they will make a time to meet you as soon as possible to walk and talk you through the house, and to give you some useful info about the village.
You can contact Warren or Roxi during office hours (09h00 - 17h00) on
Mobile: +33 6 41 11 53 30, or
Email them at propertymanagementfrance@gmail.com
SOME GENERAL STUFF
BBQ
The Weber barbecue uses wood, or charcoal, or briquettes. These are (mostly) available at the local supermarkets. Please clean the Weber after you’ve used it, and try to avoid dripping oil or hot coals on the gorgeous concrete courtyard surface.
The outside wooden dining table is super rustic (it’s from Africa). We do our best to keep it in good shape but please be careful not to get splinters.
BIKING
We have a two bicycles that you can rent. Please chat to your hosts about it and the rates, as well as about the many routes you can explore, and places you can visit, while you up your fitness levels as a bonus. Besides, you see much more detail on a bike than in a car.
<IN CASE OF> EMERGENCY
Emergency services: 112
Municipal police: 04 67 00 58 27
Hospital: The Polyclinic Pasteur is good for emergencies; it is located in Pezenas, at 3 Rue Pasteur, and the telephone number is 04 67 90 41 41
FIREPLACES
By all means, use the fireplaces if you’re happy to clean up afterwards (or slip your hosts a few Euro to help you out). The first bucketload of firewood is on us, thereafter you can buy from your hosts as you need it (€35 per large bucket). Please keep the glass doors to the fireplaces closed to minimise the smell of smoke attaching itself to everything in the room. Some of us love the smell. Others of us don’t. More of us don’t, so we win this round.
GENERAL CLEANING
Please note that the house isn’t serviced, so day-to-day cleaning and tidying is up to you. There is, however, a clean-up at the end of your stay (you will have been billed for it).
INVENTORY
We love this house and much of what is in it are items we have collected over many years. For that reason it is nearly impossible to create a formal inventory. We do, however, have a photo inventory, which is checked before and after every new guest arrival. Even so, if you notice that anything is broken, or that it doesn’t work, please let your hosts know within 24 hours of arrival.
Also, please do not move furniture around as you may accidentally damage a wall or another piece of furniture, for which you will unfortunately be held responsible. In addition, the cleaners will have to check the furniture against the inventory and move things back to their places, which means they will spend longer at the house than scheduled (which means you will have to pay for the extra time).
HASHTAG
If you’re active in the world of social media, please use #southtosouth_caux
to keep us in the loop when you post photos of your visit. It makes us happy to see your happy holiday snaps.
KITCHEN
> Basics
There are some basic food items, like olive oil and spices, as well as tin foil, paper napkins, etc. that you are welcome to use. If you can, please replace what you’ve used for the sake of the next visitors.
> Cooker/stove
That beautiful Smeg in the main house kitchen has a gas hob and an electric oven: the best of both worlds! If you’re not familiar with the cooker/stove, please ask your hosts for a demonstration.
Sadly, the oven is not self-cleaning, so please make sure you leave it clean.
If cleaning ovens is not your thing, then keep in mind that extra cleaning time for the oven is chargeable. Let your hosts know if you would rather pay to have the oven cleaned so that they can plan accordingly.
The hob in the apartment is also gas. Should you run out of gas in either the main house or apartment, please let you hosts know and they will get you reconnected.
> Dishwasher
There’s a plastic container on the dishwasher with pods and rinse aid. Please don’t put wooden objects, like bowls or salad servers, in the dishwasher. They don’t do well in there. We know because we’ve done in, with sad results. If the salt light comes on, please let your hosts know and they will replenish with dishwasher salt.
If you’re new to dishwashers, or this brand, ask your hosts for a quick demo.
> Coffee machine
You will find a few coffee pods for the Nespresso machine to get you going. After that, you can stock up at one of the supermarkets. You won’t find Nespresso pods, but the local brands are pretty decent. Please try to leave a few for the next guests.
No-one deserves to wake up to no coffee on their first morning at South to South, or anywhere else for that matter.
