Well, the past few months have made for some interesting times to say the least for everyone. The coronavirus has seemingly brought out the best and worst and overall a lot of uncertainty.
In the middle of March when the restrictions came down in France, bookings that are done normally year round and were just on the verge of increasing for us seemed to come to a full stop that month yet oddly our real estate interests increased dramatically with more people looking for a permanent or second home away from cities and either by the sea or in the countryside.
Keeping a positive outlook, we evolve with the daily changes and worked with our many business partnerships as one for the best interests of our clientele bases.
With that being said, when the lock down restrictions started to be lifted the middle of May, we noticed a spike in the increase in our luxury villa rentals for more so the end of summer at first as that seemed to give more people hope that travel would be more accessible at the a time period for a holiday.
As soon as June 1st approached and especially June 15th, when France opened the borders to more of the surrounding European countries and even places such as Canada, it was full steam ahead for us.
We are generally used to people booking ahead year round for the property rental of their choice in the summer months but this year absolutely everything has been last minute as even our other rental partners can attest too.
What we have noticed immediately was owners first questions before even possibly allowing a client to rent was location. What country are they from? What passports do they hold? And will they be allowed to travel? Because the season has been cut short for many owners, they need to be more certain now than ever who is booking as even a one week cancellation of their property during these months can mess quite a lot of their system up.
Another thing that has been apparent right away is people are so desperate to travel, if they receive a package of a property they like, they tend to book it immediately with us.
There have been rumours since about the end of May that there will be ‘virus discounts’ on properties which hasn’t happened. We have noticed though prices are not increasing even with demand being so strong so that is one benefit for our clients, plus we tend to negotiate on behalf of our patrons too as we want you to get the best deal possible.
One thing that has been different from past summers and this is a big piece of advice for your summer travel plans...if you see something you like, make your decision on the villa rental quickly. Places are being booked literally within hours right now on a daily basis.
We have just over 200 property rentals throughout France and although it is the middle of July, stock in properties is running low especially in areas such as Saint Tropez. Fortunately that is when we can reach out to one of our many luxury villa rental partners to help find what you need.
What we are advising clients this year is to come in with a game plan, we can help as well if you have any questions too, the more details we get the better. Have a strong idea of what you require, the time frame you are looking for and most of all a very realistic budget range. Again, because of the virus discount rumour, people are thinking they can get a 5 bedroom villa next to a beach with a pool and sea view for very little money this year because of Covid19. This is not the case at all, demand has grown substantially and even though it is more of a European summer, everyone wants to travel away from home this year.
Another thing to consider is, our summers in the French Riviera tend to extend well into the Autumn season which means even September and October are great times to discover the region.
There also tends to be a bit more options in the way of a villa rental with a slightly reduced price because of the time of year. We have noticed the past two summers a slight increase in those coming in September as it is a calmer atmosphere yet the weather is still fantastic. So perhaps this is the year to try and travel at a different time? We can certainly help with anything you require.
Restrictions are still in place in France, with the newest safety notices of any indoor spaces, including transit a medical mask is required but overall, it feels just like the wonderful lifestyle of France, always a pleasure to visit.
Stay safe everyone!
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