Frequently asked questions

 

1. why are you leaving?  
We are 68 and want to stop working. We have since bought a house in a village nearby and want to finish our work here.

 

2. What is your source of income?  
We rent out some gîtes/chalets during the months of May to October. We do chambres and table d'hôtes (B&B) for hikers in our valley tour and in July and August we organise tango weeks.

 

3. How many guests can you accommodate?
20 guests

 

4. What is the accommodation for guests?
We ourselves live in the "front" house, 2 rooms and 2 bedrooms. 1 bedroom with its own entrance is also a guest room.
In the big house is a guest living room with breakfast and lunch kitchen and 3 bedrooms. 
In the Gite El Sueno is 1 bedroom.  
On the property, scattered in the valley are 7 wooden chalets (cabanes) of about 20m2 with water and electricity. Six of them also have a shower and toilet.

 

 5. At what altitude is the house located?    
 - 330m

 

6. What is it like in summer/winter?   
The house faces south-east. summer sun comes up around 7.30 am and goes away at 4pm. Because of the river and trees in the valley, it doesn't get swelteringly hot here.
In winter there can also be frost and rain, usually between October to March, temperature usually as much as 4 to 6 degrees warmer than in the north (Netherlands and Germany).Here are in general more days with sunshine and if the sun shines, you can sit in the sun warmly even in the middle of winter between 10.00 and 15.00 hours.

 

 7. Can you swim in the river?  
Yes, the water is clean and mostly clear, in the middle it is 2.20m deep. Can the river overflow?  - Only down over the rocks.

 

8. Does the river ever run dry? 
It seems to have happened once in 1943.

 

9. Can you hear the road across the valley?
Sometimes when a truck or motorbikes pass over it, or when the wind is in our direction. It is a quiet road with a little traffic. In Winter and Spring you can often hear the rushing of the river.

 

 10. How is the arrival road? 
This is an asphalt road belonging to the municipality and is maintained by them, mowed a few times a year, repaired and even when it snows, shovelled. It is not a through road, so it is only used by us. It is a small road with two sharp hairpin bends, not suitable for large motor homes and caravans. Vans and small lorries can use it.

 

11. Is there a septic tank?
There is an officially approved 3000-litre septic tank with a filter system.

 

12. What are annual fixed costs?
- Taxes foncières, 977,- euros per year. Poubelles (rubbish) 2x 80.= euro per year.
- Water, gas, electricity, ?  Water, 816,- euro per year. Electricity including subscription for 9 kw, about 122,- euro per month.

 

 13. Are there any defects and foreseeable costs?
If you want to use all rooms also in winter time: windows and doors that still have single glazing, replace them with double glazing.
Replacing the roofing of the dance floor.
Improvement here and there to the electrics.
Possibly constructing a reed run-off field.

 

14- contents of the buildings?
Our house: 4 rooms (2 bedrooms). 1 living room/kitchen area and downstairs 1 large guest kitchen.
Guest house: 5 spaces = 3 bedrooms, large living room 6x9m and yoga/massage room 6x5m.
El Sueno: 1 bedroom/living room, 1 kitchen+bathroom.
Casa Roca: 3 rooms (2 bedrooms)

Wooden chalets (cabanes):20m2
Calina Manana, 1 living/bedroom 2 double beds.
Three, 2pers. chalets: Seta, Media Luna and Cunita with shower, toilet and kitchen.
Two 2 pers. chalets: Vista et Chiquita with shower and toilet. 
One 2pers chalet: Celestial giro with washbasin and outdoor shower.

Please note: these wooden chalets (cabanes) are not official, we declare them as status : "camping chez habitant," max 6 places.                  

These cottages were built 30 years ago, 3 of them have a permit for "abri de jardin" 4 have no permit. * (In 2002 we tried our best to make them official. This is not possible because we live in a nature park and only objects close to the house are allowed. They are unknown and/or tolerated.)

 

15- Furnishing?
Except for a few artfully designed objects, the furnishing of all guest stays are inclusive. We empty our own residential house.

 

16-Terrain?
- The 3,3ha site runs from the road above to the middle of the small river.

 

17-How much work is site maintenance?
- Especially in May and June, the trees and bushes sprout and the grass shoots up, Especially in those months, mowing and pruning have to be done. Paths and steps also need touching up.
Taking the chalets out of winter mode and making them clean and ready for use.
Sometimes trees have to be cut down to preserve the view in winter.

 

18- Are the houses well isolated?
No. Here we have wood heating, this is radiation heating and very confortable.
The walls are very thick and most floors and roofs are isolated.
Some rooms are isolated, because they are half in the earth.
In El Capillo is 2/3 part of de windows/doors double glazed.

Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)