LAUNDRY
An automatic washing machine is located in the apartment, which should work out fine since you’re probably on holiday with friends or family. Also, there really wasn’t space in the main house for one. You can ask your hosts to give you a demo of the machine, and to show you where to find the drying rack and iron. We don’t have a dryer. We have sun (mostly). If, however, it’s raining or you want things dried quickly, then there is a handy outdoor laundry service at the shopping centre in Pezenas (where Carrefour is).
MISCELLANEOUS
Hair dryer
There is a hair dryer in every bedroom: In the main house you will find it either in the bathroom, or in a bedside table drawer. In the apartment, it’s in one of the bedside table drawers.
Drinking water
The tap water is perfectly safe to drink. But if you prefer bottled water, pop into one of the shops in the village to stock up.
PARKING
We once parked outside the big gate. The police weren’t happy. So, if you have lots of bags to unload, by all means park there, but then take your car off to the parking lot across the road (Panama parking). On the odd occasion, like a Friday when it’s market day, the parking area may be full. In that case you can find a spot somewhere on the roads in the vicinity and move your car back to Panama later in the day. As a rule, park at Panama. It just keeps the police and the neighbours happy. Happy neighbours, happy life …
RESTAURANTS
There are two restaurants in the village, MDL le Bistrot and Les valseuses, both within walking distance, which is always a plus. There’s also a super pizza place, Tête d’Anchois, for dinners on the go (or eat in), and a coffee shop/bar. Ask your hosts when the burger truck is in town. The surrounding villages also offer some incredible restaurants, as does Pezenas (our closest big brother). You can see some of our favourites on our website (www.southtosouth.net) and your hosts have some recommendations of their own.
SHOPPING
We have a small but well-stocked supermarket in the village called Votre Marché (close to the restaurant). You’ll also find a selection of great wines there. In addition there is a bakery and a butchery, as well as a fresh produce market on Fridays (including meats and cheeses). Otherwise, head off to Roujan (Super U) or Pézenas (Carrefour, E.Leclerc, LIDL, ALDI) for larger grocery shopping sprees.
You’ll find two hairdressers in the village, a tobacconist, coffee shop, beauty salon and pharmacy along the main road. Please support the local shopkeepers. They’re really lovely. The woman at the tobacconist speaks English (her husband doesn’t). It has come in handy for us. Plus, she’s very nice.
Just a side note, if you’re not familiar with French shopping hours, you may need to come to grips that some shops close over lunch time (more or less), many don’t open on Mondays, and most are closed on Sundays (except our local supermarket, the bakery, and Super U – all open in the morning only).
Generally, opening hours are mostly a bit of a gamble. We haven’t got it waxed, but your hosts are far more up to speed with when you can expect to strike it lucky. Best is to keep a supply of picnic stuff ready in case of an emergency snack attack.
TELEVISION AND INTERNET
Television
There are a whole bunch of Orange network French channels available on both TVs (main lounge and apartment). There’s also Netflix, which you will already be signed in to. Please don’t sign out as we may have forgotten the password. (If Netflix stops the sharing facility, as it keeps threatening to do, you will have to sign in on your own account.)
Internet
Free wi-fi is available throughout.
The network is: Southtosouth
And the password is: welcomeguest
THINGS TO DO
There are many beautiful villages, towns and cities to visit in the region and closer to home. In addition, there is a plethora of vineyards with delicious wines to sample and buy and, a mere 30 minutes away, you can dive into the Med. Other than that there are picnic spots, rivers to swim in, loads of walks to explore, art galleries, quaint shops and a gazillion beauitul sites to behold. Or you can laze around the pool with a good book (on that note, there are loads of books in the house that you’re welcome to browse through but not take home, please).
TOILETS
This is an old house, with mostly old plumbing that can be somewhat dramatic and/or sensitive! In light of that, please don’t flush anything down the loo other than toilet paper. Sanitary materials like tampons and sanitary towels must please be placed in tied or knotted plastic bags in the bin. Face wipes and cosmetic cotton wool pads must also go in the bin in the bathroom.
TOWELS AND BED LINEN
There’s a set of bed linen for each bed, and a bath towel for each guest. These are (obviously) changed after guests check out, but if you are staying for two weeks or longer (yay!) you can arrange with your hosts for a fresh set of linen and towels midway through your stay (see pg 15 for fees).
Please don’t take any of the bedding or towels out of the house, like for picnics or sunbathing or swimming elsewhere. There are swimming towels for the pool to be used on the property only.
TRASH AND RECYCLING
We’re rather partial to this blue planet of ours, so recycling is a priority (plus, it’s compulsoray in France). There are bins for recycling outside the apartment. You are required to wheel these bins out during your stay. Just pop them across the road in the vicinity of the library (you should see other bins there).
The schedule is:
WEDNESDAY: Yellow bin (recycling – plastic, paper)
FRIDAY: Green bin (general waste)
Glass bottles can be left in the small grey tin bin at the kitchen door.
These have to be discarded at specific recycling points and we will see to that.
WEBSITES
Here are a few useful websites to help make your stay more enjoyable:
• www.southtosouth.net (this our website where you’ll find lots of info, as well as a blog about how we got from the south of Africa to the south of France).
• www.caux.fr (this is where you can learn more about the village; we use Chrome as a browser, which automatically translates the site into English, should your French be as rusty/limited as ours).
• www.pezenas-tourisme.fr (this gives you some insight into our closest big town).
• www.languedoc-wines.com (this is where you can learn more about this superb wine region).
WINES
The closest, and among the best wine maker is Mas Gabriel, which is a short stroll from South to South. Perfect for tasting and buying! But there are loads more wine makers to meet and wines to sample, many of them within a short drive. You can see some of our favourites – we’re constantly discovering new ones! – on our website (www.southtosouth.net) or ask your hosts for their recommendations.
YOUR DEPARTURE
ou certainly don’t have to sweep or mop or vacuum or dust, but please:
Leave the kitchen appliances clean, empty the dishwasher and clear its filter, and empty the fridge. We get cleaners in to do a thorough clean and wash the linen, but they don’t have time to wash dishes or handle left-overs or rubbish.
If there’s unopened food in the fridge you are welcome to leave it for the cleaners, who will gladly take it home with them.
Clean BBQ
Please leave the BBQ empty and clean.
Clean fireplace
Please empty cold ash from the fireplaces.
Check washing machine
Make sure you haven’t left any clothes behind, especially odd socks.
Unfortunately, we’ll be forced to charge an additional fee if the above are not left clean and neat. This will amount to €15 per hour and you can budget for three hours. Don’t take it personally, it’s just what we have to do to maintain our sanity.
Please don’t strip the beds. The cleaning team work to a plan and they prefer to do this themselves.
Breakage and damage deposit will be refunded to you once your hosts are sure the house and/or apartment is left as set out in your contract and this document.
EXTRA CHARGES
Pool heating
€110 per week
Pool-heating cancellation fee: €40
You will have been given the option to have the pool heated when you booked your stay. In high season (July and August) it is automatically included in the rental fee. Unfortunately, we have to charge a cancellation fee if you decide on arrival that you no longer want the water heated as we have to start running the heat pump about two days in advance, and electricity is rather costly.
Mid-stay change of linen
Linen: €25 per set per bed
Mid-stay change of bed linen is only available for stays of two weeks and longer. A set comprises a fitted sheet, flat sheet, two pillowcases, and duvet cover. Please place each bed’s set in a separate pillowcase. These will be collected and clean linen dropped off for you to make your bed(s).
Fire wood (for indoor fireplace)
€35 per bucket
Mid-stay clean
€22.50 per cleaner per hour
Please note that we can’t guarantee that cleaners will be available during the summer. We’d also need at least two to three days’ notice as things get pretty busy in season.
Bicycle hire
Please refer to your hosts
TALK TO US
To report breakages or faults, or for general enquires and recommendations, please contact your hosts during office hours on +33 6 41 11 53 30 or propertymanagementfrance@gmail.com
TIPS
Tips are always welcome, for your hosts and/or cleaners.
If you loved your stay, please tell the world and its neighbours.
If you didn’t, please tell us – we’re still fairly new at this and really,
sincerely, honestly want to learn from our mistakes.
